“THE THIRD DEGREE”

Evening Star, Issue 19639, 19 August 1927, Page 1

“THE THIRD DEGREE”

A SHOCKING INSTANCE. A sliocldnj? revelation lias I>ccn in.nlc ol the use of loUiuc by Federal WobihUion agents to extort a confession from an arrested man. It is declared that an official »n the New Yoik district caused one Albert Briggs to be bound, beaten and kicked, and cursed for six hours in an effort to force 1 from him the confession that he knew ot bribes paid to a group of peily Prohibit ion enforcement officers, A towel was fastened tightly around Briggs's head and twisted to mukc‘'it still lighter. He was also beaten on the head with a stick. Another man was beaten, kicked. enflVd, and pushed through a window, breaking the glass. Briggs maintains that ho acted innocently as ehaudenr for the bribe-takers, and bad no knowledge of their acts; Torture under the name ot the third degree, is regularly used by the municipal police of most American cities. .If an arrested. man is without friends or in Hue nee he is likely io bo severely beaten to extort a confession, rubber hose being used as a rule, because it, loaves tew boon when physical violence is not mod questions are shouted at tin- suspected individual, sometimes for many hours on end, and be is kept from food or sleep. If he “confesses” under the stress ol ibis ordeal it is customary lo get him to sign a paper certifying that be has imt been maltreated. Usually he signs il without, reading it or in desperation. A reputable New "iork attorney protean] in court, against the habitual c! il;e third degree by the city police. Y ben inquiry is made the authoviiies usually oon> the u?e of such methods, but it, is well known that the practices persist.