Evening star., 1924-12-17
SPITE IS CHARGED
IN TRIAL OF POLICE
Counsel for Alleged Assault
Victim Is Accused by
Defendant.

Charges that Attorney P. J. Ryan,
counsel for the prosecuting witness
In the police beating case, was out
ito get" Lieut.. J. H. Pierson, one OF
the defendants, were made before the
police trial board yesterday after
noon. at the resumption Of its hearing
of testimony In the case of Lieut.
PIerson and other policemen, charged
with completely in the beating Of
Arthur A. Davis. The charge was
made by Policeman r. c. Carroll, one
of the defendants, when he took the
stand on his own behalf
Practically the entire afternoon ses-
sion was given over. to hearing char
acter witnesses, principally police
oficials for one or more Of the de-
PENDANTS It was all favorable. Then
there was testimony tending to prove
that Private J. F. Gawen, one OF the
defendants, was not in No. precinct
the night of the alleged attack on
Davis. The testimony showed that
he Is a member OF No. precinct and
was on duty from midnight until
am. on July q, the time of the affair
He was working double beat"
James L. Mavars, being his partner
Mavars testified that Gawen was with
him during the entire tour of duty
Policemen z. L. Lake and John An
tonelli, No. 3, testified from the books
as to receiving reports shourly that
morning over the police call system
from the two officers. Sergt. John E.
Bowers, No. 8. testified to seeing
Gawen at midnight, and on his beat,
at about 3:15 o'clock.
Carroll Takes stand.
Policeman Raymond B. Carroll, one
OF the defendants, when he took the
stand testified TO aiding in the search
for Arthur Davis the night of the
alleged assault on Policeman Mussel-
man He said he left the station
house at IL o'clock and arrived home
few minutes past the hour. as he
lives only four blocks from the sta
tion house. He did testify that Lieut..
J. NJ. Pierson, one OF the defendants
had denied policemen the right TO
enter the cell room that night. He
had a prisoner there he wished to
talk to. he said, but the station clerk
refused the key, saying he had orders
from Pierson TO let no one In the
cell room.
Then Carroll placed his charges
against Attorney Ryan in the record
He testified that the first intimation
he had that he was connected with
the case was when he saw the charges
IN the newspapers. The following
morning after this publication, he
said, he went to Mr.. Ryan's office and
asked him why he had made charges
against him at this eleventh hour.
To this Ryan replied as follows, he
told the trial board:
~ don't know any of you boys.
Lieut.. Pierson is the only one l know.
am going to get him. He interfered
with some of my witnesses in the
Melvin case"
Charges Are Repeated.
Attorney Ryan cross-examined the
witness and brought out that Carroll
was accompanied to the Office by At
torney E Russell Kelly. Asked by
Ryan why he didn't name Kelly when
he put the charges in, the witness
said he had no reason. He reiterated
his charge on cross-examination.
Mrs. Margaret E. Carroll, wife of
the defendant. took the stand and
testified as to his coming home short
ly after midnight. Policemen Morgan
and Dodson of No. testified they
accompanied Carroll on his way home.
Assistant Corporation Counsel Wha-
ley, president of the trial board, ex-
amined the witnesses on the matter
of what fixed the time and date that
they went home with Carroll so firm
ly and exactly in their minds. Nor
gan said it was the only time that he
ever left the station house with Car
roll, and Dodson said he remembered
that Carroll had a man locked up.
The character witnesses were Jo-
seph A. Oliver, president of the
Georgetown Citizens Association: B.
Agee Bowles. vice president of the
Potomac Savings Bank; Ford E.
Young, business man of Georgetown;
Mrs. Frank H. Arendes, Isaac B.
Nordlinger, Police Inspector Harri-
son, Capt. Robert E. Doyle, No. 8
precinct; Lieut.. James Conlon and
Lieut.. James L. Giles, sub station /;
Capt Martin Riley and Capt. Sanford.
The board will resume its hearing
at 10 o'clock tomorrow morning.