Students Describe Slugging by Boston Police During Riot in 16-Page Report

Replete with colorful affidavits of Harvard students and faculty men describing the "savage" conduct of the Boston police at the City Square "riot," the 16-page official report of the Committee on the investigation of Police Tactics in Charlestown on May 17, 1934 will be released today.

Headed by an endorsement of Arthur N. Holcombe '06, professor of Government, Ralph Barton Perry, Edgar Pierce Professor of Philosophy, and W. Ernest Hocking, Alford Professor of Natural Religion, Moral Philosophy, and Civil Polity, the report is signed by John H. Dean '34, Raymond Dennett '36, George C. Edwards, Jr. 1G, Victor H. Kramer '35, Donald Meiklejohn 3G, H. Willis Nicholas, Jr. '34, Thomas B. O'Connor '35, John F. Spencer '34, and Herman Walker 1G.

Removal of Police Commissioner Eugene G. Hultman and Superintendent Martin H. King is recommened by the committee, unless they "can show that they are in no way connected with the orders" given to the police. Continuing with a description of the kicking and slugging of the police, based upon the appended affidavits, the pamphlet ends with a letter from Commissioner Hultman denying he had received any evidence indicating "unnecessary force on the part of the officers."

The document states that the meeting at City Square "was dispersed by the police before any speeches were made," that "arrests were made without due cause, and with completely unjustified violence," that "three of the arrested men were slugged after they had reached the station house, at least one of them into unconsciousness." It declares that Inspector Goodman and Officer Gouldston of the Boston police are neither "competent to conduct their work" nor "intelligent enough to understand the psychology of the people with whom they are dealing."

Clifton L. Jackson '34 describes the treatment given Arthur F. Duffey '36: "We were walking along. . . doing nothing. . . The policeman charged us and my companion, Arthur Duffey, stumbled, grasping at the policeman to save himself from falling. As the officer rode past, he kicked Duffey in the back of the head with his stirrup. Duffey fell and crawled under a fence. . . An officer came up and kicked Duffey several times as he was crawling. . . A plainclothesman. . . identified as Officer Gouldston then came up and joined in beating Duffey."