Sworn to before me this 11th day of September, 1900.
GEO. P. HAMMOND, JR., Notary Public (164), N. Y. County.
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_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.