Show I THE IE TRUTH ABOUT OUR POLICE by by William B. B Sev A Sea Seattle Chief of Police 19 1922 2 to 1926 v Policemen c men everywhere will win tell you that the obnoxious and illegal illegal illegal ille ille- gal third degree does doe'S not exist today tody in police work ork There is a reason for foi this for foi years ago there was a tremendous uprising against brutal rn methods tl pf f wringing confessions conies cones from pr prisoners So So widespread widespread wide wide- vide spread was the objection that the he legislatures of many states enacted enacted enacted en en- en- en acted laws prohibiting the use of duress by public officials Despite the d denials nials and tl the q laws however the third de dede e e ex exists is In some orm gr noth I yi nearly every police department in inthe L th the y St It td ny 1 sone saras 0 oT of the I ai ah mal brutality of oC the old n times but It still exists Th The change is that it ha has been refined in such a manner that it it ft will lea leave ve no marks marRs to sh show w to to the I Judge The third degree in many any form Corm formis Cormis I is cruel The extent to to which tho thc C term maY be applied varies vades however however how bow ever with the viewpoint of the C reader Some there Utere are who de declare declare de- de clare dare with the police that an any p method is right night if it brings confession con con- THE RIGHT AND WRONG I 1 think some sOTe forms of pressure S are necessary and right for there C are some types o of prisoners s so hardened that appeals to honor anc and L decency have no effect It is certain thin tain that there are some types 0 of r prisoners who respond only to s cruelty or threats of cruelty The The S of course is how far the policeman is Justified In using this thi C means of getting at the truth Then Thee I there are men who suffer more under under un un- der tier polite questioning based on os truth than others will suffer under undera r a rain ram oJ ot blows In such a case the questioning Is the more crue cruel i form of treatment When a crime Is committed which t particularly r y outrages public peace S or sentiment the police are driven drives i to desperation to find th the criminal The outcries of the rs C give lve Ive the police a form of the third thir I degree deg It t is not surprising then that tha t when a man is arrested for a particularly par pr atrocious s crime praet cally with the blood of an innocent t victim on his hands the detectives detectIve S Sometimes orr times are driven by their own i feelings and b by bM public sentiment nt t t tp ti c j fn n th the use us use of the third degree The The forms of of of- tire th-e third de degree degree de- de gree of which I am about t to 0 write have been used in Seattle S occasionally in recent recent years Some C forms aie are more common than thai 3 f others hut but t those I mention ar are C among the most niost common In us use usein C in in a majority of the larger lage Am Amer American Amerlean rican r- r ican lean cities C 1 FOR MENTAL AGONY Perhaps the mo most t common form torn formis a is that deS designated ted as putting them on ice h On On ice means means means' p putting Uini a prisoner pris prisoner pris- pris oner in a dark cell In the quietest quietest quiet quiet- est portion of the city Jail jaU Al All AU 11 papers all ill tobacco an any an thing which might serve to to oc occupy occupy occupy oc- oc cupy his mind are taken awa away Y irons from rom him t He is Js left absolutely alone N No o callers are are poi permitted He is L q given Iven two meals a day clay by b ba a jailer janer who vhO absolutely refuses to speak n 1 single word M Men n often break breakfast breakfast breakfast fast under such treatment To a considerable degree the i tire of knocking knockin 0 them cold still exists It If must be be admitted however that it Is only when the detectives interrogating the prisoner become terribly aroused It Tl is a m method thod hard dire direct t and blunt blunt simply simply and crudely knockIng knocking knock knock- knocking ing a prisoner cold when he Is caught in ri a a. deliberate lie Generally Gen Gets it i Ig Is the fist of ot a detective e striking from behind or from the side here where he is sure ure to hit the tho button When n the prisoner i recovers consciousness con con- he finds the detec detec- rives Elves standing standing- over o him fists t drawn back for more blows arni all shouting Yo You Tod will lie to us you jou on r will you One of the most ingenious and I V. 0 often most effective v m methods Is the electric carpet In using this a a prisoner is placed in a cell far tar removed from tire the others so his screams reams cannot be heard On the floor of the Uie cell ceU is placed an electrically wired carpet which L covers the whole floor so as to toL leave no place where a man stand L safely The prisoner particularly if he is is' is ignorant ignorant is Js told he is Js' Js inthe in inthe inthe the c ceil ceJ which automatically elec- elec men 1 h i ilL tell lL Utes Tt TIn n so some simple 9 questions a are e asked p. p tend mr of th ruT fe replies re re replies plies truthfully Then ben conie COWE U the tbs more important questions and when the d detec- detec w c- c believe trio the man is IJ lying lym the current is turned on The sparks fly arId and the prisoner leaps screaming In Ill agony gony Into Inti the air The he agony is intense There b Is no escape More and marl moi more current cur cur- rest rent is turned on and always C the the- detectives cs are shouting Now ou will you tell tel the truth Only the sturdiest t tS of ot tire pr prisoners son s c can n stand the S agony long though men have been rendered unconscious before before be be- fore tOre they would speak I 1 am glad to say the electric S carpet has been used in Seattle only in the the most moat extreme an and i serious cases lIt it it i is not fatal Its effects J aro not lasting anc and i it leaves no no marks marls Its use ue isto is isto is C to be discouraged of ot course but t thas I It has served the ends of Justice justic i more than on one once e Carried to extremes ex cx- ex- ex however It lt will make male C anyone admit that black It is Js S white white Another ious delicious bit of ment men- men t taj taLi j agony ony was s named h he hd ride S around the lake Its use is is 3 waning because crooks are ale quid quick t to tell ten their CeU fellows vs of pf new variations variations va va- of tha e. e third d degree gree The S method has bas many variations I I will vill illustrate te one ons nc Two detectives enter the Jail jan perhaps posing as s outraged outrage l relatives relatives relatives rel rel- of or the the m murdered person I Th They y get to the c cell n through h ones onen 1 doors door and boat boast o of how they c chave have squared the turnkey tomake to tomake te make their p ietti ith tj easy eM The The prisoner is seized roughly rough Terrible oaths are are uttered and anc I Ire I h-e h re is denounced bitterly asic an and I without restraint A chain I Is S I fastened about about his neck From Fron i I it depend a a- a i heavy Iron Irons ball bal I. I Despite the pleas and shrieks o of or f the prisoner no policemen n nor not C milers jailers appear to prevent his re removal moval He Is rushed out of the i Uon tion and into a waiting automo automo- automobile bile which proceeds at high higl speed to Lake Yashin Washington ton no not nota t ta a great reat distance out Yesler way Arriving there he i ij is thrown Into inte ft a L. L rowboat and the putative r avengers start to o row toward the tb S center of the deep and ind vast hod body V of or water Almost Invariably the tie prisoner prisons r break bre down own and e either ther Confesses con Con- tosses to h his s participation lion o or r tells what he knows w of the iden of the real 1 THE SYMPATHY PLAY When two or more morG prisoners S Sare are are suspected of a a crime the they are placed in In widely separated I cells Then one of the detec tives s will pr profess Cess a great great s m v nath-v for the prisoners rs promis ing to do what hat he can for them Eventually ho he returns to each In hi turn and says So and your partner partner- is is a dirty snitch Hes He's downstairs now telling telling- all an he knows I wish you had been the one to turn states state's s 's evidence i so as to to get got off light The dete detective tive then relates what the oUter er man is supposed to be telling tellIng- endine Invariably with the suggestion sug that the other man give iv the real tea details A few hours of hIs and the su RUI are involved In a bitter fight tight u using ing U the IP friendly de ie- ie et e- e t as as' as a messenger Each ach prisoner tries t to te 1 implicate the I other out of sheer resentment tt and and of course when thieves thieve S fall fail dut out honest men risen prosper Here is another method One On e end end of ot the Jail is cleared leaving leav leav- ing but one suspect there Soo Soon Soona n a a detective pretending to be a prisoner Is dragged past his eel cell I. I Eis screams fill the air lr an and d c chains hains drag alo along g the floor t to 0 add acid to their clamor The ma man manis manis n i is s thrown into the next ecu cell elI mad a an and d detectives enter and begin an a n atrociously brutal questioning Th-e Th prisoner is defiant defant and suddenly suddenly sud sud- denly the suspect hears the en entire entire en- en 5 tire detective group descend a on n the fettered prisoner There as are re e veils yells and curses th sound e of f i lows blows blows blows' and pleas for mercy fros from ii the prisoner these growing fainter er and fainter THE IkE UNSPOKEN THREAT 4 I Finally nallY the unconscious tori form forms Ti is s carried aay and hE same earn te earno group of ot detectives returns I to o q question the theman the man on whose teas fears they have been working Needless Need Needless eed- eed I less fess to say pay re was no re real i violence but so thoroughly is tI the e scene s-cene imprinted on the suspect suspects eS s brain that he usually tells tI the truth without much coercion Here Is a method highly tee rec recommended recommended rec- rec 5 by the police of oth other sr cities The prisoner is given a re 1 heavy h-eavy vy Iron ball and told to place e It in a slot in the end of h his is cell This slot they show him bin n. n is opened by a trigger f from ro Sn which depends a length of stout it cord cord- The prisoner is the then en bound and thrown on the floor sr in such a a manner that his h- h irsa had h-ead ad adis id idis is under thes the the- s slot l ot t. t One of h his is legs legs' is then lifted at right an at angles r to his body and and the release Ce cord is tied to his foot So long long- longas as he can an keep U the te log upright he lie is in no danger r While hUe he is kept In this th-g pos i- i the prisoner is questioned ci t the notice commenting at Intervals intervals inter intes r- r vals on the agony he le must 1 be bes e s suffering trying to hold tho act in ing le leg upright Prisoners some som times times' become unconscious through h fear and pain The catch of the plan Is is- is that while il he is be be being be- be aing a- a ing bound a detective has re re removed removed re- re 5 moved the shot and has haq put in It its place a rubber cubber Ball tal SOME OTHER WAYS H Here re are some of ot the simpler simpi en methods of ot getting information i Putting a a stoolpigeon In U tho tUe ic prisoners prisoner's ners ner's cell Placing a di t In hi the ti he te roon where here he ho talks with h his is lawyer and then using the tire is in In- In i- i torm formation so gathered in son some ie form torm of third degree Withholding narcotics narcotics' from fro iii confirmed drug dlUg addicts Getting a prisoner maudlin maudi in drunk and then using Uin th thy on him S 'S Promising to belp h help help- lp- lp to g get et etoff off oft easy Charging him with a capit capital al off offense n e in order that lie ne will ae admit ad ad- 1 mit the lesser crime a as an alli alibi ii T T. H H. Johnson who robbed tl the 10 Queen C City ry bank after he lie l had ld id d' escaped from the count county jail ja II so feared that he would be give given sn the third degree that h he i Is sa said Id t to hav given the sheriff a a. confession con cos i- i not altogether true Actually It Jt is the most hardened hard hare I- I ened criminals only wITo get tl the third de degree J ree There are too thu many other means of breaking down the morale of the first of offender of- of fender CoPyright 1926 1026 Cosmos Newspaper NewsPaper News News- News News- paper Syndicate Inc Through the A American Free Press Another interesting chapter to- to morrow l' |