City and County of New York, ss.:
William Hopson, being duly sworn, deposes and says:
I reside at 229 West 60th Street. I am engaged in the jewelry business, and am night engineer at the Scarborough Apartment House, 221 West 57th Street. On Sunday, August 26th, 1900, in the afternoon, I was standing a little way from my door, about ten yards, and saw Officer 4600 walking on 60th Street from 10th to 11th Avenue. After he passed me he met a platoon of policemen who were coming from 11th Avenue towards 10th Avenue, and turned back with them. Opposite 225 West 60th Street there were two colored men sitting in front of the door. Officer 4600 came over and without warning struck one of them. As he did so the other one ran into the house. The man he was beating also attempted to run in, but he ran after him striking him on the head with his fist. (This was James A. Scott, 225 West 60th Street.) He then came over to me, struck me on the side of the head, and said, "What are you doing here?" I said, "I am looking on," and attempted to go into my apartments. He followed me and struck me with his clenched hand on my head. This was within five feet of my door. Here he was joined by two other officers, one of whom struck me a blow with his club, full force on the head and eye, and I was unable to see anything with that eye for some time after; it is bloodshot still. I held on to the iron railing in front of 231, to protect myself in that way if I could. As I did so two more officers came. Three of them were clubbing me, and 4600 was striking me with his fist. The officer who struck me in the eye with his club was about 6 feet 2 inches tall. They tore my coat and broke my hat. Some one attempted to hand me my hat as they knocked it off, but one of the officers knocked it out of the person's hand with his club, and said, "Never mind the hat." This was as I was being led to the station house. When we reached No. 227 Officer 4600, who had me in charge, saw Mr. Myers, the janitor of 227, standing in front of the door with his wife and several other persons. Mr. Myers is a colored man. Officer 4600 turned me over to another officer and said, "Take my prisoner to the station house." The officer replied, "No, don't take him there." 4600 insisted, and the officer obeyed. When Officer 4600 went over to Myers he wanted to strike him. Myers is a sick man and just got out of the hospital. His wife pleaded with the officer not to strike him, whereupon the officer turned Myers loose and raised his club to strike his wife. One of the other officers told 4600 not to strike that woman. Then five or six officers jumped on Myers with their clubs. There were about ten policemen altogether. 4600 struck him with his fist. One officer broke his club into pieces on Myers' head. Myers was taken to Roosevelt Hospital. He told me in court the next day that as he was passing 60th Street and 10th Avenue they saw a colored man having his shoes shined. 4600 said to him, "See that black nigger? If I didn't have you I would drag him out and lay his head open the same as yours." Myers told me that the doctor at the hospital recognized him and asked him what was the matter. The officer told Myers to "shut up," and said to the doctor, "That is my prisoner." I was taken to the station house, where the officer who brought me there made the complaint against me for Officer 4600. He told the sergeant I "showed fight." I was not told what the formal charge against me was. The sergeant asked me nothing but the usual questions, what my name was, etc. I was bleeding from my eye. The colored people and the whites on this street have always been very friendly, and are so even now. There never was any trouble until these officers raised the disturbance on that day. Officer 4600 started the thing. Some of the tenants of Nos. 227, 229, and 231 saw this outrageous treatment on the part of the policemen. We were discharged in court the next day, after 4600 had made his complaint to the magistrate. I have been in New York for over eight years, and have never been arrested before in my life. I was employed in Harris & Flippin's sporting goods store in Richmond, Va., for two years; I was employed by Oscar Miller, 154 Chambers Street, coffee and spice dealer, for ten months at his residence in Sing Sing; I was employed by C. E. Vedder, druggist, at 116th Street and Madison Avenue, for three years; I was employed by Andrew Lester, of 56th Street and 8th Avenue, at the Washington Apartments, for ten months; I was employed by the Goldsoll Diamond Palace, 14th Street, about two years; W. P. Unger, dealer in essence oils, 18 Cedar Street, for ten months; Van Boskerck & Wilson, 132 West 21st Street, dressmakers, for ten months. I am now employed by Mr. Condit, of the firm of Acker, Merrill & Condit, at the Scarborough Apartment House, 221 West 57th Street. I have been so employed for about two years. I did nothing which justified my arrest or this action on the part of the police.
William Hopson.
Sworn to before me this 31st day of August, 1900.
Geo. P. Hammond. Jr., Notary Public (164), N. Y. County.
City and County of New York, ss.:
George L. Myers, being duly sworn, deposes and says that he resides at 227 West 60th Street, Manhattan Borough, New York City; that on Sunday, August 26th, 1900, at about half past one, he went downstairs, hearing a noise, and being janitor of No. 225 as well as 227, naturally he wanted to see everything was all right on the premises. He was standing in the doorway of No. 227 when the officers approached and said to him, "What are you doing here?" He answered, "Nothing." One of the officers then said, "I'll place you under arrest." "All right," he answered, "take me along." The said officer then struck him with his fist under the left jaw, and then grabbed him and struck him over the head with his club, knocking him insensible. When he recovered consciousness he was on the corner of Amsterdam Avenue and 60th Street, and in charge of Officer John J. Cleary, who took him to the Roosevelt Hospital. While on the way there said Officer Cleary continued to strike deponent with his clinched fist, saying, "There's one for luck," and "If I had got you first I would not have struck you with my fist. I would have used my club on your head and killed you." Deponent was taken to the station house, where he was charged with "interfering with an officer in the discharge of his duty," and "attempting to rescue a prisoner." The same charge was made the next morning in the Police Court, where he was discharged. Deponent declares that he was perfectly sober, and was downstairs by reason of his being janitor of the aforementioned houses, and it was his duty to be where he was and at that time; that he has never been arrested in his life before, and that he did not attempt to rescue anyone from the custody of an officer, and that the assault was entirely unjustified and an outrage.
Geo. L. Myers.