Satan's Invisible World Displayed; or, Despairing Democracy: A Study of Greater New YorkStead, W. T. (William Thomas)
History
Satan's Invisible World Displayed; or, Despairing Democracy: A Study of Greater New York
Stead, W. T. (William Thomas)
New York (N.Y.) -- Politics and government; Police -- New York (State) -- New York
A. Yes. “Now,” I said to him, “McLaughlin, look here, I never felt
myself placed in the position that I do to-night; no man has ever done
to me what you did to-night, and I advise you to let up. Standing
here, if I am assaulted again, you or I will have to die; one man of
two will be taken out of this station-house dead, and so, stop.” At
this time I had my fighting blood up, and had recovered from the
collapse I was thrown into. I said, “You may think me not protected
here; but I have a good strong arm, and if you assault me again, as
sure as there is a God in Heaven, I will never take my hands from your
throat until you kill me or I kill you.” He kept on blustering, but
never struck me again.
Q. What was the nature of the punishment?
A. He had brass-knuckled me.--(Vol. iv., p. 4,527).
Q. You say he desisted at that moment?
A. He desisted at that moment when I said he or I would have to die if
he did not stop. I was then allowed to go into his private room and
wash some of the mud and gutter off my face and hands. I could not
wash the blood off, because that was coming down in torrents; and when
I was going downstairs, somebody kicked me or punched me severely in
the back, and I feel the effects of it yet at times, and I suppose I
always will. Then I was thrown into a cell bleeding, and by this time
a second collapse had come over me, and I must have fainted in the
cell.
Q. Did McLaughlin go into the cell?
A. No; he came down after me, after I was locked up, and made it clear
he gloried in the fact that I was in that condition. So, fearing that
some one would open the cell door during the night, when I would be in
a faint--because I felt very weak from the loss of blood--I took out
my note-book and wrote in it, “If I am found dead here to-morrow, I
want it known I am murdered by Captain McLaughlin and his crowd.” I
hid that in my stocking, that piece of bloody paper. I kept it for a
long time, and I tried to find it to-day, but could not put my hands
on it, and am very sorry I cannot put my hands on it.
Q. Were you persecuted any more that night?
A. I was persecuted in a way that they would not give me any water.
Q. Did you call for water?
A. Yes, and it was denied me; everything was denied me. From loss of
blood and all that I became unconscious; and about five o’clock in the
morning, when I could get a little rest, I was routed out from my bed
and told to get ready; then I asked the privilege of getting something
to brush off my clothes and my shoes, and after paying a little for
it, I did get it; and I was taken out by these two same men that had
arrested me. Now, before I proceed any further, will you let me go
back a little?
Q. Yes.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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