The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-05-02
COXEY SUPPRESSED.
His Speech on the Capitol Steps
Nipped in the Bud.
HIS CHIEF MARSHAL ARRESTED

Carl Browne and G. @. Jones Resisted thu |
the Omcers, While Coxey Went Away
QuistIy--Browne Out on Bail-IncIpicnt
Take Part.
- WAEH4NGToN, May 2.-The march OF
Coxey's Gommonweal army, which started
from Massillon Easter Monday, that its
leader might speak from the steps of the
Capitol In advocacy of his bills for non
interest bearing bonds and for giving
work to the unemployed on public roads
by an issue of legal tender, ended, as
might have been predicted, in interruption
by the police. The performance which
was enacted within the shadow of the
Capitol yesterday Is without counter
part in the memory of Washingtonians.
Over the broad, smooth plaza of several
acres facing the east front of the Capitol
was packed a crowd of men and women
numbering 10000 by conservative esti-
mates, such gathering as is never seen
there except on Inauguration days
1t was shortly after o'clock when the
army halted in the public streets south of
the Capitol grounds. Its five mile march
down from Brightwood through the prin-
ripal streets of the city had been wit
messed by thousands, attracted more from
ruriosity than by interest in the move
ment, although their good nntured yells
were interpreted by tho Commonwealers
Into applause. Such fantastic aggrega-
lion never paraded itself in seriousness
before the public. There were SEQ in line,
Mrs. Annie l.: Diggs, the Populistic agi-
tator of Kansas, in bnrOuche, Coxey's
H-year-old daughter, ip white, on q cream
rolored steed representing the Goddess of
Peace, Carl Browne on great grey Per-
sheron stallion, General jacob Slecher
Coxey, his wife and the infant Legal Ten
der Coxey together in another carriage,
Virginia La Valette, said to be an actress,
ON horseback, draped in an American
hag, as the Philadelphia commune's God
ness of Peace, the unemployed carrying
white flags of peace on slaves, and the
nondescript banners setting forth the doc
trines OF reincarnation, good roads and
snmity to plutocrats, sprinkled through
them.
Marshal Browne halted the procession
In the street and walked back to Coxey's 8
carriage. The general kissed his wife,
and then the two moving spirits Of the af-
fair, Browne swinging aloft a small BAN
ner. forced their way over the plaza to the
Capitol steps, their men, acting under or
ders, standing in their tracks. After
SuAGy buu DToN ne pre- Ssttl Il ytIllliB GroN u
Of several hundred men, most of them
following Browne, conspicuous because of
his unique costume. Trnmpling and tear
Ing its way through the costly shrubbery,
the mob went while the squad of mounted
police which had headed the parade, dazed
for moment by the unexpected move,
sharged rccklessly into their midst.
Coxey was confronted by the police as
be took off his hat TO speak on the steps,
and his demand for his constitutional
right, as he called it, being refused thrust
upon them printed protest. which proved
to be a well worded epitome of Populis tic
doctrines. Two police captains, lieuten,
ant and sergeant thrust the mild man.
nered Coxey Lack across several hundred
feet of humanity to his carriage. The
Commonweal leader was not placed under
arrest, 80 officers being contented with
having prevented the delivery of his
speech.
Coxey offered not the slightest physical
resistance to the officers, and apparently
was not perturbed in the slightest degree.
There were a number of colored men in
the crowd in state of hysterical excite
ment. Had there been any active inclina
tion in the crowd to release the Common
veal leader it would have been easy to de
30 and to carry him back into the Capito
grounds, Such move would have pre-
sipitated dangerous conflict.
Meanwhile Carl Browne was being lit
sra1ly dragged by the collar of his con
through the crowd toward the neares
station, after he had made fight to re
tain his banner Christopher Columbus
Jones, the leader of the Philadelphia con
hngont Of the army, and the comedian o
the movement, also made vigorous re
sistance, and he too was arrested and car
ried to the station house Mounted polio,
were forcing their horses among the peo
pie, sew eral of them cracking their club
over the heads of the nearest persons
Women were shrieking in terror, mer
were yelling fiercely, aud some We're being
knocked down and trampled upon
For five minutes there was riot in tina
section of the mob in front Of the eas
steps, which occupied about an acre of tn
asphalt. Then, the two agitating spirit
having been removed and half dozel
particularly belligerent men having beel
taken in by the police the disturbanc
was quelled without serious injuries to
ingle person.
Another riot IVES started almost iInme
diately near CoXey's carriage in the street
whittier the crowds pressed as soon as TIL
leader had rejoined his lines, and club
were freely used upon the excited negroe
Of the class which abounds in this city
ready to seize upon any pretext for NAL;
Ing disturbances. Cable cars changing
through the mob increased the danger
but none but minor injuries We're inflicted
Az Coxey got into his buggy the eN
cited crowd closed around the white stal
lion on which his daughter rode AM
thrust up their hands for her to shake
Ehe smilingly accepted the civility. wit
no apparent fear of harm from the mo
that surged about her without hindrance
Sometime after the army WINS started oi
for its new camp, through double lines o
police, followed by a mob of thousands
negroes and white men, cheering liz.
demons for Coxey and Browne. With
an hour the Capitol grounds had almos
fegained their normal quiet, with only
few people strolling around and nothin
but trampled shrubbery and grass groun
under thousands of feet left as evidence
of the riot.
Over in the station house, in the south
eastern section of the city, Carl Brown
was looking through the grating of hi
cell, his pockets having been searched an
his description noted down, as is don
with ordinary offenders. The result of til
search was T.S5 in money, a small di
mantled revolver ard consignment {
Commonweas literature. Assistant Di
trict Attorney Mullowney decided thf
ehe revolver was not a "dangeroU
weapon and Browne cannot be tried O
Mat charge.
81 am done talking, the American Pc
pie must speak now," he declared grandi
equently to his hearers. This is not tt
arst time hayo been IN jail. have bee
making these fights for the people all m
iifo.n
Little attention was paid to Christoph,
Columbus Jones, the little leader of Ii
Philadelphia division who had been uno
sontatieuslr md nuietlr folded into Il
er'l
srszaasznseszsst~zzszss
The Place c. c,