Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-20
TRIAL EXONERATES
|. DETECTIVES AFTER
F|VE-HOUR SESSION
Board Requires Only Four
Minutes to Free Pair on
Assault Charges.
JONES AND MCCARTHY
ARE HELD NOT GUILTY
Had Been Accused of Beating and
Verbally Abusing Two Men,
Woman and Child.

Requiring only four minutes to con-
slider testimony taken in a fve-hour
session, the Police Trial Board yester-
day returned a not guilty verdict in
favor Of two tenth precinct detectives
charged with assault and verbal abuse
while on duty.
The officers exonerated were r. l..
Jones and r. F. Mccarthy, who had
been accused OF asssulting and verbally
abusing a 4-year-old child, a woman
and two men.
The principal complainant was Mrs
Elsie Williams, who occupied an apart
ment at 1922 Spring road on June 81
the time of the alleged assault. The
others were Prvt. Joseph PeSavage
stationed at Walter Reed Hospital Mr..
and Mrs. Walter Sawyer OF the Spring
road address, and Mrs Williams 10
year-old daughter Peggy
Both Denied Charges.
Mrs. Williams said she called the
officers to her apartment to arrest an
alleged burglar, and that they refused
to arrest the suspect and cursed her
beat PeSavage and Sawyer and mad
yertently injured Sawyers four year-old
daughter Phyllis.
The charges we're denied by both
Officers, their testimony being supported
by that of George Keffer another Wal
ter Reed private, who was present in
the apartment at the time. Mrs. VIII
lian1s said Keffer was the man she tried
to have arrested.
Keffer testified that he had attended
parties at the apartment when liquor
was consumed.
Keffer also denied the officers had
used any profanity or that they had
struck PeSavage. as charged by Mrs
Williams. He said he had been beaten
by PeSavage and the woman shortly
before the police came to the apart
ment.
Sawyers Accuse Jones.
The charges by the Sawyers con-
cerned only Detective Jones.
The latter, according TO the Sawyers,
came TO their apartment and ordered
them TO "cut out the noise" When
Sawyer objected to the manner in
which he addressed his wife, according
to the testimony. Jones grabbed him
by the throat, choked him into un-
consciousness and then beat him with
his fists
Mrs Sawyer said her small daughter,
Phyllis, grabbed the officer by the leg
crying Leave my daddy alone" Jones
she testified then said Get away, you
little brat" and kicked with his leg
throwing the child against the wall
Deputy Coroner Joseph D. Rogers
testified the child was bruised on the
side and eye and that the father had
several bruises on his head.
The alleged fight in the Sawyer
apartment was also described By Peggy
williams.
She confirmed the testimony Of Mr.
and Mrs. Sawyer relating TO the beating
administered by Jones.
Says Man Resisted.
Jones admitted he struck Sawyer, but
said the latter had resisted arrest after
using profanity toward the police He
said he did not enter the Sawyer apart
ment, Sawyer having approached him
in the hall, and denied even seeing the
4-year-old child. He also said he was
attacked by Mrs. Sawyer and another
woman, whose identity was not learned
No attempt was made to arrest Mrs
Sawyer or the other woman for the
alleged assault by them.
Both officers denied striking PeSav-
age or using profanity in Mrs. Will
lians' apartment. They said they did not
arrest Kef1er on the burglary charge be-
cause they did not learn Of it until after
they had returned 10 the station house
Mrs. williams testified she made the
complaint 10 the officers when they
entered her apartment
A number Of policemen and Charles
Ford, an attorney, testified no complaint
was made OF the officers conduct after
the party had returned to the station
house. They said Sawyer appeared
49, IL Il. -
ter had commended he did not know
anything" until the following day after
he had been choked.
The two detectives also denied they
had been drinking, as charged by the
complaining witnesses.