Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-05-23
TAR AND FEATHERS
FOR DR.. RE|TMAN
Manager for Emma Goldman Is
Branded on Back with Let
tiers II. w. W.

San Diego. cal. May l6.-Dr Ben Rcit-
man, manager for Emma Goldman, the
notorious anarchist, was kidnapped from
the L. 5. Grant Hotel here early ycster-
day morning by vigiantes, carried in an
automobile % miles north to Les
Penasquitas ranch forced to knae and
kiss the American flag, tarred and
feathered branded with the letters Il. W.
W." and turned loose. after being warned
never to return to san Diego. The brand
ing was done with lighted cigars.
Miss Goldman herself was compelled
to leave the hotel in the carly morning
hours and take the owl train for Los
Angeles
The woman anarchist and her man
ager came here to take part in the
agitation now being carried on here by
the Industrial Workers of tho World They
were recognized soon after they left the
train and hooting crowd surrounded the
auto bus on top of which they rode to
the hotel So threatening was the demon
stration that the police were called upon
to protect them. Detectives rode on the
bus all the way to the hotel.
Miss Goldman had advertised free
speech meeting, but every hall was
closed to her She was hooted and jeered
every time she ventured out of her room
Early in the evening 200 members Of the
citizens committee, bearing flags and
singing THE Star Spangled Banner"
marched into the hotel lobby and demand
ed of Manager J. II. Holmes that he eject
Miss Goldman and Reitman. Holmes in
formed the committee that Miss Goldman
would not be compelled to leave her
apartment until time to take a train out
of san Diego. but rave assurances that
she would not attempt to conduct meet
ing
This seemed to satisfy the leaders. A
large crowd remained in front of the hotel
until n late hour To escape this crowd,
Miss Goldman was taken out by rear
entrance. She hurriedly entered an auto
mobile and. accompanied by Mr. and
Mrs. +. Z. Kirk. was whirled to Ocean
Angeles. About that time or earlier vigil
lantes rounded up Reitman, and with
their prisoner sped north In automobiles
MISS GOLDMAN'S OWN ACCOUNT
was much agitated by her experience in
San Diego Upon her arrival here she
said:
Tuesday evening while DR.. Reitmar
and ! were at San Diego hotel the
manager came to my apartment and
said that the chief of police wanted tc
talk to me in the hotel office. DR.
Reitman accompanied me there
was then sent to another room, waerJ
they said the chief was waiting. They
refused to let DR.. Reitman accompany
me there, and I instinctively felt tina,
something was wrong. When l re-
turned 10 minutes later DR.. Reitmar
was gone. There were many people
about the hotel.
AN hour or 80 after midnight tie
manager of the hotel came to me an
asked that ] leave his place. He SAID
that vigilantes Ia | threaten ID him II
he permitted me to stay. l got an au-
tOmobile and got to the railroad de-
pot, where ! went aboard a sleeping
car. Within 10 minutes after l was
aboard six automobile loads OF mer
dashed up to the depot. They made q
lot of noise, but they lid not come IL
the train.
"Dr, Reitman telephoned me yester-
day morning from some place 90 miles
north of san Diego He sail that he
was very tired He said that ne had
been tarrea ami feathcrad and thai
the men who captured him traced tae
letters Il, w. W." on the tar with Il
lighted cigar Whether it burned his
skin ! cannot say"