Witnesses Tell Council Of Police Favoritism in Melee

Students testifying at a Student Council meeting last night reported that police showed favoritism in releasing local residents. After the statements by students, the Council passed a recommendation protesting brutality by the Cambridge police and suggesting lenience on the part of the University towards those arrested.

Meanwhile it was learned yesterday that Chief of Police Patrick F. Ready has instructed all patrolmen involved in the Thursday melee to have their statements ready for use in court by Friday. Further, a patrol car with a uniformed policeman came to the CRIMSON offices last night and requested copies of Friday's issue, which contains accounts of the riot.

Sullivan Denies Charge

One student testified that "at the station I got a blow on the chin and hit the officer back. I was being, dragged to the cell block when a lieutenant came by and recognized me, and had me released. Another witness reported that "Sullivan (city Councillor) went up to a student and asked him if he was 21 and a Cambridge resident. He replied yes and Sullivan said, 'I'll see if I can get you released'." Sullivan denied this charge last night.

The Council said that:

1)"(We) condemn the unnecessary, arbitrary, and brutal treatment of Harvard students by the Cambridge Police at the Pogo rally, Thursday night, May 15, 1952."

2) By the use of these methods, the Police encouraged disorderly rather than orderly conduct.

3) The Student Council recommends that the Harvard administration consider the nature of this incident, and review the case of each student involved in the light of the exceptionally arbitrary nature of the arrests.

4) We recommend that a committee be established to meet with the officials of Cambridge and Harvard to prevent the recurrence of such situations, and to better relations with the community.

Rugo Assailed

Paul R. Rugo '55 testified at the meeting that "We got to the station. . .we went single file through a tunnel. Just as I got to a bend in the tunnel, someone asked me, 'You hurt bad sonny?' I turned around to answer him and I was whacked two times on the head, I don't know with what. Then another cop came up and told the other one to lay off."

Michael G. Yamin '53, member of the Council, reported that in a conversation with Ready the latter said that if a policeman uses a night stick he must make out a report, and said that he had received no reports. He added, however, that "some action may have been taken by the police that was not reported to me in writing."

Ready finally admitted yesterday that he gave verbal permission for the rally "so long as they behaved themselves and were good little boys," but he said the parade was to have been conducted through the Yard, not through the Square.

City Council Gets Letter

In Cambridge, the only reference to the riot at yesterday's City Council meeting came when the clerk mentioned and placed on file a letter from Robert R. Stewart '53 "condemning police preparations for the announced Pogo rally."

Stewart's letter claims that "once a permit is issued, the city must plan in advance how it shall handle the group."