New-York tribune., 1922-03-11
Swears Police
Captain Beat
Him I'm Station
VI. +. Radice Tells Court of
Assault in West 3Oth St.
House After His Arrest in
Alleged Gambling Room
Advised to Get Warrant
Corrigan Sets 33 Prisoners
Free and Denounces Of
ficers for Violent Methods

After Magistrate Joseph E. Corrigan,
sitting last night in Mems Night
Court, had discharged thirty-three men
who had been arrested in a raid by
plainclothesmen in West Fortieth
Street and denounced the system under
which useless raids" are made by the
Police Department, one Of the de
PENDANTS stepped from the group and
asked permission TO address the court.
He gave his name as Michael F.
Radce, OF 2 Rector Street. He told
the magistrate that he had been cursed.
struck and kicked by captain on duty
at the West Thirtieth Street police sta
tion, where he and the thirty-two
others were taken after having been
arrested at 27l West Fortieth Street.
Magistrate Corrigar, after hearing
Radice's story, advised him to obtain
warrant for the captains arrest.
Radce said that he would do SO to-
day
Others Tell Of Assault
Several Of the men who we're ar
raigned with Radice told the court
that they had witnessed the police cap
tain's attack on Radice, and described d
1t unjustified.
Police records show that the captain
on duty at the West Thirtieth Street
station is Joseph A. Howard, who was
transferred there after the indictmen
Of Police Captain William A. Bailey.
This indictment was dismissed. Cap
tam Howard, the records show, had
been in charge of the West Thirty
seventh Street station for several
years.
Radicc did not mention the name Of
the captain in court. He said that
a ny. 40 l.. Il AI
with the other prisoners he asked for
permission to use the telephone This
angered the commander, ha said. and he
began calling him vile names" Radicc
said that he was then struck, and when
he protested was Kicked
!!e declared this assault was wit
messed by all of the other prisoners
who had been brought with him from
West Fortieth Street. He asked Mag
istrate Corrigan how to obtain the ar
rest of the officer, and was told to APP
ply for warrant.
Court Denounces Policy
Magistrate Corrigan then delivered a
further dcnunciation of police methods
which. he said, permit brutal treat
ment of prisoners at the hands OF
policemen, and permit also the raidine
Of promises by police without sufi-
cicnt authority.
''Iye never seen conditions as bac
as they are now" he said. "The po
lice arc running rough shod over The
rights of the people, but | can't say
that blame the men themselves. They
are acting merely on the orders OF
their superiors, | understand
These superiors think they are run
ming the city and can do what the,
please, but they arc not Every citi
zen has his rights and they have go
to be respected. They are not to be
assaulted by policemen.
"The police are your servants anC
mine. They are here to serve the peo
I pie and protect them and not to per
form assaults upon them.
'This is especially true Of the ST.
perior officers who are placed in re
sponsiblc positions to see that the pub
lie gets the proper protection.
Find Race Charts and Chips
The raid was made by plaincothe s
patrolmen Edward j. O'Neill and Louis
Meehan, attached to Headquarters.