| Show pay 2500 for false arrest london police department uses own funds as balm for error london it ever any american ponce department awarded damages from its own aundt to a man who had been arrested and discharged it la not commonly leonn but that Is what here maj graham bell murray a I 1 E a distinguished officer of the indian army who served in and france in the war and was twice men in dispatches tor both brains and bravery has been awarded 2 from the funds of the metropolitan police district he declares that he Is entirely dissatisfied and that the los of dignity and the expense to which he was put should entitle him to at least on the face of the re turns his claim would appear to be sound but an american would say that be Is a miracle man led to department probe major murray s case Is one of the causes ce lebres which brought about the appointment by the home secretary sir william joynson hicks of the street offenses committee to in quire into the numerous complaints that policemen have been arresting people without sufficient evl dence on charges 0 insulting women or of engaging in indecent conduct the charges have shaken the police system to its foundation and have culminated in the famous oyde park case in which sir leo money toi eleven years a member of parliament and a miss were arrested tw alleged improprieties by two policemen in auyde park only to be als charged ahe case of sir leo and miss has become a grave question in parliament has become a political problem the socialists going solidly against the police and sev era suits being filed by inspector col lans and the arresting officer against two scelly papers major murray was arrested last au gust 24 on the charge of being drunk and of peering or leering into the faces of two women J ar resting officer asserted that the worn en appeared to be ery much annoyed at the time but they did not appear against the major when he was brought before magistrate mead at marlborough street police court the nest morning testified that the major was drunk and peering 0 o other evl dence of the peering was brought forth but inspector john clarke at the vine street station and dr lan macpherson a police surgeon bostl fled that the major was drunk that made it an ordinary case of the police against a prisoner on the much mooted question when Is a man legally drunk but matters were comell bated by the charge that the gallant major had insulted women and the women were not forthcoming charge rights denied furthermore major murray charged that be was thrown into a cell and was not informed of his right to telephone to fellow members at the junior army and navy club which he had left a few minutes before he was arrested nor was be allowed to call a physician to examine into the question of whether be was drunk As the case involved the integrity of the police magistrate mead post boned the case but later he fined major murray 40 shillings or about au with fire guineas costs or a little more than 25 major murray appealed to the lon don quarter sessions against the police court decision sir robert wallace heard the appeal police constable thurston stuck to his story that the major was drunk and peering major murray produced friends from the club who swore he was perfectly sober among them a few minutes prior to the arrest before the defense had finished calling witnesses sir robert announced he had beard enough lie reversed the police court decision and completely exonerated the major the case was carried to the street offenses committee and a tee heard it all over again with the result th at major murray was exon aerated once more and the award of 2500 from the metropolitan police district fund was added as further balm |
