Evening star., 1924-12-07
Ayers Prisoner Was Cursed.

that night and talked with the pris-
oner.
| Ayers Prisoner Was Cursed.
| During the conversation, Dodson
| testified, Lieut.. Pierson cursed the
prisoner. giving in detail the language
| used, and the discussion closed with
| the remarks of Pierson, Dodson said
| that remember, | am going to take
| care of you"
After midnight, two other men, who
were in the cell with Davis, were re-
! leased, he testified.
| Attorney Ryan here said something
to the witness. and Attorney Leahy
objected to this, saying he didn't
| want Ryan butting in. Attorney
Ryan jumped TO his feet. glaring at
the defense counsel. saying:
Don't you say l am trying to coach
| this witness"
1t was some time before order was
| restored. and Mr.. WahIy warned that
| a recurrence would result in the
courtroom being cleared. ATTORNEY
| Ryan offered to withdraw, but Wahly
| said he had no objection to his stay
| ing.
Dodson, continuing, said two po-
| licemen, after roll call, came back TO
| Davis cell and told him to come out
| Davis said he would get his hat and
| coat, the witness continued but the
| policemen said he didn't need ii,
| that he would be back A moment
| after he left the cellroom he went
| on, he heard "smacking noise" in
| dicating by hitting his fist against
his hand. few minutes later. he
said, the two policemen returned
| 10 the cellToOm, each having hold of
| one of Davis arms and dragging him
q 4lFayN ~, - a
policemen then got glass of water
and threw it through the cell door
on the prisoner. and then got a bucket
of water and threw on him. At inter
| walls of about Is minutes until Davis
| was removed to the hospital. the po-
lice came back and looked into his
cell, the witness continued.
| On direct examination by President
| Wahly, Dodson then testified that he
heard cursing and that it was all be-
ing done by Pierson. He repeated the
words used by Pierson.
Grilled by Attorney.
Then followed long grilling bv
Attorney Leahy, on cross-examina-
tion, in which he failed TO break down
any OF the witness direct testimony,
and was stopped by Attorney Wahly,
| who pointed out that he wasn't get
the witness explain why he could not
identify the officers who returned the
| prisoner to his cell if he knew that
two of them brought him back. Dod-
son, said that he was lying on his
bunk with his hat on one side of his
head, feigning sleep.
Attorney Ryan had the board ask
If the witness did not pretend to
| snore. which was objected to by
| nv hTIf
son said he feigned sleep because l
| had a fear"
Davis then was called. Davis said
| that the police came TO arrest him at
his house on the night of September r
26 and after changing his clothes he
| went with them and was confined in
a cell with three other prisoners.
Shortly after he was taken to the
| station house, he asserted, he was
taken to the captains Office, where
a woman identified him, and he was
| returned to his cell. Later the other
prisoners in his cell were turned
loose, he added.
Blinded, Davis Says.
After roll call at midnight. two
| policemen came to his cell and said
the lieutenant wanted to see him
and each grabbed one of his arms.
| AS he was about to pass through the
| cell door, he said, he recognized
Policeman Proctor standing in the
shadow in an alcove. He had hardly V
| gotten through the door, he asserted,
when bag was thrown over his
head and a string in the bag drawn,
closing it around his neck. The
beating started Immediately and he
said 1t seemed to come from all
| sides.
He said a voice. which he identified
as that of Lieut.. Pierson, said: Go
| ahead and give II to him." He said
he didn't cry out.
Davis testified that Policeman
Robinson was beating him with
rubber pipe. During the beating, the
top of the bag was torn off. he said,
leaving the part with the drawing
string in 1t around his neck. This
time, he said, he recognized Pierson.
who said, at that time, he testified
| Don't hit him any more. You
have nearly killed him now"
Wanted to Continue Beating.
The other policemen, he asserted,
wanted to continue the beating
Proctor and Milstead, he continued
dragged him back to his cell, threw
him on the floor and walked over
him. Proctor, he continued, told
Milstead to get glass of water Al
frequent intervals, he said, Proctor
and Milstead came in, reached
through the cell door and felt his
pulse.
II A few hours later, he said. he
asked for water, and Proctor brought
him some about 5 minutes later, and