The Red Cloud chief., 1894-05-04

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 commune and the comedian
of the movement endeavored to appro-
| pirate a share Of the m~artyrdom In an
adjoining cell. The performance en-.
acted within the shadow Of the capitol
Tuesday is without q counterpart in the
memory Of Washingtonians.
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
apprehensions of trouble apart from the
presence Of the Coxeyites. 1t was short.
" 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, the Populist agitator Of
Kansas. in a barouche; Coxey's l7-year-
old daughter, in white, OH a cream col
ored steed, representing the Goddess Of
Peace; Carl Browne on a 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 as 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 tie ss-s.;. walked back to
CoIe!s ca--.s<~. tie general kissed his
wife. then The IT. Dcrsrx spirits OF the
affair forced tasl, -ET crer ihs plaza to
the Capitol sssps, ihsi. =ssr. Scsins IN
der orders, staining u tAssIr tracks.
After Coxey and Bru~-s ysuss+ti- . yell.
ing crowd Of several hura-si r.@n- 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 o moment
by the unexpected move, charged reck-
lessly into their midst.
Coxey was fronted by the police q he
took of his hat to speak on the steps, and
his demand for his constitutional rights,
as he called it, being refused, thrust
upon them q 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
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 yer the heads Of the nearest per.
sons, ONE were shrieking In terror,
men were yelling iercely, 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
Il ekaVa Sxyh{rh nprsSVrtaH ohnrk n
the asphalt. Then the two agitating
spirits having been removed and half o
dozen particularly belligerent men hav-
ing been taken in by the police the dis
turbance was quelled without serious in
juries to a single person. Somehow the
army was started of 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 regaihed their normal quiet with
only a few hundred people strolIing
around.
COxoy Has No Complaint to Make.
81 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 I shall not again attempt it. 1t
would be no use. The American eagle
did a good deal of s~quealing, but that
was to be expected. The authorities
pinched him rather hard. He'lIhave 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 nc 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.