Evening star., 1924-12-07
POLICE DESCRIBED
AS FEARING DEATH
. OF MAN THEY BEAT
Victim, at Officers Trial,
Ayers He Was SIugged at
Seventh Precinct.
PATIENT IN BAD SHAPE,
PHYSICIANS DECLARE
A. A. Davis Says Assailants Sent
Him to Hospital to Prevent
Death in Cell.

Vindictive beating of a prisoner at
the seventh police precinct oy ponce
officers, in the presence of Lieut. }. w.
Pierson, was described before the
police trial board yesterday, when
Pierson and five other policemen were
put on trial for the alleged offense.
The prisoner was Arthur A. Davis, and
the policemen on trial and alleged to
i'have participated in the beating were
d. Milstead, r. G.. Proctor. }. F.
Gawden. r. 3. Carroll and Clarence
Robinson.
Davis had to be taken to the
Gallinger Hospital. it was charged.
following the beating he received,
and there was testimony to the effect
that the police of the seventh precinct
believed him dead when they returned
him to his cell.
Clash mt Hearing.
The hearing was enlivened by sew
eral clashes between Attorney p. j.
Ryan. for the prosecuting witness,
Davis and Attorney William +. Leahy,
for the defense. during which AS
siStant Corporation Counsel Wahly.
president of the trial board, threaten
ed to clear the room, leVeling his re-
marks principally at Attorney Ryan.
1t appears that according to the
procedure under which this quasi
judicial tribunal operates. the defense
can have counsel and the prosecuting
witness cannot. Any attorney appear
ing for prosecuting witness can only
ask questions through the board
itself. Attorney Ryan several times
drew the fire of Attorney Leahy, and
at one time the remarks of each be-
ir..., hnra
Leahy protested against what he said
was Attorney Ryan's coaching of a
witness.
Only the two doctors who examined
Davis; Harry Dodson, colored, and
Davis, were heard yesterday. and
President Wahly said that he would
try to resume the hearing sometime
during this week instead of waiting
for Saturday, the usual day for trial
board sittings.
For the purpose of this case, Can't.
Brown of No. l precinct, relieved on
the trial board Capt. Bean of No. z,
in whose station the beating is al
legged to have occurred.
Tells of Mans Injuries.
DIR. Lawrence c. Milstead of the
Georgetown University Hospital staff,
was the first witness. He testified
that Davis was brought to the hos
pital on the morning of September 81,
between and o'clock by two po-
licemen. He examined the patient,
and said he saw that he was in such
a serious condition that he would
have to be admitted to the hospital,
and the policemen in charge of him
said they could not leave him but
would have to take him to Gallinger
Hospital. He testified that Davis
chest was covered with red lines and
much swelling, and that some of the
lines crossed others. They could only
have been caused with blunt instru-
ment applied with force, he testified.
The patient, he asserted, was in a
weak condition, analogous to shock,
and leaned toward the affected side.
Cross animation by Attorney
Leahy brought statements from the
doctor that the condition could have
been caused either by a police baton
or black jack. Questioned further
as to whether 1t could have been
caused by one falling against door.
he said yes, if the fall was hard
enough. He testified that they were
livid red marks, and would arise i'm
mediately on the application Of force,
and said there was no discoloration.
Says Victim Was i'm Pain.
Dr. Ubaldo Zambarano of the
Gallinger Hospital, testified that he
examined Davis on the afternoon of
September 81 and that his chest and
abdomen were streaked with blue
lines; that the patient was suffering
from great pain, aggravated by the
movement of the arms, coughing and
deep breathing.
President Wahly asked if the lines
indicated the application of physical
force, to which the surgeon replied
in the affirmative, and added they
were caused by a blunt instrument.
He also said there were several large
bumps on Davis head.
On cross examination, DR.. Zam-
barano said that the blow from the
instrument must have been very
strong. He said the bumps on the
head were about the size of walnuts,
and that they could not have been
caused by dragging but were caused
by being hit.
Dodson, who was prisoner in the
adjoining cell in which Davis was
confined on the night the attack is
alleged to have occurred, next was
called. He said that Sergt. Bell and
Lieut.. Pterson went to Davis cell on
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