New-York tribune., 1908-09-28
JEWS BLOCK A BRIDGE
CHECK CROWDS
Hebrezrs, Casting Sins ON Water" "
Close williamsburg Structure.

For nearly four hours yesterday afternoon
the police reserves of the 1s4th precinct under
Captain Stephenson. had Samsonian task IN
preventing what looked like sure death to some
of the hundred thousand more worship
ping Jews who crowded to the Williams
burg Bridge from the Delaney street side Tor
the observance of the orthodox ceremony "Tash-
Itch" Nobody was seriously hurt, but there
many bruised shins, few women tainted
and there was lot of excitement Also when
It was all over there was strewn along the foot
path of the bridge and on the stairs leading TO
the street q quantity of wreckage, consisting
of combs hairpins. buttons and a few mems
and boys hats.
The police were unprepared for the unusually
heavy traffic on the bridge that the symbolical
ceremony of the Jewish worshppers caused
The ceremony of "'TashIich' consists Of prayers
and the casting of sins into the waters in prepa-
ration for the Dav of Atonement, to be observed
next Monday 1t is part of the two days Of
New Years celebration which ended last even
ing and is observed by all orthodox believers in
the faith
The march on the Williamsburg Bridge be-
gan about 9 o'clock Every type of East Side
Jew was in the throng-the gray bearded patrl-
arch the middle aged men and women and
their children and grandchildren, some of them
in arms and every one, except the babies. car
rying a prayer book.
Because of the unfinished condition of the
bridge at the Manhattan end. only one of the
two fcotpaths is in use and as the crowds grew
the jostling and pushing also grew until II De-
came dangerous.
Then Captain Stephenson felt it necessary to
reinforce his squad of policemen and to take
personal charge. The crowd moved TO the mid
die of the bridge, where. over the river, they
performed their ceremonies. There were prob
ably more than eight thousand persons gath
cred there at one time and several thousand
more seeking an advantageous point Captain
Stephenson gave orders to the twenty men under
his command not to admit any more to the
structure until those already it had de-
parted
Then the many thousand arriving worshfppers
crowded the plaza at the entrance and blocked
the street traffic The police gave their chief
attention to those the bridge and with good
results for with the exception of much squeezing
and some bruises here and there the relays were
gotten off and on the bridge without nishap.
This is the more remarkable, because on the
stairs there were nothing but temporary wooden
handraiIs Several children got away from their
mothers but were found unhurt at the Delaney
street police station
Not all of the orthodox of the East Side, how
ever, went to the bridge for their observances.
Thousands more visited the East River front, all
along the streets of the ghetto and those ad-
iacent. Corlears Hook Park held perhaps the
largest number.
There was an absence yesterday of the Jew
batting that has in other years marked the day
Only one attack by hoodluns on the worshippers
was reported to the police. Michael Coyle, a
trucknan of No. 20 Mangin street was taken to
the Delaney street station with Samuel Sheir.
of No. 353 East Sd street. The latter was with
several other worshippers when Coyle and some
other young men attacked them. The policeman
found Coyle and sheir fighting and arrested
both