Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-08-06
BRUTAL DEPUTY MARSHALS.
How Applicants for Naturalization Are Treat
ed at New York.

| various sources Of the rough and dis
courteous treatment to which appli-
cants for naturalization papers have
| been subjected by the deputy marshals
| employed to keep the crowds in order
in the corridor of the Federal building.
| Yes terday. with a view to ascertain
| the truth or falsity of these reports, a
| Tribune reporter visited the Natural
/ ization Bureau, and the scenes that
were witnessed by him suiliced' to dem
! onstrate that the complaints of bru-
| tality and bullying on the part Of some
! Of the deputy marshals We're well
| founded.
! These attendants. who. from their
| appearance. seemed to have been spec
| tally selected for the work because of
their animal strength. did not hesitate.
| yesterday. to use their fists upon the
slightest provocation, while the Ian
guage which poured from their lips
| in "A continuous stream would have dis
graced the lowest tough" to be found
in the worst haunts Of the city. The
wealth Of invective that some of these
men had at their command was 50
stunning and irresistible in its effects
that the average man having once
run tilt against it, was thereafter
eftectualIy cowed ana never risked a
second instalment.
Yesterday, was the last day for the
hearing of applications for citizenship,
and during the day the corridor on the
third floor was filed with some 200 or
500 pcrsons. coming from nearly all
the nations Of the earth. To keep such
a molly crowd in line was undoubtedly
for the marshals a task Of nOeasy char
acter, but nevertheless the throng was
orderly ana obedient. and for the mos;
part its members had in them the max
ing 81 creditable citizens. In no single
instance where onslaughts We're made
on the people by the men from the
United States marshal's office was TIN
assault provoked or justifable
one aggravated case Of brutal treat
ment which the reporter witnessed
was fairly representative Of many 9TH
ers that occurred. y man named NJ
Goldsmith. living at No. l0l Clinton
street, was standing with his witness.
Frank Gersten, a notary. Of IA Clinton
street. in about the middle Of the line
that led to the entrance of the clerk s
office. Suddenly, for no reason that
was perceptible. u ltIrly deputy mar
shall halted in front of the pair. and
ordered them tn the end of the line
Gersten quietly objected. an4 pointed
out that he and his friend had been in
the building since S O'Clock in the
morning. and that they had fairly
earned the place they held without
more ado. the marshal. whose name it
was afterward learned with difficulty
NJ i
ten out of the line. and. on the latter's
resenting, Wilkinson forcibly dragged
his victim, who was less than half MS
own weight, to the head of the stairs
The elevator happening to reach the
floor at that moment Gersten, with a
final push, was thrown headlong in
side This performance on Wilkinson's
part was watched approvingly by some
of his colleagues, who alternately
urged him to Throw him down the
elevator shaft" and Kick -- out Of
him.
Gersten afterward returned to the
building by the entrance on the south
side. and again took up his position
with his friend, hut this time at the
end of the line. Quickly. however he
was observed and recognized by an
other marshal. who had taken part in
the previous affair. Stridng up to
GeTsten applied disgusting epithet to
him, Whereupon Gersten retorte,i II
am nothing of the sort, and you are Il
liar If you say so" Without further
parley the marshal raised his fist and
struck the man three heavy blows in
the face. Gersten made a rush for the
commissioners office to lodge a com
plant but was seized before he got
there by Wilkinson. who. after run
ming GerSten down the stairs, literally
threw him into the street.
This. the reporter learned. was only
one of the many similar incidents that
have occurred daily in the last week
or two. For downright studied inciv-
ility, these deputy marshals, under
linss dressed in n little brief authority.
cannot easily be paralleled The alien
VINO mad the temerity t. ask a question
OF one of them was invariably con
signed to regions said to be somewhat
hotter than the tropics At all times
the people whose only desire-or offence
was to become citizens Of this coun-
try. We're addressed. cursed and
pushed about as though they were a
drove OF hogs rather than human be-
ings. 1t is questionable whether any
OF these seekers for naturalization
ever experienced more arbitrary treat
ment from subordinate officials even
under the most despotic government
under which they had previously lived.
Whenever the doors leading to the
clerk office We're opened to admit of
patches of about 20 at a time. those
people in the rear instnctively pushed
forward. with the result that it was
sometimes found difficult to close the
door again. Then the brutal instincts
or the deputies would break loose with
unbrldled ferocity. Not content with
using legitimate force to keep the
crowd back, these men would push
tfelr knees into the stomachs of those
IN the front rank. and. needless of the
yells of pain, would shove away until
the line was as far back as they wished
it. In one of these rushes, one Young
fellow was thrown off his feet and was
tfampled on, but as he fell on the
fringe of the crowd he was soon pulled
to his feet
GA and young were treated alike. and
ciderdy men with white or gray hair
whose age, at least, should have called for