Sworn to before me this 11th day of September, 1900.
STEPHEN B. BRAGUE, Notary Public (125), N. Y. County.
----
_City and County of New York, ss._:
Adolphus Cooks, being duly sworn, deposes and says: I reside at No.
243 West 32nd Street, and work for the Anchor Steamship Company, foot
of West 24th Street, as a longshoreman. On Tuesday morning, August
14th, 1900, I went to work for the said company, worked all that
day, all that night, and until Wednesday night at 10:30 P. M.--39½
consecutive hours. At the said hour I left the pier at the foot of
West 24th Street, and walked east on 24th Street, and when I reached
the northwest corner of 8th Avenue and 24th Street a white gentleman
advised me not to go up 8th Avenue, as there was a riot up there and
they were fighting "like he did not know what." I continued east on
24th Street until I reached the northwest corner of 7th Avenue and
24th Street, when I met another white man who advised me not to go
up 7th Avenue, as there was a riot in progress, and that they were
fighting at that time in the neighborhood of 41st Street and 37th
Street, but, thinking that I could get home in 32nd Street before the
riot could get down to that street, I started uptown on the west side
of 7th Avenue, and had reached the northwest corner of 7th Avenue and
28th Street, when I saw three officers coming down 7th Avenue. In the
meantime three other colored men, whom I did not know, had caught up
with me, and were walking behind me. I had gone about one hundred feet
north of the aforesaid corner when I saw the three officers break into
a run in our direction. I was grabbed by one of them, while the other
two chased the three men who had come behind us and overtook them and
clubbed them; the officer who had me immediately, without saying a
word, struck me on the body with his club; then between the blows he
said, "Get out of here, you black son of a b----!" One of the blows he
aimed at my head, but I threw up my arm and received the blow on it.
It was such a severe blow that I was lame in it for quite some days. I
escaped from him as soon as I could, and ran to 28th Street, and down
28th Street to No. 211. I ran into the hallway and out into the back
yard, where I stayed all night in fear of my life. The officer followed
me, and when I ran into the hallway he clubbed the colored people who
were on the front stoop, and drove them into the house. During the
heavy rainstorm Wednesday night and early Thursday morning I took
refuge in a small place that led into the cellar of the said house.
Thursday morning about six o'clock I ventured out and went towards the
dock at the foot of West 24th Street, where I intended to go to work
again, and had reached 8th Avenue between 25th and 26th Streets, when
I saw two police officers on the opposite side of the street, one of
whom started to run towards me, but his companion stopped him, and drew
him back. Deponent states further that if he had not been interfered
with and clubbed by the police officer he could have reached his home
in safety, and that he saw no signs of a disturbance, such as a large
crowd of people, as far as he could see up the avenue; that deponent
was watching for such signs by reason of his having been warned twice.
Deponent also declares that he can identify the officer who clubbed
him; that he knows him by sight, and that, about a month before the
said clubbing, the same officer had come to him at his home, where
he lived at that time, in West 28th Street, and had told him that
the roundsman had got him, and that he had given him as an excuse
that he was at the house where deponent then lived and was quelling a
disturbance there, and asked deponent to verify that statement if the
roundsman asked him. Deponent promised so to do, notwithstanding the
fact that nothing of the kind had occurred there, and promised to do
so simply to get the officer out of trouble. That the officer's first
name is "Joe," and that he is attached to the 20th Precinct. Deponent
further declares that he was perfectly sober, and that the assault by
the officer was unwarranted and an outrage upon a peaceable citizen.
ADOLPHUS x COOKS.
his mark
Sworn to before me this 4th day of September, 1900.
GEO. P. HAMMOND, JR., Notary Public (164), N. Y. County.
----
_City and County of New York, ss._:
Eugene Porter, being duly sworn, deposes and says: I reside at 202
West 49th Street. On Wednesday, August 15th, 1900, between the hours
of nine and ten P. M., I was walking uptown on the west side
of 7th Avenue, on my way home. Everything about the neighborhood was
quiet. There were no signs of a disturbance, and I had not heard of
any trouble between the colored people and the white folks. I had
reached a point about one hundred feet north of 37th Street on 7th
Avenue, when I met a group of policemen, about six or eight in number.
One of them said to me, "What are you doing here, you black son of
a b----?" and without waiting for an answer struck me over the head
with his club, felling me to the sidewalk, and continued to strike me
about the body. I struggled to my feet, and implored the officers to
spare my life, but they continued to club me and left me unconscious
on the sidewalk. When I came to I arose to my feet and crawled home.
After I reached home I got my young son to accompany me to the New
York Hospital, where my wounds were dressed by Dr. Kenyon, of the
Hospital Staff, who put fourteen stitches in my head. Deponent states
further that he is troubled to this day with his head, as a result of
the injuries received at the hands of the police, and he fears that it
may yet seriously interfere with his following his business. Deponent
states further that he is engaged in the business of horse and dog
clipping, and that he can refer to the following-named persons for whom
he has done work at various times: E. S. Odell, proprietor of the
Saratoga Stables, 690 Madison Avenue, who has known him from infancy.
Dr. H. D. Gill, Veterinary Surgeon, 57th Street and 2nd Avenue. G. W.
Lynch, Morton Boarding Stables, Morton and Washington Streets. Joseph
Hartshorn, 168 East 68th Street.