Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-04-24
100000 STRUGGLE
At sTRAUs MEET

NEW YORK, April 24.-After more
than thirty persons had been injured,
none severely, and the police reserves
had worked for the better part of three
hours to dispense a crowd of fully
49, O0~ persons, a lecture on the life
and philanthropy of Isador Straus,
the merchant who lost his life in the
Titanic disaster, was indefinitely post
poned at the Educational Alliance
building. 1O7-1o9 East Broadway, last
night.
Reports that many persons had been
injured in the crowd that massed IT.
self outside the building heightened the
excitement that prevailed. when the
police Of three precincts charged the
human mass in al effort to prevent
a mad rush on the assembly hall.
Hundreds of women and children
were severely jostled about, and in
many instances barely prevented from
being trampled under foot. In their
determined efforts to get near the front
doors of the Alliance building men
pushed their way through the strug-
Cling mass, overturned delivery wag-
ons and ~pushcarts.
Ambulance Adds TO Confusion.
A railing in front of the Ainance
building, guarding folk from an area
fifteen feet deep, gave way when tne
crowd was largest. None OF those
plunged in the opening was badly IN
iured. An ambulance from GouVerneur
Hospital responded to a hurry cali
from the police. When the sound of its
bell was heard in the distance there
was a mad scurry of thousands. In
this scramble ANY persons were
knocked down and bruised.
P~ickpockets circulated through the
crowd, and hours afterward men and
women who had been robbed thronged
the Madison street police station, ask
ing that steps be taken to recover
wallets, stickpins and other belong
ings.
The scenes of confusion were marked
by the cries of mothers, who had been
separated from their children. Young-
STEERS who had become lost in the
storming of the crowds by the police
we're taken TO the police station, where
they were restored to their anxious
parents after the neighborhood had
! grown quiet.
The lecture on the life Of Mr.. Straus,
who was president of the Educational
Alliance, and as such was distin-
guished for the charity he dispensed
on the east side. was announced for
| O'Clock. At 3 in the afternoon more
than a hundred men and women were
in front of the building, placing them
I elves In line in the hope OF obtaining
good seats when h doors opened.
Crowd There Hours Ahead Of Time.
Thereafter men, women n children
| began to pour into East Broadway
from interesting streets. At 5 O'Clock
the crowd numbered more than l0,Ooo'
the police estimated. At Z o'clock the
throng extended from East Broadway
to Madison street and from Jefferson
to Clinton streets. Fully 10000 were
waiting.
Early in the evening the arrangement
committee of the Alliance, expecting an
attendance larger than the hall would
accommodate, had requested the police
to provide additional reserves. AT !
o'clock bluecoats from three stations
were trying vainly to handle the crowd
which grew more and more restless as
IL grew gree lSIs
When persons began to beat upon the
Alliance doors for adrnittance the police
started to dispense those on the fringe
of the crowd. Then they tried by wedge
formation to force their way through
the congested mass, particularly to as
sist persons who were shouting tina
theyV were being robbed.
Meantime, the members Of the ALI
ance's arrangement committee hurried
ly conferred in the assembly hall. Tit
1nadvisability of opening the door wa
seen. 1t was argued that If the doors
were opened there doubtless would b.
a rush for seats. in which many woulC
be injured. Those nearest the entrance
1t was feared. would be- swept from
their feet by the human tide behind
In view of the situation it was decided
to postpone the lecture.
Announcement of this to those out
side, however. did not at once serve t
mitigate the possibilities of accident
1t was only after the reserves had bee
increased further and had swept aloni
East Broadway that the crowd thinne
out as It was driven into side streets.