Evening star., 1924-12-23
beating" CHARGE
DENIED BY WITNESS
Police Sergeant Frees Lieu
tenant From Accusation
Made by Prisoner.

Denial that Lieut.. J. II. Pierson of
No. Z. police precinct cursed and
abused Arthur a. Davis while a
prisoner in that station house Sep
tember q last was made by Sergt.
Arthur c: Belt in his testimony be-
fore the Police Trial Board at it's
hearing yesterday of Pierson and
five other policemen on charges in
connection with a beating alleged to
have been administered to Davis.
After an afternoon session given
over almost entirely to- alibi wit
nesses. the board continued the case
until after January l, the date to be
fixed later.
Sergt. Belts Statement.
Sergt. Belt told of Pierson and
himself going to Davis cell to talk
with the prisoner. He said that
Pierson said he was going out to get
a witness to identify Davis as the
man. who beat Policeman Musselman,
and that he did go out and bring in
a Mrs. Dove. After this identification,
he said. he, Pierson, Sergt. Burke and
Mrs. Dove went out of the station.
Belt said he went to a lunchroom
and later was met by Pierson, who
took him TO his home, in Chevy Chase,
in a District automobile, and that
Pierson left him to return to the
station house about 2 o'clock.
President Wahly of the board spe-
Gifted certain words alleged. to have
been used against Davis by Pierson
at the time the two were at. the cell
door, but Belt denied that the lieuten-
ant used such words When Attorney
P. J. Ryan. for the prosecuting wit
ness, Davis. asked Belt il he didn't
ask Davis to see his knuckles. Attor-
- T.
tated a wrangle :. between counsel
which President. Wahly had difficulty
in stopping. Ryan said he wanted to
prove that the witness went back to
the cell with his teeth sharpened. for
Davis and he charged that counsel
for the defense was trying to obscure
the main issue in the case.
Archie Lee Cummings and Hora ce
T. Trammel testified that they took
Policeman Milstead, one of the de-
PENDANTS, home on the night of the
alleged beating. and that they picked
him up at Wisconsin avenue and NJ
street northwest All live at Falls
Church, Va On cross-examination
both President Wahly and Attorney
Ryan sought to get from the wit
nesses how they could fix the time SO
exactly and SO far back. Both tes-
titled that it was the last time in the
season they had hauled sugar corn
to market. Trammel, on Questioning,
however, could not specify other
nights that they had hauled produce
to market.
Policeman Ralph Proctor, another OF
the defendants, was on the stand. a
part of the afternoon, having taken
the stand at the morning session. He
produced certain private records
which he kept showing the runs he
had made in the wagon to the patrol
box and certain records from the po-
lice incidental book in which he took
part or entered on the official record.
Denies Davis Was Ordered to Bed.
He could give no explanation of why
Policeman Dalglish, station clerk, ac-
companied him to. the hospital at the
time Davis was taken there, and de-
MED that Dr. Millstead at that insti-
tuition ordered Davis to bed. Im his
testimony before the board he said
that>Lieut. Pierson and Sergt. Bell
went to the cell to talk with Davis,
but a report he made Immediately
subsequent to the incident in ques-
ton, and which was put in the record,
said that only Pierson went to the
cell to talk with Davis.
Policeman Harry A. Reed, who ar
rested Davis, and Lieut.. John NJ.
Walsh, of No. 10, also testified yes
terday.