The Washington times., 1913-03-11
JOHNSTON DEFENDS
SYLVESTER'S PLANS
Declares He Himself Could Not
Have Bettered Preparations
to Protect Pageant.
Continued from First Pags9

Continued from First Pags)
March and that the authority of
the Commissioners was much more
full and complete March 4 than on
March 8. He read the pamphlet DO
Not and Be Wise" prepared and dis
tributed by Superintendent of Police
Sylvester. He said 10000 copies OF
this pamphlet were. distributed.
Commissioner Johnston gave in mCch
detail his personal experiences on the
the story Of the telephone conversation
with Secretary of War Stimson as told
by the latter. Concerning the use % a
troop of cavalry, he said:
''At my suggestion, while L stated TO
the Secretary of aWr that l was as
sured we would be thoroughly able to
take care of the suffrage parade, L
thought 1t well to have troop Of cav
airy OH call at Ft. Myer."
Gave Personal Service.
He himself took his automobile and,
going to the neighborhood of the Peace
Monument, helped direct the movements
of the police automobiles that led the
procession for the purpose of clearing
the way. His description of this was
interesting. He said there was no diff
Guilty as far as Four-and-a-half street.
Then the crowd began to grow larger
The advance W asnot compelled to stop
until Eleventh or Twelfth street.
Then there was halt Of about fif-
teen minutes. Beyond that, there was
much congestion and a large influx Of
People from the west, due to the break
ing Of the ropes on Fifteenth street and
ir front of the Willard.
After the stop mentioned, the auto
la II xvln lx- IN he
building.
FAN along the column the police
were doing a prodigious amount OF
physical work. / noticed this especial
ly from Eleventh and Twelfth street
on said the Commissioner.
He declared the space cleared by the
automobiles was generous. Two mount
ed police and a number OF foot ponce
were helping clear the way. He car
ried Virginia Tyler Hudson and two
other newspaper writer's in his auto
and he suggested these be called to give
their testimony.
Saw Police At Work.
Commissioner Johnston repeatedly
gave instructions to the police to crowd
back not merely the people in front
but those in rear who were pushing.
With few exceptions, the police he saw
were active. In great part. those In
the front row were women anu chHoren
and II was impossible to use harsh
means with them
Some of the men were dazed, saio
Commissioner Johnston.
He explained that some of the police
seemed not to know what to do be-
cause the crowd was of greater pro-
portions than was expected. IL was
Rood-natured but was talking in eX-
actly the vein he anticipated when ne
had preliminary talks with Miss Paul
oh he dfHfru1fiae narado in
the inaugural week. He thought the
light vein in which the press treated 1t
had something to do with the manner
in which the crowd took the parade.
Others Examined.
Previous to the testimony of General
Johnston several witnesses were ex-
amined President E. H Droop. of the
Board Of Trade, gave his experience as
a member OF the public order commit
tee. Mr.. Droop's testimony was favor
able TO Major Sylvester and to the
police arrangements as he saw them
He heard Major Sylvester rebuke two
officers who were not doing their duty
Droop's work as a member of the
public order committee was about Gar.
field Monument and in the region where
the parade was formed
didly, SO far as ] saw, near the place
OF mobilization" said Mr.. Droop.
DIR. James r .Mythen, an Episcopa
clergyman of Baltimore, who led
delegation Of fifty men from Baltimore
in the parade, gave testimony concern
ing the bad management of the parade
in protecting the marchers.
Heard Obscene Remarks.
He heard much obscene language and
boots and jeers. He gave the numbers
OF three policemen who were delinquent
and whom he observed personally. They
were I'll, 22l and l75, the latter a coloret
policeman. He also told the COMMITTEES
that Miss Neepier, secretary Of the
state franchise association of Mary
land had informed him that she was
marching In the parade as guide to
Mary Melvin, of Baltimore, blind girl
A rowdy seized the blind girl, Jerking
her away from Miss Seepier, and the
latter had to pull her back
The hearing adjourned until tomorrow
morning at 10 O'Clock.
Two moving pictures were shown tc
the members of the committee in the
office of Superintendent Elliott Woods
Of the Capitol. for the purpose of fndi-
eating conditions on the Avenue during
the parade. One of these was taken al
the lower end OF the Avenue near the
Peace Monument. II depicted we'll
ordered procession with plenty Of room
for the paraders and no misconduct or
- part of the crowds.