Re: Who was Richard Alewine, born in GA or SC about 1870, died in Atlanta, GA 1921?
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Re: Who was Richard Alewine, born in GA or SC about 1870, died in Atlanta, GA 1921?
Gwen Downey 2/22/10
Oh, thank you for the info.I also just got Bren's packet and hadn't got that far yet.
This Richard Alewine was a real mystery, and it looks like Alton had already solved it! Laura Alewine, Richard's wife, listed his father as John Alewine from Germany on his death certificate. So this John was actually his grandfather.
Before he was removed from the Atlanta police force in 1921, Richard had a reputation as a tough cop who shot first and asked questions later.
An article dated 11 Feb 1915 on the front page of the Atlanta Constitution stated "Mose Green, a negro of 53 Collins street, charged with burglary, was shot by Officer Richard Alewine, when he resisted arrest and made an attack upon the policeman with a knife." He was shot twice,"one bullet entered the heart and the other going through the head. Either shot would have caused his death."
Though no investigation was made over this incident, the account suggests excessive force by the policeman.
There are several other articles on him during his time on the force. On 9 Feb 1916 the Atlanta Constitution reported that Richard Alewine was patrolling his beat when he noticed something unusual in the Dixie Cafe. "Going to a window he saw that an intruder was making himself at home at breakfast with a sandwich.Patrolman Alewine fired his revolver at the man, who dropped his sandwich and took to his heels out a back door. Nothing was missing but several sandwiches."