The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-02-21
STORMED THE
CAPITOL.
Legislators Terrified Into Some
Sort of Action.
POLICE CLUBS DRIVE THE MOB.
There Was a Spirit of Anarchy, but
the Demonstration Ended With
out Violence.

BOSTON. Feb. 20.-Five thousand of the
unemployed made a demonstration on the
Common this afternoon, which threatened
riot The crowd was in ugly mood, and
rushed into the State House and adjoining
ground and demanded Immediate aid. The
Governor addressed them from the State
House. He was received with applause,
. though he made no promises.
An attempt was made by leader to get
a petition before the Legislature then in
session, and large force of police was
called out TO guard against trouble. The
leaders tried to get into the legislative hall
to present their grievances, while the
crowd remained outside. NJ. l. Swift, an
anarchist, and spokesman of the mob, ap-
peared at the balcony and announced that
the Legislature had refused TO accent the
petition. The crowd broke into yells of
derision and contempt, and Swift launched
into TRADE of abuse of the Legislature.
HIS threat TO clean out the State House
was received with appreciation. a large
number OF police soon gathered on the
scene and Swift was forced to stop his talk.
The agitat0rs then had to be satisfied
with talk with some individual members.
and that quieted them considerably. Mean
while the House or Representatives had
remained IN session, and. upon the advice
OF some of lis members. considered pe-
titiOn from the mob. 1t was decided to
appoint committee of seven to meet rep-
resentatives of the unemployed to consider
ways and means for relief. and Speaker
Meyer sent a message to the crowd ap-
prising them of this decision, which ap-
peased them greatly.
At this juncture a special detachment
OF police arrived at the side entrance of
the State House. They entered and be-
gan forcing the mob that had gathered in
the rotunda slowly toward the big front
doors. Clubs then were drawn, and the
disgTuntled crowd gave way slowly. Still
the more violent resisted, and there was
an uproar. Many desperate rioters urged
an attack upon the Legislature, but those
more sensible prevailed, and the crowd
Slow WY retreated. The police forced them
steadily back, but just outside the gate the
disappointed workmen refused to move
further Finally the captains of the
various police divisions held a hurried
consultation and decided to drive the mob
still further back. The crowd slowly
retreated across Beacon street and finally
halted in the Common. No attempt was
made to take another stand. and the me
slowly disbanded.
The incidents preceding the outbreak in
the 70 tunda were rather ominous. a crowd
assembled on the Common early in the
afternoon to the number of 5000. which
soon swelled 10 5000. A couple of hours
were occupied by half dozen speakers,
all local labor leaders, and the crowd ad-
j0urned to the State House.
A committee was appointed to see Gov
eFnor Greenhalge and present to him
petition asking him 20 formulate and put
into operation some plan to alleviate their
suffering, They also asked for State farms
and factories where the unemployed might
work, and for the appointment of a per-
manent commission to attend to the wants
of the perma neDt class of the unemployed.
His. Excellency read the petition and
then. went out and addressed the assem-
bled crowd. He expressed sympathy for
them and told them just what he could and
cOnld not do:~ Rfs talk gave them no salts
faction and some Kissed. but the majority
applauded his remarks:
The petition to the Legislature, after
reciting. their troubles, asked that the
State commence work upon the proposed
Cape Cod canal, establish the commits
sion mentioned and provide fer State
farms and factories.
When infor med of the Legislatures
action. Leader Swift of the unemployed
withdrew from the State House land an
nounced the result to the unemployed.
No comments were made and the crowd
quietly dispersed.
Rumors that there was a riot and
ujtehpd hattie hptWaen the nnlIra and rho
unemployed at the State House filled the
air and thousands Of people hurried to the
scene. The demonstration was a CON-
plete surprise. II was not expected that
the unemployed would gather in such
mum bers, and from the few VINO were ex-
pected to call upon the Governor this after
noon no such socialistic spirit was ex-
pected. The force of police at the scene
was small, or the disturbance would have
ended much sooner than it did.