The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-08-18
Serious Riot Of New York's Unem-
ployed Foreigners
SEVERAL FIGHTS WITH POLICE.
An Excited Crowd Take rorcibls Posses
sion Of Hall and Hold = Meeting.
Grievances Expressed In Speeches and
Resolutions The 0ovsrnmsnt Appealed
60 for Work. "a sss=r=,..---. - =

been predicting for some time as . result
of the large number of men out of employ
ment occurred yesterday.
A crowd of moro than fve thousand
men attacked Walhalla Hall ON Orchard
street, because adulittance was denied
them. >
They smashed the plate-glass windows
into atoms, forced in the door, 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 were ordered to the scene
and succeeded in partly dislodging the
crowd. Three arrests were made.
Those forming the crowd were mostly
Hebrews, and represented principally the
clothing trades. There were cutters, gar
ment makers, hat makers and cloak
makers.
After partial order had been secured the
meeting was allowed to proceed and several
infiammatory speeches were made.
The leader OF the unemployed foreigners
seemed to be w. Belkowitx. He made a
speech In his own tongue which stirred up
his audience to the highest pitch Of excite
ment and tho howls and yells could be
heard outside in the street. He afterwards
told a reporter that the object of the meet
ing was to discuss some means of finding
employment, ~ the families Of these men
were all starving.
Belkowitz explained that in his speech he
told the crowd that there ought to be no
discrimination against Russian working
men, and that they ought to be able to ap-
ply for work on equal terms with Ameri-
Al -
What he advocated was an appeal to the
United States Government to furnish them
work II there was no work to be done,
them.
Several other speeches were made de-
nouncing the Government for not giving
the poor people work.
Joseph Barondess arrived at tho hall
at 1915 o'clock. Barondess had short
conference with the proprietor Of the hall
in which Fliegman stated his side of the
case and told of the damage done to his
place
barondess then entered the hall and ad-
dressed the meeting. After introducing
himself, he urged the crowd to leave the
hall The proposition created storm Of
opposition, and the men almost uuani-
mously cried out that they would not leave
the hall until the three men taken prisoners
were released.
Barondess argued with the crowd for
some time, but to no purpose, and finally
he asked II they would leave IL he secured
another and larger room for them. This
proposition was assented to, and Barondess
left to see If he could secure Clarendon
Hail.
Besides the excited men who thronged
Walhalla Hall, were l, 600 others at Cove
nant Hall, only a few doors away. A
speech was made from the curbstone by
one Of the unemployed men, in which he
said that unless the three men were liber-
nted from Jail the Essex Market Police
Court would be stormed.
At Walhalla Hall series of resolutions
were passed condemning the police for
their conduct.
The resolutions set forth that the men
are peaceably disposed; that they want
work and must have IL, and workingmen
are warned to prepare themselves in flu
ture for a repetition of such conduct on the
part Of the police.
The three prisoners were arraigued be-
fore Justice Voorhees,, in the Essex Mar
ket Court at 2:l5 O'clock Manager Flieg-
man refused to make IA complaint.
81 was excited when the men broke in,
your Honor" he said, "and can't be GER
tain that they are the men who did any
damage or led the crowd"
Fliegman said that the men would boy
colt him If he pressed the complaint, and
he preferred standing the damage to los
ing their custom. Fliegman was also
afraid that a prosecution of the charge
would involve a serious injury or deatn to
himself
There was nothing else for Justice voor-
hees to do but discharge the prisoners He
took occasion, however, to denoupce the
for his cowardice.
While this scene was being enacted In
Essex Market Court the police were mov-
ing. The reserves, in two parties, swept
down upon Covenant and Walhalla halls
at about the same moment. Many a
bruised and lumpy head resulted from the
encounter. Those driven from the two
halls, which are but forty or fifty feet
apart, gathered about the policemen, and
the more enthusiastic set up cries of ''Stone
theml" "Dynamitel'
There was another rush and the men
were tumbled into the street CUTTERS and
an all-round rough-and- d-tumble fight took
place. The enraged men struck right and
left, sometimes inhicting injuries on their
fellows In tnelr Dllnu rage. 1no police
men again used the club freely, scattering
the men IN all directions. Without a
leader and with policemen's billies waving
in every direction, the crowd when driven
into the street knew not which way to
turn. Inch by inch they were forced
away.
subsequently the men who wrecked Wal
halla Hall became more bold and defiant
to the police after three OF their number
had been discharged by Justice Voorhees,
In the Essex Market Policc Court. The
mob wouldn't bulge an inch, and clubs had
10 be used to drive them away Almost
on all of the east side street corners stood
n group OF unemployed men with angry
looks and determined faces. They said
that hunger had made them desperate.
1--WE have hearts, said one man. land
when we hear our children crying for food
we feel 1t. We love our children as well
as the rich man likes his"
The police found il difficult task TO
drive the mob away, and were compelled
TO arrest eleven more Of the disordcrly
crowd. The prisoners were arreigned before
Justics Voorhees, In the Essex Market Po-
II