The sun., 1896-08-13
OUTRAGEOUS POLICE WORK
0ROSs MISHANDLING OF THE
cRoWDS OUTSIDE THE GARDEN
No Such Exhibition OF Police Hneficieney
Made Since Williams won the Name OF
Clubber-Tlcket Holders and Corre-
spoudents Are Driven Hack with CIuhs.

Slubber-Itcket hotuere anu Cofre-
spoudents Are Driven Hack with Ciuba.
Not since the night. many years ago. when
Alexander Williams descended on tho Social
lists in Union square, have tho police OF this
city been called upon to handle such n crowd as
tho one which gathered around Madison Square
Garden last night. Williams used clubs and
subdued the rioters lined up against him, but
there was no Williams last night to handle the
crowds, and what was more to the point there
was no one to handle the policemen. The
police arrangement was tho most remark
able exhibition of mismanagement seen
in this city In many wears. There
were four Inspectors. dozen Captains, and
Sergeants galore In charge Of the Gordon Of po-
lice which was drawn around the Garden two
blocks away from it on every side. Every OFF,
Ger gave different orders and the result was
frightful confusion. There was no head to di-
rect the force. and each policeman simply car
ried out orders as he got them. Chief OF
Police Peter Conlin had an opportunity to dis
tinguish himself and show that the reform po-
lice are as competent to handle mob as the
old department was. Last night proved that
they were not, and there was only one thing
that saved tue policemen from being swept
away by the crowd. That was the mounted
squad. They charged repeatedly into the
crowd aud saved the Police Department the
disgrace OF an absolute rout.
Owing to the conflict In orders hundreds OF
people with tickets to the Garden were unable
to get within two blocks of it on any side. They
were simply told that they couldn't get through,
and II they protested they were ordered to move
on. Any attempt to argue the matter further
meant q clubbing or arrest Hundreds got the
former, q few the latter and some both. Passes
through the police lines. signed by Peter
Conlin, and issued with the idea OF
giving newspaper men the privilege of
running In and out of the lines as
frequently as they pleased, were absolutely ig-
nored. They were no better than blank bits
Of paper. II holders asked why they were
stopped they were told because INSPECTOR So
and So or Capt. So and So had given orders to
pass nothing but blue tickets or red tickets or
yellow tickets at that point, as the case might
be. II you happened TO have blue red, or
yellow ticket, though. it was equally worthless.
The police simply wouldn't recognize anything
after 7:l5 O'Clock. and no arguments would
induce them 10 change their minds. How rs
many people got into the Garden as did is o
mystery. Dozens managed to get through dur
ing the mad rushes that were made a. about
7:30 o'clock on every side. The police kept
most OF the people back, but they couldn't keep
them all, and that is how some got the privi-
leges to which possession of tickets gave them
q right. The great mass OF people In the Gar
den, however, must have come before o'clock
when the police were still free from the rattles
and were letting ticket holders through.
The .rranpemepts mad, early in the dav by
Ch;ef Conl,n for handling the crowd were most
.l,h,rare Had they been carried out none of
,he confusion and excitement which came later
would have occurred. and none of the club bbng
and punching. which were o feature of the
evening would have been necessary. Chief
Coniin's plan placed a Gordon OF patrolmep
fopr hundred of them altoue,her picked
men. around the Garden. No one was to be
allov,d east Of BROADWAY from Twenty-elyhth
street down to Twenty. fifth street. no one south
of Twenty.eighth street from Broadway to
Foprth avenue. no one west of Fourth avenue
from Tventy-eiehth street down TO Twenty
foprth street and no ono north of Fwentv
fourth street from Fourth avenue to Madison
av.nue. The policemen at each point were TO
keen hack ali people who didn't have ticke,s 10
the Garden Each ticket wa, marke ed with the en-
trance which IL gave admittance and the polIce
vere sunnosed 10 K now no nearest annroachas N
these entrances and 10 pass tho holders q, t,ct.
sts .ccordInelv wbether or no, the nolice ar
rangeurnts were changed at tho last moment
or no, onIv the nolice know. Certainly snch n
uanar,I hrngl,ng una nover seen In ,hIs oit,.
ho,oro and 4, ,yas this keening ont ~ NAOMI.
r;oh,fr,,v ent,t,ed to admittanca that wa. 70
ro,oihi. ,or ,ha r;ot ,rbich s,art.d NJ tho oor
ror y, Madison avsnrc and Twentv-siYtb st,a.,
AZ. ,hroo,erod ,o sve,n ovar the an,ira y,cin,,v
"a domo,ish Tho nolIce At ona time
II v.,on ou,brear of angry men Thev ws-.
M, rre,.ns or ,oafers In TACT ,bero w.r. v.rv
to,v noorlv dressed men in the crowd Th.,
,rar. rosnsc,ahl. mon bpt angry clonr thror,h
rho,sana. -, than atbersd M this ,or,ar h
oar.s bera Madison Souars park ends and :, "a
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