Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-03-07
Officers Of Pennsylvania Troops De-
clare Their Men Were Angels.
SAY LOCAL POLICE ABUSED THEM
Prominent Philadelphia and Other
Correspondents Dispatches.
INTERESTING DIFFERENCES

Pennsylvania National GuardSmen, rank
and file are engaged in making denials as
| indignant as they are vehement of the al
legations that members of their militia did
not conduct themselves soldiers and gen.
tlemen during their short visit here to par
ticipate in the inaugural parade. The state
ments regarding disorder and general riot
ing, including looting and other merry larks,
are set down by leading officers of the or
ganization having been inspired by the
enmity Of the Washington police force and
envy and jealousy on the part of Washing
tonians generally because of the superior
showing the Pennsylvania troops make in
| inaugural parades.
The following comments in this connection
and the less partial remarks of newspapers
published elsewhere than at Washington
will be found interesting now that the sub
ject has assumed such proportions.
Gen. Charles Miller, commander-in-chief
OF the Pennsylvania National Guard, COM
menting at Pittsburg yesterday the
charges made against the keystone state
soldiers of misbehavior while in this city,
strongly denied that they were guilty of
rowdyism, and in the course of his remarks
said, among other things:
Charges Against Washington Police
men.
Our troops made the best showing in the
parade, and they would have scarcely done
that if they had been up all night creating
disturbances, as alleged. For many years
the Washington police have blamed Penn
sylvania soldiers with all disorder which
occurs at inaugurations. They have often
been made the scaDegoats for regiments
from other states simply because Pennsyl
vania troops have outnumbered troops from
any other state at several inaugurations
Our soldiers are as we'll behaved as those
from any other states, and not more disor-
Derby
Lieutenant Governor Goblin. who Is COM
mander of the Sd Brigade, Pennsylvania
National Guard, branded the accounts of
the alleged rowdyism of the state troops as
falsehoodS when he returned to Harrisburg
yesterday.
THE fact is said General Goblin, these
stories are started by the Washington po-
Icemen, who have a grudge against the
pennsylvania boys, and who start the row
and then blame it the soldiers after
abusing them. The trouble originated some
years ago, and 1t has never been healed
over, and every time the guard goes to
Washington it is renewed and the soldiers
are abused Naturally, they resent it, and
they would not be human if they did not
I was told that after the police officers as
sailed the guard on Sunday night that thare
We're dozen or so of the local buecoats in
the hospital. l can't vouch for that out if
the police officers of Washington stop mo-
testing the guardsmen when they are be-
having themselves there will be no trouble"
COL C1ements Statement.
Col. c. NJ. Clements, commander of the
18th Pennsylvania Regiment, in letter to
the Philadelphia Press published this morn
ing, declares that the only part his regiment
had in the disorder was that Capt w. A.
| Simpson, jr., hearing pistol shots, moved in
| their direction and, organizing a volunteers
| provost guard with men who reported to
| him in response to telephone calls he sent
| out from the police station, succeeded in
| restoring order and dispensing the mob
Captain Simpson Is positive in his state
! ment that there were no 18th men in the
| mob, nor any under arrest, nor We're the
arrested soldiers all Pennsylvanians."
In concluding his letter Col. Clement made
| the following statement: Permit me to saw
| that only high sense of duty and disci-
| pine could induce this regiment to turn
| out at great personal expense and incon-
| Venience with the reasonable certainty tina.
| 1t must share in the abuse always heaped
| on pennsylvania, whereas an inspection of
| the prisoners taken would disclose that
| they came from elsewhere"
Col Clements also stated in an interview
| mad with him by a Press correspondent at
| Lewisburg that the only disturbance in
| which the 18th Regiment was involved was
| the upsetting of a sandwich man at Balti-
more This. he declared, was accidental,
| and was caused by the eagerness of the
| men to get something to eat before the
| train went out The damage, $3.50, was
| cheerfully paid by him.
An interview with Capt. Simpson, also
| published in today's Press affirms the state
ment of his efforts to quell the disturbance
! Monday night, and that many soldiers in
| the crowd were from other states than
| Pennsylvania.
| Gent1emanly to q Notable Degree.
| According to the Philadelphia Times to-
| day there was warm feeling yesterday in
| the rank and file Of the list Brigade of the
| PENNSYLVANIA National Guard over the criti-
| cism of the division INDUCED in by Wash
ington" newspapers. The Times states that
| the alleged disturbances took place after
| Gen. John W. Schall, bridgade commander
| had marched his troops, which comprised
| the list I'd, Sd and 9th Regiments all of
| Philadelphia, to their trains and were
| speeding to the city of brotherly love- Gen.
| Schall stated to q Times reporter that he
had not been officially informed of any dis
| orderly conduct on the part of his men, and
| that during their stay in Washington moth
| ing but good could be said of them.
| Col. Wendell z. Bowman of the LIST Regi-
| ment had this to say to a Times reporter:
| The conduct of the Pennsylvania Guards
men during the stay of the Philadelphia
| brigade In Washington was soldierly and
| gentlemanly to notable degree 1t was
! absolutely beyond criticism and while we
| left the capital before the occurrence OF
| the alleged disorders, l can say from my
| observation that / believe the reports
| emanating from the Washington news
| papers inspired by envy and jealousy.
| 1t is impossible to conceive that the good
/ conduct noticeable among the 1900 Pennsyl-
| vania soldiers during their stay in Wash
| ington should have suddenly changed to
| rUffianism as these Washington reports al
| lege.
| The truth Of the matter Is that there
| Is a feeling of jealousy against the Penn
| sylvania troops because when they attend
| functions such as the inaugural ceremonies
| they overshadow all other features In a
military sense, including the regular army
contingent and the District of Columbia
militia whose numbers appear insignificant
compared with the magnificent army which
sweeps down Pennsylvania avenue when
our guardsmen get into their swing and fill
everything in sight"
Similar views were expressed by othe,
officers of the Pennsylvania Guard.
Plain Words From PhiIadeIuhfa
A perusal Of the newspapers published In
other cities than Washington, including
Philadelphia ITSELF is somewhat interesting
in view of the statements given above
Under the head, "Rowdyism in the Ma
tional Guard" the Philadelphia Times pub
lished today the following editorial:
"Once more some rowdy members of the