The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1894-05-04

TWO LEADERS OF THE COMMON
VEAL IN PRISON..

The Army OF Peace Almost Caused Riot
In Front OF the Capitol Building--A
Number OF People Received Cracks ON
the Head with Clubs In the Hands of
the Police.
WASHINGTON. May 2. The march of
Coxey's commonweal army, which
started from Massillon (O.) on Easter
Sunday, ended here in interruption by
the police. Fortunately there were no
casualties and General Coxey is with
his burlesque army in camp while Mar
shall Carl Browne is stopping in police
station cell, and Christopher Columbus
Jones, leader of the Philadelphia COM
mune and the comedian of the move
ment, endeavors to appropriate a share
of the martyrdom in an adjoining cell.
The performance enacted within the
shadow of the Capitol is without a
counterpart in the memory of Wash
ingtonians. Over the broad smooth
plaza OF several acres facing the east
front of the Capitol was packed crowd
of men and women numbering 10000.
The Capitol steps and the porticos un-
der the Grecian pillars were packed
with people of both sexes, well dressed,
and most of the members of congress in
the throng.
1t was shortly after IL o'clock when
the army halted in the public streets
outside the Capitol grounds. It's five
mile march down from Brightwood
through the principal streets of the
city had been witnessed by thousands.
In, A MI
l.. Diggs. the Populist agitator Of Kan
sas, in barouche; Coxey's 17-year-old
daughter in white on cream colored
steed, representing the Goddess of
Peace; Carl Brown on great gray
Percheron stallion; General Jacob
Slecher Coxey, his wife, the infant,
Legal Tender Coxey, together in an
other carriage: Virginia Lavalette, said
to be an actress, on horseback, draped
in an American flag, as the Philadel-
phia communes goddess of peace, the
unemployed carrying white flags of
peace on slaves, and the nondescript
banners setting forth the doctrines of
reincarnation, good .goads and enmity
to plutocrats sprinRled through the
caravan.
Marshal Browne halted the procession
there in the street, walked back to
Coxey's carriage, the general kissed his
wife, then the two moving spirits of the
affair forced their way over the plaza
to the Capitol steps. their men, acting
under orders, standing in their tracks.
After Coxey and Browne passed a yell
ing crowd of several hundred men most
of them following Browne, conspicuous
because of his unique costume. Tramp
ling and tearing its way through the
costly shrubbery the mob went, while
the squad of mounted police which had
headed the parade, dazed for a moment
by the unexpected move, charged reck-
lessly into their midst Coxey was con-
fronted by the police as he took off his
hat to speak on the steps. and his
ground for constitutional rights being
refused, thrust upon them printed
protest, which proved to be a well
worded epitome of populistic doctrines.
Meanwhile Carl Browne was being
literally dragged by the collar of his
coat through the crowd toward the
nearest station. after he made a fight to
retain his banner Two police captains,
lieutenant and sergeant thrust the
mild-mannered Coxey, without violence,
back across several hundred feet of
humanity to his carriage. Mounted
police were forcing their horses among
the people, several of them cracking
their clubs over the heads of the nearest
persons, women were shrieking in ter
ror, men We're yelling fiercely, some
were being knocked down and trampled
upon. For five minutes there was riot
in that section of the mob in front of
the east steps Then the two agitating
spirits having been removed and half
dozen particularly belligerent men hav
ing been taken in by the police the dis
turbance was quelled without serious
injuries to single person.
Somehow the army was started off
toward its new camp between double
lines Of police, followed by a mob of
thousands, cheering like demons for
Coxey and Browne. Within an hour
the Capitol grounds had almost re-
gained their normal quiet, with only a
few hundred people strolling around.
General Coxey accepted the situation
| philosophically. His army was put to
work clearing up the new camping
ground for occupancy, while Coxey
drove over to the Office of the district
commissioners with an eye to business.
He made application of them for the
necessary license to charge admission
to his camp.
The commissioners desired time to
consider the proposition, so acting on
their suggestion Mr.. Coxey went to the
clerk and by paying So secured q license
for one day only.
II have no complaint" Coxey said,
ito make as far as the police are con-
cerned. They treated me with great
consideration. but they had to carry
out the law, even if it was an unjust
one. My speech-making, however, at
| the Capitol is over and shall not again
attempt it. 1t would be no use The
American eagle did good deal of
sqealing today, but that was TO be ex-
| pected .The authorities pinched him
rather hard. He'll have his say, how
ever, sooner or later"
Late in the afternoon Brownies bal
was fixed at $500. Mrs. Emily Briggs,
wealthy resident of this city, and Mrs.
Anna Hahn, a prominent labor SYM
pathizer, undertook the bond and the
| chief marshal was set free. Mrs. Briggs
conveyed him in her carriage to her
home when he took dinner and then he
returned to the army in its new camp
near the river. Christopher Columbus
Jones was left to languish in the sta
ton house. None of the Coxey people
! seem to be particularly interested in