Evening star., 1947-11-09
(o) Evidence OF Police Mistreotment


fnent in this case extend from police
brutality on down to police neglect.
Examining the charges Of police
brutality, or more specifically the
charge that Mr.. Bunch was beaten
by the police, we find that of all the
more than 125 persons who have
been interviewed, not one has been
found who claims he saw any men,
Der of the police force beat or strike
Mr.. Bunch.
The persons most likely to be in
a position to witness Such an occur
renee would be those who were IN or
around the ninth precinct at the
time of Mr.. Bunch's confinement
there. OF all these people, and all OF
them have been interviewed iEclud-
ing those who were only there mo-
mentarily during the day to pay
traffic fines, only two persons claim
to have heard any unusual noises or
sounds. These two individuals are
Frank P. Regan of no fixed address,
who was confined in cell No. 2, and
John Holloway, who was also l.eld
In cell No. !.
Although Mr.. Frank Regan has
made many statements concerning
this case, he has at no time indl-
Gated that he saw the police beat or
strike Mr.. Bunch.
Statements of John Holloway. :.
Mr.. Holloway has made several
different statements to various in
dividuals and agencies Of the Gov
ernment, one of which was reduced
to writing on october Is, 1947, in
the Office of the attorney for the
family of the deceased. In that
statement, Mr.. Holloway, in answer
to questions put to him by the at
torney. stated in part as follows:
@. Were you arrested on July 20?
A. That's right.
@. What precinct were you taken
top
A. No. o.
@. Can you recall about what
time you were taken to No. 8?
A. 1t was some time after work
@. Do you recall what cell you
were placed in?
A. I say No. 1.
@. What were you charged with?
A. really don't know They said
was drunk, but 7 wasn't even
drinking.
@. Was there somebody in the cell
next to you?
A. Yes.
@. Do you know who it was?
A. didn't know who it was.
@. While you were in there was
the man in the next cell taken out
A. Yes, that's right.
@. What, if anything, happened
Just before he was taken out?
A. Another cop came back ane
brought somebody, another man
with him. He asked him about get.
ting him out and he told him HI
couldn't let him out. He had moth.
ing to do with it. The man wen
away after that. After IS minutes
after that another police cop came
back and opened the door and thi!
other cop came back.
@. Then what happened?
A. They just took him out.
@. How did they take him out:
A. They had him by each arm
when I saw him.
@. Did you see q stretcher?
A. No, I didn't see a stretcher al
@. What happened just befor'
they took him out?
A. I could hear licks like the.
were beating him.
@. Could you see them hit him
A. No, I couldn't see it.
@. Then how do you know the,
beat him?
A. I know, because been beat.
The next day, october Is, 1947. il
q statement to the police, HolloWa,
stated the only thing he heard il
the precinct cell block was an olt
man in the cell next to him com
plain that he was sick and that HI
wanted to go home. Holloway stated
that shortly afterWard the polic'
came and the old man walked ou
of his cell. He was positive NJ
stretcher was used to remove the oil
man. In this statement to the police
Holloway stated he saw no on
beaten. and didn't hear any othe
unusual noises or sounds, nor dit
he hear any others in the cells com
plain to the police that anyone wa
sick or having fits. To the police h
admitted making the statements at
tributed to him in the above para
graph but he still said he didn't hea
any unusual sounds while there. H
added that he had been given 81 b
someone in the attorneys Office 70
making the statement there.
Holloway Statement Obtained.
Prior to the making of the abov
two statements, agents of the Fed
eral Bureau of Investigation had in
terviewed John Holloway and sc
cured a statement from him i
which Holloway said that he didn'
see anyone beaten but had hear
noises coming from the old man
cell that sounded like he was bein
beaten. On this day he stated tina
the old man was still in his ce
when he Holloway was released a
8 o'clock that evening. In addition
Holloway maintained that the tW
policemen who came back to the oil
mans cell were the only persons t
visit "the old man"
He also maintained that the tw
policemen who visited the old ma
moved the old man" from the ce.
next to him to another cell in tn
cell block. 1t should be noted her
that the only time Mr.. Bunch wa
transferred from one cell to anothe
was when he was moved by Office
Porch which occurred around l
noon, and Holloway was not at tha
time in the cell but at work on tn
Job. Holloway was not received a
the Ninth Precinct until 6:35 pm
and he was held for investigation
only until $40 pm. Holloway
unable to read or write although h
can sign his name. 1t Is not know
how he learned of the transfer
Mr.. Bunch from one cell to another
which occurred six hours prior to hi
arrival at the cell, unless he wa
informed by some one who was ia
miliar with the facts prior to tn
interview with the agents on Octo