Show pay 2500 for false arrest london police department uses own funds as balm for error london if ever any american ponce police department awarded damages from rom its own funds fund to a man who had been arrested and discharged it la Is not dot commonly known but th that at Is what happened here maj graham bell murray a L I 1 E ea a distinguished officer of the indian army who served in gallipoli Galli poll and france in the war and was twice mentioned in dispatches for both brains and bravery has been awarded from the funds of the metropolitan police district ue he declares that tie he la Is entirely dissatisfied and that the toss lose ot of dignity and the expense to which he was put should entitle him blu to at least 52 on the face of the returns his big claim would appear to be sound but an american would say that be to Is a miracle man led to department probe major murrays Mur rays case Is one of the causes ce lebres which brought about the appointment aPpolDt ment by the home secretary sir william joynson ileks of the street offenses tenses of committee to inquire into the numerous complaints that policemen have been recklessly arresting people without sufficient evidence dence on charges of insulting women or of engaging in indecent conduct the charges have shaken the police system to its foundation and have culminated in the famous hyde park case in which sir leo money toi foi eleven years a member of parliament and a miss savidge were arrested for alleged improprieties by two policemen in hyde park only to be discharged the case of sir leo and bliss savidge has become a grave question in parliament has become a political leal problem the socialists going solidly against the police and several era I 1 su suits it a b being ing filed bled by inspector colline abe and the e arresting officer against two weekly papers major murray was arrested lost last an august 24 on the charge of 0 being drunk and of peering or leering into the faces of two women J thurston arresting officer asserted that the women appeared to be very much annoyed at the time but bat they did not appear against the major when he was brought before magistrate mead at marlborough street pollee police court the next morning thurston testified that the me major jor was drunk and peering no iso other evidence of the peering was brought forth but inspector john clarke at the vine street station and dr lan ion macpherson Macri ierson a police sur surgeon guv testified W 1 that the major was drunk that made it an ordinary case of 0 the police against a prisoner on the much mooted question when la Is a man legally drunk but matters were complicated by the charge that the gallant major had insulted women and the women were not forthcoming charges charge rights right denied furthermore major murray charged that he was thrown into a cell and was not informed of his right t to 0 telephone to fellow members at the J junior army and navy club which he be ha bad d left a few minutes before he was ar rested bestedt nor was be allowed to call a private physician to examine into the question of whether he be was drunk As the case involved the integrity of the police magistrate mead postponed the case but later he fined major murray 40 shillings or about 10 with five guineas costs or a little more than 25 major murray appealed to the londzin london quarter sessions against the police court decision S sir ir R hobert obe r t wallace heard the appeal police constable thurston stuck to his bis 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 he d finished calling witnesses sir robert announced he had bad beard enough he reversed the police court decision and completely exonerated the major the case was carried to the street offenses committee and a 11 subcommittee heard it all over again with the result that major murray was exonerated once more and the award ol of 2500 from the metropolitan police district fund was added as further bal balm UL |