The Washington times., 1901-09-21
CAPITOL CRUSH COMMENT.
Captain Reed Defends Metropolitan
Police From Outside Attacks.
He Charges General Randolph With
Keeping Out Citizens in Order to
Secure Personal Photograph
Value of Experience in the Panic.

Additional light has been shed upon the
circumstances attending the stampede at
the east front of the Capitol Tuesday aft
ernoon by a statement made yesterday
by Captain Reed, frcm Maine." the mys-
terious person who practically TOOK
charge of the troops ard police on that
occasion and assisted in establishing or
der He refuses to make known his
identity, and explains that he would have
kept entirely out of the discussion had
he not seen an injustice done the Wash
ington police force by unjust criticisms
INDUCED in by some of the out-of-town
papers.
Captain Reed called upon Major Syl-
yester and spoke in the highest terms OF
the work of his officers. Afterward. to a
Times reporter Captain Reed stated that
he acted under written authority from
Captain Ellis, of the Fourth Artillery. who
provided him with a first sergeant and
squad of men, He appreciated his re-
sponsibiiity. and recognized the fact that
it was probably the first instance in the
history of the country when United States
troops had been placed under the COM
mand of civilian.
The captain further severely arraigned
General Randolph, who was in charge of
flying his own vanity by having fash
light photographs of himself taken stand
ing in front of the coffin of his dead
Chief while thousands of people who had
stood all day in the rain begging for the
privilege of but a moments look at the
departed Executive were turned away dis
appointed
In reference to what took place on the
plaza, Captain Reed said yesterday: Il
was standing at the top of the steps with
my wife, looking at the flowers when the
lam occurred 1 hurried over the steps
and showed the troops how to brace
themselves with their guns so as to hold
back the crowd. 1 shouted to the people
to go back, but was unable to help mat
tiers in any way. L then appealed to Cap
tain Ellis, who as an army officer could
only protect the steps, as he had been
Instructed, and not go out into the
grounds without orders, and he loaned me
detachment of ten men and a sergeant
to see what could be DONE He knew that
l was an experienced officer. with military
training, and that l had commanded for
seven years one of the crack military or
ganizations of my State. AT my request
he gave NE written authority to command
the men, as l would not have acted with
out 1t.
1.-The entire trouble, as saw it, result
ed from division of authority and the
greatest pressure was at the very line be-
tween the steps, under the control of the
military and the plaza. where the police
were uncertain as to whether they had
the right to act, although they were sta
toned there. Other persons were in COM
mand within the Rotunda and 1t was my
purpose to try to harmonic the work of
the three. 1 carried my men to the rear
and breaking up the crowd into sections.
drove it back. l accomplished this by
talking to them. appealing to them. and
fhen letting the rougher element know
that | had the necessary men to enforce
INV demands. The police worked val
iantIy and did magnificent work and 1t
is only because l see that some of the
o,,t-of-town papers have unwarrantedly
attacked the police that | have determin-
ed to tell my story. All that L ask Is
that my identity be kept secret.
After the crowd was once Strengthened
ont there was no further trouble, except
that 1t required constant work to pre-
serve the line and keep the crowd from
pushing in on it. As the time drew near
for the closing of the doors | went to
General Randolph. who had charge of the
at the Capitol. to appeal
to him for more time to permit those who
had stood all day in the drenching rain in
hopes of seeing the bods to do so. Near
ly all of the people in line will be able
to pass through l told him, If you will
only grant us half an hour more. Not
one minute he replied, and after closing
the people out in the rain he posed for
of an hour before the cat
afalque while fiashiight pictures were
taken"