Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1932-01-19
GOVERNMENT ENDS
EVIDENCE IN TRIAL
OF TWO POLICEMEN
Mother of Boy Alleged to
Have Been Beaten Tells
of His Condition.
PRESIDENT OF TAXICAB
CONCERN ALSO TESTIFIES
Witness Says Policeman Struck
Youths While Quizzing Them
About Thefts.

oOSut NCl 10.
With the testimony of two additional
witnesses today. the Government con-
cluded presentation of its case against
Policemen Charles E. Bremmerman and
Hollis H. Clark, suspended members OF
the second precinct. The policemen
are on trial before a jury in the Dis
trlct Supreme Court, charged with re-
peatedly assaulting a 17-year old COL
ored prisoner, Thomas McKeever Will
liams.
For more than five court days, Gov.
eminent attorneys have piled a mass Of
corroborated testimony against the tive
policemen. A wooden stick, police
mans billy, blackjack and fists were
employed, according to the testimony.
10 procure from the boys confessions of
petty thievery and HOUSEKEEPING.
Say They Were Approached.
Come of the witnesses testified the
two policemen approached them. when
1t was learned they were to go before
Department of Justice agents investi-
eating third degree methods, and either
warned them not to testify or tried to
ind out what they had told the agents
about the scenes In the locker room last
June.
The last of the Is witnesses called
by the Government today was Mary
Williams, mother of the Governments
complaining witness, who described the
boys condition after his alleged beat
ings. Throughout the trial evidence had
been brought out to show that Williams
shirt had blood spots on 1t, caused from
blows on his head The Government
did rot put the shirt in evidence, but
Defense Attorney William A. O'Shea
asked that 1t be produced.
Fail to Find Blood Spots.
Williams shirt. when examined, was
favorable TO the defense No blood
spots were visible, although the boys
mother said she had tried to wash out
the spots but couldn't.
When the court resumed this after
noon the defense was prepared to put
on number of character witnesses to
testify in behalf of the two accused
officers
David E. Beaver, colored, operator of
a fleet of 1876 taxicabs, testified an hour
and a half.
His testimony was directed mainly
against Policeman Bremmermann He
said he was in the locker room about
half an hour last Summer, sustained
blow In the ribs himself and testi-
fled to seeing one of the boys fall over.
Bremmermann welded nightstick on
this occasion, he said, Clark taking no
part in the beatings.
Had Reported Thefts.
Some time before these events took
place Beaver had reported the theft
of accessories from his place of busi-
ness He also claimed Bremmermann
had beaten up two Of his taxicab
drivers, but defense attorneys succeeded
in barring further testimony along this
line.
He had received a telephone call from
Bremmermann ordering him to come
to the station house, where some stolen
property was at hand. He said he sup
posed Bremmermann was going to lock
him up, although the policeman had
nothing on him"
Meeting Bremmermann at the station
house, Beaver testified the policeman
swore at him, showed him through a
door into the locker room and struck
him in the side with his fist Beaver
was not charged with any offense and
Bremmerfnann told him, he said. that
no charges we're to be preferred against
him.
The witness said that Williams and
six or seven other boys were lined up
against the wall on their toes with
arms extended above their heads. Their
shirts and faces were wet with per-
spiration, he said, and they were crying
loudly.
A policeman named Sheetz. on whose
beat Beavers place of business is To-
Gated, came into the room while Brem-
hermann was directing the gymnastic
exercises. According to Beavers testi-
mony, Bremmermann told him to get
the hell out" adding that he DE
longed where the birds are flying
around" On second occasion, Sheetz
returned, the witness said, and told
Bremmermann he had him wrong"
but ~Bremmermann again ordered him
from the room.
After being struck in the side by
Bremmermann, Beaver said he had
complained of feeling sick. Bremmer-
mann told him, he said, he could die
for all he cared.
Never Convicted, He Says.
Defense Attorney John Burnett asked
the witness if it were not a fact that
he had lot of trouble with police He
began reading various charges from
slip of paper, Beaver maintaining stout
ly "he had never been convicted Of
anything" One of the charges ap-
parently had been preferred by the
witness wife, for Beaver explained that
"a man might slap his wife sometime"
The defense attorney then brought
out that the District attorneys office
had filed information against Beaver,
charging he had come out into the
opn" with a pistol which he had in
tended to use. Government Counsel
William A. Gallagher succeeded in
the fact that four men had broken into
Beavers place of business when he was
shut off by objections from counsel.
Justice F. D. Let's sustained the de-
Tense in refusing to let Beaver explain
the situation.
The defense tried to get Beaver TO
admit he had arranged with officer
Sheetz to go to the station house to
lntercede for him with Bremmermann.
This the witness denied. When he
could not spell the name Of one of the
taxicab drivers whom he alleged Brem-
hermann had beaten up, Burnett said:
You're the president of taxicab COM
oany and can't read or write"
"Oh, a little bit" Beaver replied with
one of his expansive smiles, but that
5ont keep me from being president"
Under further cross-examination Bea-
yer said he had prevented one of his
drivers from going to the station house
10 prefer charges against Bremmer-
mann. He added the man even wanted
20 place his grievances before the Presi-
dent of the United States" Beaver
gave as his reason, that he didn't think
he man would get anywhere.
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