Sworn to before me this 31st day of August, 1900.
GEO. P. HAMMOND. JR., Notary Public (164), N. Y. County.
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_City and County of New York, ss._:
William H. Ross, being duly sworn, says:
I reside at 475 7th Avenue, near 36th Street, New York City. I had
lived a short time at 225 West 32nd Street. I have lived for five years
in New York. I have been a messenger for General Daniel E. Sickles. At
about eleven o'clock on the evening of August 15th deponent was on his
way to his rooms, but was stopped at Zion's flat and advised to come in
and not cross the street, as there was a riot. I went in and went up
two pair of stairs until about four o'clock in the morning, and slept
on the stairs. My hour for going to work that morning was five o'clock,
at the Herald Building, where I was working for Marsell, who attends to
housecleaning and to the building. Another man, whose name I learned
was Hicks, took refuge in the building at the same time. At about half
past four o'clock on the morning of the 16th we heard a great commotion
in the house. Three policemen rushed upstairs; the first one said, "You
d----d black son of a b----, if you move I will shoot you like a dog!"
He then hit me on the head with his club, and cut my head open; the
other one then hit me on the head, and both beat me with their clubs
on the neck, back, shoulders, chest, and ribs until I was bloody and
sore and fell down, when one of the officers poked his pistol in my
face and said, "You black son of a b----, just move or say a word, and
I will shoot you like a cur." They also beat Hicks and broke his nose.
People whom I did not know, looking out of windows, cried out about
the brutality. They then had their fun with us, saying, "You d----d
niggers; get out of here." Then when we would start they would again
grab us, beat us, and threaten to shoot us. I would know one of these
policemen, as I saw him since on 7th Avenue, and also in September at
Broadway and 12th Street. I think that I would know the other fellow.
In taking us to court they swore to the most outrageous lies, without
any reason in fact. They stated we had been on the roof throwing
bottles on the street. I had never been in the house in my life, never
had been in a room and not above the second story, where they gave me
shelter. The policemen told other lies--that they arrested me before,
that he had warned me before on the street, that he had arrested me for
fighting a few days before. The judge asked if they had any witnesses;
they answered "Yes," and he gave them until three o'clock, when we were
discharged. I was never arrested before in my life. Two doctors gave me
certificates of character, which I had in court.