New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-03-05
FIGHT TO SEE TWAIN.
Humorist Stems Tide of Indignation
at alleged Outrage.

day afternoon in efforts 70 enter the Majestic
Theatre to hear Mark Twain. So great was the
crowd that had gathered TO hear the veteran
humorist that for time II was beyond the con-
troll of police reserves from two precincts. In
the jam. clothes were torn and several persons
were slightly injured
When the struggle to enter the theatre was
at it's height two patrol wagons laden with the
reserves from the West 47th street station and
the West 6Sth street station drove up and dis
charged their loads. The police charged recA-
Iessly into the crowd and three young men and
a woman were forced through the big glass IN
one OF the doors opening into the lobby All
were cut by the broken glass. but none seri-
ously.
Mr. Clemens's talk ives delivered under the
auspices OF the West Side Young Mems Chris
tIan Association. The doors were opened at s
O'Clock. By 23O O'Clock the crowd began.to as
semble. and. when the doors were thrown OPEN
about four thousand persons tried to enter. As
the capacity of the theatre is somewhat less
than twenty-five hundred. every seat was taken
In a few minutes. The people sttll tried 70 ger
in. however. and the two patrOImen who had
been detailed there were helpless.
Captain DAILY of the West 47th street station.
heard of the excitement and TO the theatre
Seeing the situation. he sent for the reserves OF
his own station and those of the West 6Sth
street station.
Before they arrived some one threw open a
side door. allowing a few persons holding re-
| served seat tickets to enter. Captain DAILY and
several OF the theatre staff standing there 10
control the crowd. The news that this door was
open spread in a few seconds. and there was a
general scramble to force way in. Nearly five
| thousand people were around the theatre by this
time and the small guard at the door was swept
away.
Women were jammed up against the side OF
the building and their clothes torn. while the
hats and shoes Of the men suffered TO a great
extent.
At this moment the patrol wagons came.
Drawing up at the edge of the sidewalk the
patrolmen jumped to the middle OF the Jam and
began to shove everybody to side. AS soon
as they had cleared small space mounted po-
licemen drove their horses up on to the sidewalk
Most of the crowd were unaware that the horses
are trained to just such work. and what came
near being panic began to develop as they
tried TO get away from the menacing hoofs. In
ten minutes the crowd scattered about
Columbus Circle and police lines were estab-
Iished about the entrances TO the theatre.
Blame for the affair is placed on the police
by the Young Mems Christian Association They
say that Captain Daily had been warned that
vast crowd would be present, and that he should
have sent more than two patrolmen IN the first
place. Captain DAILY. in turn. blamed the off,
ciaIs of the association for not informing him
of the conditions when it became apparent that
so great a crowd was gathering. He said that il
they had done so he would have reinforced the
first detail Immediately and there would have
been no trouble.
According to the police, the trouble was IN a
large degree due to the refusal OF the crowd 70
disperse when it announced that the the
atre was filed. and their determination to stick
even after the arrival of the police. Dr. How
ard Russell secretary of the Anti-Saloon
League who presided at the meeting. denounced
the affair from the platform as police out
rage, and said that respectable citizens had been
jabbed in the ribs with night sticks to make
them move on when there was opportunity
to move
An impromptu indignation meeting was held
on the platform and there was much talk OF
resolutions against the police. They would
have passed. but Mark Twain killed them He'
began to talk about the individuals duty
citizen.
Don't try to infringe on other peoples
rights" he said. cor take responsibilities on
YOUR shoulders that you should not. But IL
others should try TO trample you, then assert
your citizenship. When you resolve to do a
thing do 1t. but I heard DR.. Russell speak OF
resolutions about the police 1 don't believe in
denouncing the whole police force for the fault
of man."
Here Mr. Clemens was interrupted by several
cries of DAILY: he's the man. etc. to which ha
paid not the slightest attention. but went on:
THE police are created by you They are Cit
izens and you share their responsibilities as Cit
izens. If the police fail YOU. then assert your
self as a citizen. and do those duties which they
have neglected"
The speaker then told how he had asserted
himself in Chicago once. when he had ordered
a stateroom train and the car had been
dropped from the train ''by a mistake" He
got a stateroom and also broiled chicken even
though 1t wasn't on the bill OF fare.
He then read letter from periodical out In
Illinois asking for his definition of a gentleman
With tears in his eyes he told of his old coach
man, Patrick McAleer. who was buried last
week and said that If he defined gentleman
the definition would be a description OF his
faithful and beloved servant
II shall read letter from one Of nv
oldest friends he continued, which I received
four days ago. II is from William Dean Howens
the great dean OF American literature. II reads:
Tomorrow shall be sixty-nine years old u
have known Howells longer than that) Funny
TO relate, old friend. while I was born to hs
afraid of dying but not OF getting old, I believe
old age has every advantage
That Is true, as Choate. who is older than
am. told me only the other day that he never
enjoved life that he has reached thu
eighth decade"
''But. then. he isn't old Why the old are del
icate, tender, Oh, how easy they catch cold.
Delicate and troublesome. Now they tell me
that I'm over seventy. But I'm not old I'm
sorry for those who old I'm not tender or
delicate or anything like that. l may be trouble
some, but / won't admin IL