The Washington herald., 1909-07-14
UPRISING Is BLOCKED
Armed Guards Stop Revolt
on Ellis Island.
$25 RULE CAUSES TROUBLE
Hundreds of Men Held for DeDOrta-
tioR Because They Do Not Possess
Required Amount, Decline to Eat
Breakfast - Trouble Scented and
Measures Taken 10 Restore order.

New York. July 1s.-Prompt measures
by armed guards Of Ellis Island to-day
suppressed a revolt Of 200 men who are
held for deportation because they are
unable to comply with immigration Com
missioner Williams rule requiring the
possession Of S25 as a condition OF admis-
sion 10 this country.
The forty guards assigned 10 watch the
Immigrants held for deportation sus-
pected that trouble was brewing, when
almost TO a man the 700 prisoners refused
10 eat breakfast this morning.
As the day wore on the foreigners were
noticed in excited conversation. Because
OF the many different nationalities, the
agitation was not productive OF any gem
orally agreed upon plan.
The alleged ringieader was DR.. Alex
ander Rudniew, son OF Col Rudniew, a
surgeon in the Russian army, and him
self university graduate and a certified
doctor OF medicine.
Steps to Foil Plan.
DR.. Rudniew, who is twenty-five wears
old, has Deen held a prisoner for deporta-
ton TO Antwerp. He came here with
ambitious plans for taking a post-gradu-
ate course at the Long Island College
Hospital. although he did not have the
S25 necessary 10 land.
inspector Mckee IN charge OF the de-
portatlon dormitories. learned enough
from the excited manner OF the prisoners
TO realize that trouble was Imminent. He
suspected that It would break at dinner
time unless means were taken TO curb
the malcontents.
AT dinner time the 700 men. instead OF
oelng marched into a common dining
room as has been the custom. were d.
vided into four divisions and fed IN dif
ferent rooms. One division was FED IN
the women's dining-room. another IN the
employees. and the third and fourth a.
visions were fed at different times fn thA
usual dining-room.
Doctor Defes Officials.
The inspector and his men were arroe5
and ready for trouble. but the only out
break was with the division whfcb in
cluded DR.. Rudniew. The doctor t,unea
upon the table and made a speech de-
nouncing Commissioner Williams. declar-
Ing the food was unit 70 eat and accus-
Ing the guards OF brutality.
Let Commissioner Williams co,,a -
here and hear US" he cried. repeating
the words in Russian, German. Yiddish
Folsh, and French, so as 10 make him
sell understood by the men OF different
tongues. He put the S25 rule in force
after we left the other side and witbout
our knowing what we had 10 encounter.
A Bitter Harangue.
This morning not single man could
eat the breakfast given him. What are
We? Hogs2 We are treated Ike beasts
Gagged, fed on refuse. and scourzed bv
brutes in uniforms.
Last night one OF the blue-coate;
villains. who are without mercy. entered
a room where we lay. some OF Us upon
the wet floor. and the lucklest on filthy
cots, and flashing a revolver. passed
from one 10 another as he would inspect
a den OF convicts.
Let the commissioner come here and
hear OF our treatment"
The guards let DR. Rudniew talk bu. |
the lack OF understanding In his polvglo+ I
audience soon discouraged him. The FL I
Us Island authorities denied that there
was any cause FOR complaint as regards /
the food. and said that the only repres-
siye measures used by the guards we're 4
such as were necessary. In view OF the
fact that some Of those held for deporta- /
ton have criminal records abroad.