THIRD DEGREE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21245, 27 July 1932, Page 11

THIRD DEGREE

INSTANCE AT NEW YORK COMPLAINTS AGAINST POLICE NEW YORK, Jtfly 19 With eyes blackened and bodies braised three prisoners at tho inquiry into the death of Ilynian Stark painted gruesome pictures of "third degree" methods tised on them by the police. Their evidence was borne out by police and prosecutors. The three men were Stark's companions, Isse Stein, Alexander Drangel and Philip Cacala. / ; Stein said: "We were handcuffed to headquarters' chairs. Four detectives beat us with rubber hose and ' black Jacks? and threatened to kill us unless we confessed." Cacala said: "We were taken to a cellar. Stark lay on the floor bleeding. A detective swung a hose on him, then lie beat me again." assistant-prosecutor, Mr. Littleton, testified: "Deputy Police-Chief Tappen admitted to me, * * Stark was tho toughest man I ever saw. I stood with one foot on his neck and the other on his body, and rocked him back and forth.' " Detective Hizemski said: ' Yes; I grabbed Stark like this and hit him with my right hand." Thirteen policemen, 12 of whom were identified by the prisoners as the attack'ers, have been suspended pending the result of the inquiry. Tho four men were arrested on suspicion of robbing and beating Detective Ilizeniski's mother.- Stark's larynx was broken, allegedly by the police, during the application of the "third degree" for eight hours.