The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-08-23

NEW YORK, Aug. 1.-THE ferment-
ing unrest of the unemployed in this
city has at length burst bounds, and on
the East Side today there was an ex-
plosion.
A riotous mob possessed themselves
% property which they had no money
to hire and to which they had been for
hidden entrance by the owners.
There is in the city tonight no panic
of fear among the people. because alb
solute confidence is reposed in the power
of the police to queH the restless ele-
ments. But. nevertheless, the situation
of otherwise helpless want among the
laborless thousands is sharply pressed
upon public attention by the occurrences
of today. There is evident, too, a plan
Of campaign on the part Of these people.
This was today evidenced by the fact
that the king of cloak makers, Joseph
Barondess, called at the mayors office
and asked for a permit to hold open air
meetings of workingmen in Union
square. The mayor sent for the secre-
tary Of the park board, and after con-
sultation told BarOndess he might, on
application to the park department, have
permits for meetings twice a week.
Barondess IS also, as a condition of the
granting of his request to notify the
police so that full force may be pres
ent to preserve order.
This brings the fermenting forces and
the officers of the law avoWedIy face TO
face and the result will be closely and
anxiously watched. And now TO the riot
of today:
Cause OF the Riot.
A crowd of more than 5000 men at
tackled WaIhalla hall. As. 50 and 80 Or
chard-st. because admittance was denied
them. They smashed the plate glass
windows to atoms. forced in the doors
which had been turned against them
and forcibly took possession of the place
Several persons were cut by the flying
glass. All sorts Of missiles were used
and finally the police reserves from the
Eldridse-st station were ordered TO the
scene.
The success of the spontaneous meeting
of the unemployed and the parade held
yesterday was the signal for a much
larger gathering today. As early as s
o'clock this morning men began tO-as-
semble in the vicinity of the international
labor exchange on r. Tenth-st. They
were mostly Russians and represented
principally the clothing trades. There
We're cutters, garment makers, hat
maker and cloakmakers in the crowd
of q dozen or more. Then these welded
themselves together and entered the
building. At o'clock the crowd, which
was without q leader of any kind had
grown to over a thousand Every
minute added to the number and at Q: 80
at least 5000 were there. When it began
TO rain the few who had umbrellas raised
them, but the majority stood there in
different to the weather.
When 10 o'clock arrived the street in
front Of the exchange was black with
people. The large hall downstairs was
literally packed. So were the stairs and
every one Of the little meetiDg-rooms up
stairs Bartenders stood ready in ex-
pectat1on of doing a rushing business
but not single drink was purchased.
Finally a voice cried out that the place
was too small; that even if a meeting
was attempted 1t would be impossible to
hold one for want Of space The same
voice suggested WalhaIla hall on Orchard
ST., and instantly the cry was taken up.
'Walhalla Hall, Walhalla Hall" AS if
with one impulse the crowd formed into
line. and the march began up Tenth-st.
to Fifth-ave. and along to Allen-st. to
Grand, into Orchard, where Walhalla
hall stood only a few doors away The
size of the crowd can be imagined from
the fact that when the head of the line
had reached Allen-st. the others had not
ceased moving out Of Tenth-st., a mile
away. When passing the Fourteenth
precinct station on Sixth-st. several
policemen put their heads out and in
quiries there resulted in the discovery
that the reserves had been held in readi-
ness. The crowd up to that time had
been most orderly.
No Admittance.
Word Of the coming OF the unemployed
had reached Walhalla hall ahead of the
crowd and in the absence Of Fliegman.
the proprietor. his sons and daughters
got ready to defend the place.
They first barred the door and then
demanded through the keyhole to know
what the crowd wanted. The reply came
back that they wanted to hold a meet
ing at the hall, but had no money to
pay for its use.
They were told they could not have
1t. Instantly there was crash Of break
ing glass. Paving stones had been
seized from the street, where they had
been lying around loose.
The moment the first pane of glass was
smashed every one seemed to throw
caution to the winds. Pane after pane
of the plate glass went in and finally the
door was also forced.
Mr.. Fliegman's daughter, a young girl
of eighteen years, tried to get in front
OF the crowd as it swept in, but she was
thrown aside. The unemployed men
swept chairs and tables aside I'm their
eagerness to hold the meeting, and they
had just about settled down to business,
when word Of the affair was sent to the
Eldridge-st. police station.
The sergeant in charge at once called
out the reserve section. The reserves,
NUMBERING about fourteen men, with
Roundsman Cotton at their head, start
ed on double-quick pace for the scene
of the disturbance. 1t was then that the
pandemonium broke loose. The sons and
daughters OF the proprietor OF the hall
insisted that every one Of the unem-
ployed men should be arrested at once.
The roundsman saw that this was i'm
possible, as the hall was packed with
men, The rOundsman, however asked
II they wanted the hall cleared, and on
getting an affirmative reply, he pro-
ceeded to do so. One of the ward de-
tectives was by his side. and he at once
tried 10 seize a man who had mounted
q chair and was In the act of speaking.
The speaker was drag ged through the
crowd, and with policeman on either
side was marched to the station.
One-half the crowd followed, while the
other remained, determined to hold the
meeting.
The roundsman said he would clear
the hall at any cost and more policemen
he oh