Thursday, 17th July 1913 Mayor Asked to Probe Action of Police

The Atlanta Georgian

Thursday, July 17, 1913

Declaring that police officers placed him under arrest while he was attempting to convey a woman in the throes of an epileptic fit to a hospital and forced him to be the companion to a negro in riding in the patrol wagon to the police station, Mongin F. Smith, vice president and secretary of the Eagle Stamp Works, Thursday afternoon carried a trenchant complaint of police stupidity to Mayor Woodward for investigation.

"The young woman whom we were endeavoring to place in a hospital was Miss Mabel Parker, a performer at the Old Mill Theater on Whitehall street," declared Mr. Smith. "She was taken with a convulsion when she learned of her brother's near death Wednesday afternoon.

"Aided by B.T. Glenn, manager of the theater, we placed her in an ambulance and drove to the Grady Hospital. While endeavoring to secure her a ward in the hospital, we were approached by two policemen who, as I understand, had been summoned by the hospital authorities when we first drove up.

"Despite our pleas to give us time to see that Miss Parker was cared for, the policemen made us go to the patrol wagon. Inside there was a negro man. The police would not hire a cab. We complained against riding with the negro and offered to hear to this and shoved us in the patrol. We rode to the police station in this manner.

"After being held for nearly an hour, while an investigation was being made, we were released."

Mr. Smith has asked Mayor Woodward for a complete investigation of the affair, and that the guilty policemen be summarily dealt with.

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