The Red Cloud chief., 1894-05-04

Leaders Of the Army Surprised tho Police
by u Flank Movement.
WASHINGTON, May 2.-The march Of
Coxey's commonweal army, which
started from Massillion, o., on Easter
Sunday, ended Tuesday by the Interrupt.
ton of the police. Fortunately there
were no casualties and Tuesday evening
General Coxey addressed his burlesque
army in camp, while Marshal Carl
Browne slept in a prison cell and Chris.
topher Columbus Jones, leader Of the
Philadelphia IN and the comedian
Of the movement endeavored to appro-
pirate a share Of the martyrdom In an
adjoining cell. The performance en-.
acted within the shadow of the capitol
Tuesday is without a counterpart In the
memory Of Washingtoniais.
More than 2OO city police reinforced
the Capitol officers. Detectives from sew
eral cities were sprinkled through the
crowd, for the concentration Of lawless
local characters gave just grounds for
app~rehensions of trouble apart from the
presence Of the Coxeyites. 1t was short.
ly after I o'clock when the army halted
in the public street south Of the Capitol
grounds. Its Smile march down from
Brightwood through the principal streets
Of the city had been witnessed by thou
sands. There were 500 men in line, Mrs.
Anna L. Diggs, tho Populist agitator Of
Kansas, in a barouche; Coxey's l7-year-
old daughter, in white, or a cream col
ored steed, representing the Goddess Of
Peace; Carl Browne on q great gray
Percheron stallion; Jacob s. Coxey, his
wife, the infant Legal Tender Coxey, to.
gether in another carriage; Virginia La
Vallete, said to be an actress, on horse
back, draped in an American flag az the
Philadelphia commune's Goddess Of
Peace; the unemployed carrying white
flags of peace on slaves and the monde
script banners, setting forth the doc
trines Of reincarnation, good roads and
enmity to plutocrats, sprinkled through
the caravan.
Crowd Followed browne
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 nm.
der orders, standing in their tracks.
After Coxey and Browne passed, q yell
ing crowd Of several hundred men, most
Of them following Browne, conspicuous
because Of his unique costume. Tramp.
ing and tearing ::its way through the
costly shrubbery the mob went, while
the squad of mounted police, which had
headed the parade, dazed for q moment
by the unexpected move, charged reck-
lessly into their midst.
Coxey was fronted by the police as no
took off his hat to speak on the steps, and
his demand for his constitutional rights,
as he called it, being refused, thrust
upon them a printed protest, which
proved to be a we'll worded epitome Of
Populistic doctrines. Meanwhile Carl
Browne was being literally dragged by
the collar Of his coat through the crowd
towards the nearest station after he had
made a fight to retain his banner.
Riot For Five Minutes.
Two police captains, q lieutenant and
sergeant thrust mildmannered Coxey,
without violence, back across several
hundred feet Of humanity. Mounted
police were forcing their horses amonS
the people, many Of them cracking their
clubs " the heads Of the nearest per.
sons, women were shrieking In terror,
men were yelling fiercely, some were
being knocked down and trampled upon.
For five minutes there was riot In the
section of the mob in front Of the east
steps, which occupied about an acre Of
the asphalt. Then the two agitatinQ
spirits having been removed and half q
dozen particularly belligerent men hav-
ing been taken in by the police the dis.
turbance was quelled without serious in
juries to q single person. Somehow the
army was started off toward its new
camp, between double lines of police.
followed by a mob of thousands, cheer.
ing like demons for Coxey and Browne,
Within an hour the Capitol grounds had
almost regained their normal quiet with
only a few hundred people strolling
around.
SoAoy AhS ~ 70 MAKO
o" 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, however, at the Capitol is
over and l shall not again attempt it. It
would DO no use. The American eagle
did a good deal Of ~squealing, but that
was to DO expected. The authorities
pinched him rather hard. He'll have his
say. however, sooner or later"
The most serious chapter of the affair
for Washington, is the problem of what
is to be done with the army, remains un-
solved. COxey has no intention of lead
ing his recruits away. He still declares
that the movement has just begun, that
they will stay here until congress pro.
vides for them by passing his bills.
MOB lYNCHED WILSON,.