The Detroit tribune. (Detroit, Mich.) 1935-1966, 1936-11-28
Colored Fund Drive Goes Over the Top
JOHN MILTON
NEAR DEATH
IN HOSPITAL.
Second Lad Shot By
Cops In Two Weeks

One of the most brutal
Ishootings in the history of
the local Police Department
occurred last Wednesday,
shortly after 6 p. M, at Ri
ward and Gratiot, when John
Milton, 15-year-old colored
youth was shot down by
Patrolman Joseph Revers Of
the Third Precinct station.
According to the police, PATROL
man Revers and a student patrol
man, Edward Regina, both white,
were detailed by Lieut.. LARGO to
watch for car boosters on Gratiot
avenue between Hastings and Ri
ward, on account of numerous
complaints that cars in that neigh
borhood were being tempered with.
Patrolman Revers Joined the chase
es, heard glass break across the
street and saw two boys run away
from a car He ran after them and
Patrolman Rexers Joined the chase
Regina caught one of the boys,
who was later identified as Henry
Coleman aged 16 of 645 Alfred
street. The other boy continued to
run around some cars on the North
side of Gratiot.
Policeman Revers said he fired
two shots into the air and one at
the fleeing boy, the third bullet
striking young Milton in the back
and penetrating his abdomen below
the navel
The account of the tragedy as
told by the wounded boy, John Mil
ton, when interviewed at Receiv-
ing Hospital Tuesday by Tribune
representative, is entirely differ
ent.
Young Milton said he had just
left the Lewis Loan Shop on Gra-
tiot avenue where he had made a
small payment on a cheap suit for
Christmas. Continuing, he said:
after leaving the pawn shop, l
was walking up Gratiot avenue,
and as l neared the corner of Ora
tiot and Rivard, l heard glass
break and saw two boys run from
a parked car. l sidestepped on the
sidewalk to let the two boys pass
Then | heard shot and fell to the
street A policeman came up and
pointed his pistol at my head and
put his foot on my back. l hollered
in pain and cried asking him why
he shot me and begging him not to
shoot me again. The officer put his /
pistol back in his holster and took
his foot and rolled me over on my
back. and walked toward the cor
ner to call for the ambulance.
IAN aged colored lady came up
knelt down and held my head. l
was in awful pain in my stomach
and back. when the lady told me TO
have faith in God and pray.
''At this time, Patrolman Revers
came back and yelled to the old
lady to leave that Niger alone
and let him die.
The kind woman told the officer
You ought to be ashamed of your
self and the officer yelled to her
Get away from here or I'll fix you |
She went away and soon the an |
bulance came and took me to IL
hospital. The ambulance men
handled me rough"
Young Milton was student at
the Garfield School and resided |
with his widowed mother, Mrs |
Helen Milton. at GAG Garfield His
father, former Ford worker, died
about ten years ago. The mother
works part time at a restaurant on
Forest avenue. as a waitress, and |
the family is in Strengthened cir
cumstances.
Young Millions brother. Melvin,
Is years of age, told the Tribune
that the family has had a hard
time. Neighbors testify that John
was a good boy.
The wounded lad is in a critical
condition, and physician are seek
ing to prevent peritonitis, which
might result in death If should set
in.
o