The Washington times., 1913-03-06
WOMEN PROTEST At
HOODLUMS' ACTIONS
Many Go Before Senate Com
mittee to Tell of 0utrages
on Day of Parade.

A delegation of women went to the
Seante District Committee today with
names of witnesses Of alleged Is
saults on the marchers in the
suffrage pageant on Monday. A COM
mittee of prominent women and another
of prominent men will be organized TO
wait on the Commissioners to protest
against the conduct of the police during
the pageant. A thorough investigation
is to be carried out, and complete or
ganization is being perfected to handle
the matter.
z. c. Graham and Arthur Lee. of the
ters and promised to bring the matter
before the board at the next regular
meeting. This is matter that should
be taken up and thoroughly sifted, .
said Mr.. Graham. IF the conduct OF
the hoodlums and the police is as has
been alleged, II Is disgrace TO the
city"
The women are thoroughly aroused.
All day telephones have been busy
with calls from people who wished
to protest against the action of the po-
lice, and headquarters has been 5ammed
with men and women with stories Of
their treatment and with the things
they saw enacted. Early among the
callers was Surgeon General Van
Reypen, Of the United States Army. re-
lleu, WHO TSlateO HuIuDcE VI lhSiocAis
or which he was the witness
Answer To Sylvester.
THE finest answer to Major Sylves-
ter's claim that he was unable to con-
troll the crowd is IN the manner he con-
trolled the crowd at the inaugural"
said General Van Reypen. Il OBJ
served that ali during the earlier
parade the people were disposed to do
as they were told; but, as any crowd
Will do unless controlled, they crowd
ed into Pennsylvania avenue, and after
that the police made no attempt to re-
move them. Requests on the part OF
well-disposed people We're laughed at.
Hoodlums were permitted TO do as they
pleased. and officers appealed TO replied,
Why don't you stay at home ii you
are in favor of the home? when the
statements too shocking to print were
hurled at the young girls on this float.
The only real indication of activity
saw was when an officer arrested the
driver of one of the floats the horses
Of which had balked because Of the
rough handling of the crowd
General Van Reypen said he would be
glad to furnish the names Of witnesses
and advised action in an investigation
at once.
Miss Alice Paul declared that she went
over the course of the parade in an
automobile before the procession start
ed. and found little difficulty in getting
about The Avenue was filled with
people, she said, but they seemed will
ing to let her automobile through, and
when appealed to by her. let her pass.
THE trouble came from the police
themselves said Miss Paul. Il was
and was laughed at wnen / requested
assistance / think that Major Syl-
vesters claim that he was unable TO
control the crowd is either an adm,s-
sion Of Incompetence or an indication
that he did not wish the pageant to
take place. We had been granted the
use of the Avenue by Congress, our
safety had been practically guaranteed,
and We found the Avenue jamrned with
people and impossible. We Were COM
PEELED TO force our way through masses
of humanity. The hoodlunls fnsulted us,
actually took hold of women and SUBJ
,jected them to usage which amounted
almost to assault, and the police offered
have protected us II they had tried, /
am sure, because 1 found the crowd
generally easy to deal with when ap-
pealed to in the right way.
Major Sylvester knows that he has
scoffed at our pageant ever since We
started it. He knows that he belittled
our request for the use of Pennsylvania
avenue until compelled to recognize It
by force OF public opinion, and finally.
by actual act of Congress. Secretary
could not furnish troops until called
for and that he responded as soon as
asked. He was not asked. ! am in
formed. until the tableau was nearly
over and by that time the Avenue from
Third street to Fifteenth street was
pretty we'll crowded with people.
Reflection On Force.
1T was Major Sylvester's business to
keep the Avenue clear. He did not do
so. He waited until 1t was filled with
people and then attempted TO make an
opening"
Mrs William Kent. wife of Congress-
man Kent Of California, said today that
the conduct OF the people along the line
of parade on Monday. was disgraceful.
This thing win be heard from hereafter
IN many ways" said Mrs. Kent 1T
Ufll offer an opportunity for all sorts of
speakers. for all sorts of things all over
the country to speak dlsrespectfully of
the city. 1t will not hurt the cause OF
equal suffrage. II is a reflection on TIE
police force OF the nations Capital.
II want TO say that | consider that
Major Sylvester has shown terrible
lack of conpetency In being able TO
control the crowd on Pennsylvania
avenue on the day Of the inaugural and
stability TO do anything on the day of
the pageant, unless he can explain
satisfactorily how this happened.
could tell of many things which hap
pened during the progress OF the
pageant which / would not care to re-
peat now.
There was no police guard in ad-
vance as / believe is customary I'm pa
rades. I am Informed that such a guard
started with the procession and that II
disappeared as soon as the crowd was
encountered near Sixth or Seventh
street. The spectacle Of a Young woman
in an automobile asking men and WON
en- to get out of the way for A parade
that WAS supposed TO have been pro
tected as ours was. Is not a compliment
10 the Washington police. Yet ] am
assured that is actually what happened
when Miss Paul ATTEMPTED to clea- a
way for the parade
While criticism Of the Police Depart
ment in general is being made by the
suffrsgettes, commendation of the part
tome of the officers played in keeping
back the crowds along the line OF
march was made today from sufrragette
headquarters
II GWHH "a