Evening star., 1924-12-14
INSULTS TO WOMEN
BY POLICE CHARGED
Lieut.. Pierson and Patrol
man Accused by Witnesses
at Trial:


who called at the seventh precinct
police station in the interest of a
prisoner by Lieut.. j. NJ. Pierson and
Policeman r. G.. Proctor were charg-
ed yesterday in testimony before the
police trial board at the resumption
of the trial Of Pierson, Proctor and
others in connection with the alleged
beating of Arthur A. Davis, at the
time a prisoner in the station house.
The other defendants are Policemen
d. Milstead, J. F. Gawen, r. B. Car
roll and Clarence Robinson.
The proceedings were enlivened by
an attack on the trial board system
which excluded the prosecuting coun-
sci from asking direct questions.
clashes between counsel and the open
charge by Attorney Patrick ]. Ryan
that Lieut.. Pierson was intimidating
witnesses while on the stand by glar-
ing at them.
Rules Against Motion.
Assistant Corporation Counsel
Wahiy, president of the trial board,
ruled against Attorney Ryan's mo-
ton, to which Mr.. Ryan noted excep-
tions, and announced that he would
not cross-examine defense witnesses,
as to do so would in effect give ap-
pAOHdl ~ the pIcScLl SyStclll
The prosecution rested it's case yes
terday afternoon, and President
Wahly announced that the trial would
be resumed at the Sixth precinct po-
lice station at l o'clock Tuesday af-
ternoon, when Attorney William E.
Leahy will begin the presentation of
the defense.
Chairman Wahly called atten lion TO
the fact that Attorney Ryan had been
accorded the privilege OF asking
questions, but only in a few in
stances had he availed himself of it.
Mary Alice Ryan. a sister of Davis,
the first witness for the prosecution,
testified that about an hour after
Davis was arrested, she and her sis
ter-in-law. Mary Louise Davis. went
around to the station house to see
about having him released on COL
lateral and bond.
number of policemen were stand
ing around. and one Of them was just
closing the cell door. she said.
Request Is Refused.
Mrs. Davis. she testified, asked to
see her husband, and permission was
refused. Pierson, she said. asked her
what she wanted to see him for, and
she refused to tell him. She then
testified the following conversation
took place between Mrs. Davis and
Pierson:
"Pierson: Well, you just can't see Mr..
Mrs. Davis: I guess 1 can 60
home. then
''Pierson: You can either go home
or walk5the street, SO, far as / am
concerned"
When they emerged from the sta
ton. they discussed the Insulting re-
marks attributed to Pierson.
on cross-examination, she iGenti-
ned Proctor and Robinson as being
there. and when Attorney Leahy
Sought to draw from her how various
police were dressed, she retorted:
L wasn't there to inspect them"
Mrs. Davis then took the stand and
ids entified an outer shirt and under
shirt, previously offered as exhibits,
as those Davis had put on before 60
Ing to the station and as those that
they removed from him after the al
legged affray. She identified Robin
son, Pierson and Proctor as being in
the station at the time
When she went around the next
night to find out why her husband
was told that she couldn't see any
one but Pierson.
Recognized Proctor.
Proctor. whom she said she recos-
nized by his voice, having known
him for years, made some remark
from a back room, she said, and she
responded:
I'm lady. You can't talk to me.
that way"
You can't prove it byme. and I'll
talk to you any way want. What
he got wasn't bad enough. He ought
Proctor as saying, adding that this
time she went to the door Of the room
and saw him.
On cross-examtnation, after testify
Ing she saw no violence toward the
prisoner at the time he was arrested,
Attorney Leahy asked her if she
hadn't been to the station before on
business with Pierson.
What do you mean business?" she
hred back, and then said that she had
been there before, to get Davis out
when he had been arrested for intox-
tcation. Pierson. at that time, asked
her where he got it, she said, and she
told him that he was a policeman,
and 1t was his job to find out.
Other Visitor Testine..
Emily I. Lyddane, a sister Of Davis,
when called to the witness chair
testified as to seeing Davis when he
was at Gallinger Hospital. and also
as to the alleged insulting remarks
also put in the record by Mrs. Davis.
LARRY {. Owens, cellmate of Davis,
onS the night of September &c, was
called next. He testified that Davis
was in good physical condition when
he was placed in the cell, and also
testified as to the remarks alleged
to have been made by Pierson to
Davis, when the former and Sergt
Belt came to his cell. He could not
remember all, but said that Pierson
told Davis that "he (Pierson) would
take care Of him" Owens testified
that one of the men in the cell was
a y police agent, but on motion Of
Attorney Leahy this was stricken
from the record. ,'.EF
During the examination in an ef-
fort to bring out Just what words
Pierson had used, Attorney Ryan
jumped to his feet, and heatedly
charged that Pierson was openly in
timidating the witnesses by glaring
at them.
Attorney Leahy asked the witness
If he was being intimiated by such
actions on the part of Pierson, and he
replied in the negative.
Later, he said. he was removed
to No. precinct, and also testified
that he had been arrested before
and confined in No. 7, and was not
removed even when there were more
prisoners there than the night I'M
question. =.
On crosses examination, Attorney
Leahy sought to get from the wit
ness an admission that he was drunk
at the time. He denied 1t.
Policeman Fred Antonelli, clerk at
No. 8, to which Owens was removed,
brought into the court record of
prisoners transferred from No. to
No. 5. He said 1t was not unusual,
as thera were only two cells at No