The Washington times., 1901-09-18
A PANIC AT The CAPITOL.
Men, Women. and Children Tram
pied by the Mob.
Several Persons Seriously Injured,
While Scores Receive Minor In
juries-Hounted Police Ineffective
Against the OD-RushinE Crowd.

| stampede that was serious in its re-
| suits occurred yesterday afternoon on the
east front of the Capitol. Women and
children were trampied into insensibility
under the feet of the uncomfortable mob
and many were saved from death only
| through the superhuman efforts of the
| police. On every hand women. chill
dren and even men tainted. 1t was with
the greatest difficulty that they were
carried to places of safety. Over fifty
people We're more or less injured and that
there were no fatalities seems miraculous.
In the midst of the panic women and
children were crying and calling for help
which could not reach them and men
| struggled and struck their neighbors in
their efforts 10 escape from the impetus
OF the mob which swept them from their
feet. The trouble resulted from a lack of
judgment on the part of some Capitol en-
ploye, who. when the Rotunda had been
cleared of the invited guests and the doors
thrown open to the public, walked out
and shouted down the steps to Captain
Pearson, of the police force, that they
We're all ready and the crowd could come
up.
They did go up. sweeping aside the bar
rier of police and soldiers like chaff and
jamming against the doors leading into
the Rotunda. These were closed by the
police. temporarily stopping the onward
rush, but it was only for minute. The
force of the crowd soon smashed the glass
in the doors. One woman at the start
received a savage kick which made her
helpless and semi-conscious. Ultimately
she was rescued and removed to the hos
pital. Her condition is reported to be
d
was turned into a temporary hospital,
where those whose injuries were the least
serious were cared for. over thirty per-
sons were cared for there and in the ad-
Joining rooms. among them being Police
man w. w. Wheeler, of S04 g Street who
sustained a fracture of three of his ribs
and was carried away unconscious. w.
A. Tayier, forty-two years old. and
Freeda Ulmar. twenty-five. were suffer-
ing from shock. Elijah C. Deane seventy
three years old. of Binghamton, n. Y,
was trampled upon and badly bruised.
Mrs. ID. a. Livingston. thirty-six years
old, was suffering from exhaustion. Mat
tie Brassford, sixteen years old. shock.
w. NJ. BrogEard fifty-two years old con-
tusions; Miss Harvey, twenty, shock;
Richard cambridge, colored, twenty-eight
years old, broken leg and shock, and a
District militiaman named Wiliige, who
lives at Twen.y-ffth Street and Penn
sylvania Avenue. was taken with a hem
orrhage as a result of the ST ain to which
he was subjected.
Those who required hospital treatment
were sent to the nearby hospitals, as fol-
lows: To the Casualty Hospital, Marie
Wood. of 1917 I Street northwest, three
ribs broken and suffering from the severe
ChsnL Steaf fs-e 70 fnII tta
ground and have been kicked by negro.
Her condition is critical. Stella Deal, fif-
teen years old, of 1215 1 Street northeast.
tainted Ada Queen. colored. fourteen
years old. of IS Oregon Avenue northwest,
tainted; Mrs. Mary Bowles, twenty years
old, who lives on the Woodley Lane, faint
cd; Lille Johnson. colored, thirteen years
old, of go Brooks Court, tainted; Ada
Blackburn, twenty-seven years old. of
1926 r Street northwest tainted; Mrs.
Boetier. rs II Street northeast, trampled
upon and perhaps injured internally; w.
NJ Brad. fifty-two years old, 7o3 Fifth
Street northwest. suffering from exhaus-
ton; Minnie Shaw. twenty years old,
Brookland, exhaustion.
The matron at the Casualty Hospital
was overcome with the strain of the work.
and on the firing of the first gun of the
salute as the body of the President was
being removed from the Capitol, she also
tainted. at Providence Hospital the pa
tients are George Thomas, of 1892 T
Street northwest. had three ribs broken
and was otherwise injured; Eva CoveI,
liz q Street southeast; May A. Adams,
13ao Princeton Street; Emma Greenwich, |
1iS Thomas Street; Florence Gillen, IA u
Street northeast: Katie Knighton. 922 |
Second CT Tha
Hospital cared for Mrs. Preston, of Lau- |
rel. Md, who tainted.
Many others were taken to their homes |
in the patrol wagons the ambulances !
and in carriages. Up to the time of the |
arrival of the funeral cortege all had been |
orderly and quiet, but from the moment
the hearse drew away from the east |
steps leading to the Rotunda and the de-
tachments Of cavalry and artillery were |
withdrawn trouble began. From the fact |
that the trouble occurred upon a United |
state Government reservation and the po-
lice were only there under sufferance they
were powerless to make arrests even
when necessary without authority from
the Sergeant-at-Arms of the Senate and |
the Speaker of the House of Representa-
tives.
1t was only with the assistance of
company of marines, under Capt. ]. II.
Russell; company of bluejackets from
the battleship Illinois, under Lieut. L. r.
de StiesgUer. and a company of the Fourth
Artillery from Fort McHenry, under
Captain Ellis. that the crowd was pre-
vented from sweeping everything before it.
The first rush of the people occurred |
little before 1 o'clock, when 1t became |
evident that the services in the Rotunda
were over. The crowd which probably
numbered 25.eO0 people, had previously
moved up from the police lines as they
had been originally drawn. Gradually at
first. but finally with mighty rush that
swept everything before 1t, the people
pushed on from the rear, broke through
the police lines and started for the steps
with a run. At the first attempt the po-
lice rallied at the command OF Captain
Pearson. and by main force held back
the throng. 1t was impossible to drive
them back, however, owing to the pres
sure from the rear. and it was all that
the officers could do to hold their ground.
Mounted men were sent into the crowd to
drive back those in the rear who were
pushing forward, but even they met with
little success.
Finally there was n rush from all sides
hat completely swept the policemen off
heir feet, and carried them up the steps
or some distance. The officer in com
nand of the marines who were thanking
he approach to the upper portico quick
y saw the situation and ordered his men
nto position across the steps of the Cap |
tol.
Tlaa eDfls lore nt~I dat anf- nf ha erfiI-