New-York tribune., 1908-01-06
FIGHT OVER RED FLAGS.
RENT STRIKERS ROUTED.
Police Inudde Tenement Houses and
Seize SoCiaLst;c Embiems.

The police swooped down seven tenement
houses in Rutgers, Cherry and Monroe streets last
night where red flags, some of them bearing Kent
Strike futtered from the fire escapes, and capt
ured them taking them TO the police station as
trophies of small in which two policemen
narrowly escaped serious injury at the hands of
ScreechinS and women.
The trouble started at No. 29i Cherry street
when Patrolmen Fahey and Lang saw five red
flags, one of them three feet by two feet, flying
from the fire escapes. First they went to the top
floor and captured n red flag. Then TO the next
floor with equal success. At the third floor they
captured two flags. BY the time the two invaders
reached the apartment of Isidore Packe the ma-
jority of the twenty-five tenants and their friends
became incensed that they tried to get back the
red flags. Several grabbed Fahey and were trying
90 push him over to red hot stove when he
showed them he could fight for the flags as well
as they could.
The reserves came on the double quick. AS they
trooped UP the stairs, Fahey grabbed the red flag
flying from Placke's window and then arrested
Placke. who locked up in the Madison street
station, charged with assaulting officer and
with melting riot by displaying red flag from
his window.
So great the crowd that collected that a
rent strikers Indignation meeting which to
be held at No. 29s Cherry street, door. was
declared off
-Patrolrnan Hines some red flags and white
flags, the latter bearing the words Rent Strike, -,
flying from the front of a tenement house at No
70 Monroe street. He captured them without a
fight.
At No 64 Rutgers street futtered big red flag
reading ITO the Public: This house is on strike"
policeman took it to the Madison street station
Flags were also taken from Nos 23S and 237 Cherry
street.
At Nos 163 169 and 179 Monroe street The police
also conf1scated red flags Wherever they found
red flag they took the name of the occupant of
the apartment Fifteen flags were taken by the
Madison street police in all
At the rent strikers headquarters it was said
that more than two hundred landlords had given
In to the strikers
There nothing that looked like a Sabbath calm
over the East Side in the Instead, there
were hshtlng IN the streets, if it little
1n1ld and red socialist flags and angry landlords
ana policemen. Five persons who do not want to
pay rent were arrested policeman had his hand
bitten, and ambulance gongs worked the hysteri-
cal population up to a pitch of frenzy.
Inc trouble began when Abraham Lowenthal.
who owns tenement house at No. SIC East 18th
street and has not collected any rent this month.
happened to come TO the house in the morning
just as red flag tapped in the gale and the hall
was full of tenants who differ fIonl him on the
rent question He leaped for the red fag with a
howl Of rage, but vas repulsed with loss Then
he went for the police, and the trouble on.
Before he got back Patronan Serberg was
knocked down and bitten on the hand.
The nerves of the police the East Side are
beginning TO get ragged The don't love the
Inhabitants OF their domain overmuch, and they
have strong views rent strikers who ready
to take any job in sight at half the wages of a
good union So clubs swinging freely
when the reserves came around the corner, and
the evidence after the short, sharp fray seemed
to show that few agitators had Intercepted
swings. Five tenants-four men and woman
went around the East 5th street station, rather
against their will, after the dove Of peace had
again unfolded it's wings
There was trouble in Cherry street, too, and
in East 9Th, 18TH and 18th streets, but arrests
made in any of these minor disturbances.
Ambulances were called out onCe or twice, and
there may have been cause for them, but the vic
TINS preferred to bind up another's wounds.
and 'neighhCrins tenement houses received the
martyrs.
There were no meetings during the day, but the
headquarters of the socialists in Grand street.
were busy. Plans made 10 take of the
great number of dispossess that will come
up the 18th District Court to-day. and Jacob
Panken and other lawyers were in consultation
with the committee that is handling the strike.
About hundred children were present in the
afternoon
Charges of brutality and unwarranted clubbing
were made against the police but Captain Shaw.
of the East 5th street station. said his men had
simply dispersed disordery gatherings