Evening star., 1948-11-13
z Policemen Cleared
In Beating Case as
Witnesses Disagree

Pvts. Roy G. Longenecker and
Robert r. Callow late yesterday
were found not guilty by q police
trial board Of charges OF NAL
treating and using obscene language
toward Frank s. Haskell, 50, OF
2544 Fourteenth street NV, last
October 8.
The three-man trial board
reached its decision after an ap-
peal by defense attorney Charles
e. Ford for a directed verdict of
acquittal on the ground prosecution
witnesses gave conflicting versions
of the, alleged mistreatment.
Four Government witnesses,
under questioning by Assistant
Corporation Counsel Robert F.
Kneipp, gave varying accounts Of
what went on at Mr.. Haskell's s
apartment, after the two officers
arrived to investigate a complaint
by a neighbor about noise coming
from a birthday party for one of
Mr.. Haskell's friends.
The complainant told the board
that, when he went to his door,
one Of the policemen, whom he
identified as Pvt. .Longenecker,
struck him over the head with his
night stick. Mr.. Haskell said he
was standing in his open doorway
at the time.
Wife's Testimony Different.
Other witnesses, however, includ-
ing his wife. testified Mr.. Haskell
apparently received a blow on the
head while standing in the hall
with the door to his apartment
closed. All said they witnessed
the officers striking Mr.. Haskell
after he called for help, but they
were uncertain as to which ofncer
was mistreating him, or how the
blows were delivered.
Taken to No. 13 Precinct Station,
Mr.. Haskell said, he remained there
with his head bleeding for about
Is minutes until his wife arrived
to obtain his release on bond.
They went to Emergency Hos
pital, where five stitches were taken
in his head, he said. From the
time the blow was struck until he
arrived at No. 13 he was uncon-
scious, he told the board.
An Emergency Hospital nurse,
Miss Mary Mara, and DR.. Melvin
T. Alper testified Mr.. Haskell told
them he had been unconscious but
refused to remain there under OBJ
servation for the customary "a
hours. They said they detected
liquor on his breath at the time
and that he was "antagonistic and
unco-operative" when they tried to
treat him for the head wound. He
was strapped down finally, they
added, given five stitches and re-
leased at his request.
Beer Testimony Disputed.
Mr.. Haskell, under cross-exam-
nation, said he had had one beer
at the party. His wife, however,
declared he had had about four"
She also said he appeared COM
pletely conscious during the entire
episode. He walked OF with the
officers, she said. .
Other witnesses testified variously
that there had been no beer drunk
by any one, that Mr.. Haskell was
on the ground-or standing-when
they opened the apartment door
to the hall: that both officers were
beating him with their sticks-or
that one was-or that they were
using their hands; that obscene
language was-or was not-used:
that they did or did not see blood
on Mr.. Haskell's head as he was
led away to the police station. They
also disagree over who answered the
door when the police knocked.
Mr.. Ford pointed up these dis
crepances in his appeal, declaring
no one could reasonably harmon
ize" the versions. Assistant Cor
poration Counse Edward A. Beard,
a member of the trial board. agreed
that with 30 or 30" discrepancies
visible in the prosecution testimony,
the board would be "straining the
evidence" to convict both men and
it would require rank speculation
to separate the versions and convict
one Of the ofiicers.
The other trial board members
were Inspector Milton D. Smith and
Capt. John e. Fondahl Of No. 8