Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-03-07
SUNDAY WAR SCARE.
A Sensational Bulletin Stirs UP
the People.
WAR SAID TO BE DECLARED.
"A Boston Paper Floods the City
With Afternoon Extras.
Excited Crowds Gather About Harrington
Corner Until ouieted by Few Cold
Facts on the spy's Bulletin.

II the patriotism of the people of Wor-
'cester may be gauged by the crowd that
thronged the main thoroughfare of the
city Sunday afternoon and evening,
ours is certainly a patriotic city.
A dispatch received about 4 o'clock p.
m. from Boston, announcing that war
had been declared by Spain upon the
United States was posted in the window
of Easton's news room. Excitement was
at fever heat and the expression that
went uD from the crowd that thronged
the sidewalks about the bulletin boards
was unanimous Spain will be sorry
she has insulted the United States. . The
news spread like wildtire, and from all
points of the city people hurried to the
sources of Information. The newspaper
and telegraph offices were besieged by
a throng of anxious men, all eager to re-
ceive official news of the war scare.
Nor was the crowd confined to the
sterner sex alone, wives sisters and
sweethearts made up their full quota in
the throng, and from the expressions let
fall by. some Of the representatives of the
fair sex, their patriotic spirit was reused
to full as high a pitch as that of the
men. Being jammed in the surglng
crowds about the bulletin had no ter
rors for Worcester women, and as they
pressed forward on the arms of their es-
corts, such expressions as Those nasty
Spaniards, the idea of their presuming
10 do such a thing" and Now we'll
teach them a lesson were heard on all
sides.
In addition to the declaration of war,
which formed the principal bulletin IN
the news room window, smaller posters
Iof i11fp
vailed at Key West, and that all Amerl-
cans were preparing to leave Havana.
A later rl1mor was to the effect that
Consul General Lee had been assassin
ated. ,e.,
At $40 p. m, the Spy received the fol
lowing dispatch from Washington,
which was placed on its bulletin board
ana nerused by thousands as they pas
sed: ,,,o,,,
foundation for news indicating war be-
fveen Spain and the United States.
Everything quiet at Washington; no
cause for Immediate alarm
The more warlike spirits heaVed sign
of regret. that there should be no foun-
da+;on for the report that war was in
evitable while others indulged in the
usual 81 told you so; knew It was
fake from. the start -,
Other bulletins on the street enron
icled the fact that war was propaple,
although not declared as yet; SPAN haa
demanded the recall of Gen. Lee, any alu
protested against sending warshlps Will
supplies to Cuba. Mckinney REFUSES anu
will send ships oa
The scare. while it lasted was gooo
thing for the newsboys, ana the youls
sters were not slow to improve the op-
portunity to make an extra Gay pay
a Boston paper sent the advance pulle-
tin to Worcester, which appeaIeu d
Easton's at 7.30. Five hundred copies
of an extra edition were received at
Eastorl's news rooms, and in less tnah
* minutes ii was impossible to procure
a c.opy of the paper at the newsstand,
Men struggled for their possession, anu
no one waited for change, so eager were
the buyers to read What the EDITION nau
10 say about the impendlhg crisis. ope
cial officers were detailed to Keep the
crowd from blocking the walks.
The boys who were fortunate enough
IN nrocure an armful of papers dld a
land-office business, crying thelr papers
at 25 cents per copy, and finding ready
BUYERS even at this price.
At the st. Paurs Lyceum rooms the
wal. news had the effect OF calling OUT
an Indignation meeting of the members,
Snain was denounced in the most vio-
lent terms and the American nag
thrown to the breeze
The local militiamen took lively in
+erest in the report and some OF them
strained their ears at the sound of the
evening church bells, half expecting the
militia call of Is blows repeated on the
fire alarm. But as the excitement of
the hour passed away the soldier boys
turned homeward, many of them to
have,their slumbers haunted by dreams
of the battlefield, the roll of the drum,
the rattle of musketry and the boom of
cannon echoing in their ears, and,
awakening with a start, to find them
selves still in the heart of the common
ytealth far removed from scenes of
war and carnage.
II was remarkable how quickly the
reason Of Spains declaring wa4 was fig
ured ont about town. One gentleman
gave his version that tae Spaniards
realized they would probably never be
I'm hetter condition than a the present
time for this move They have new
warships and their navy is as strong as
their circumstances will admit, while the
ITnited states is not so fully. prepared
far war on the water, Our feet which
is stationed at Key West would, how
ever. it was argued, make short work
of the Vizcaya and other Spanish boats
at Havana.
The opinion prevailed that the United
states would make short work of the
Dons. If they had taken the initiatory
step in the matter.
The incident serves to illustrate the
fact that the American people may be
counted upon to fight with vigor if just
cause is given