Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-03-12
Room Back of Crowds.

saw one policeman who WAS working
hard She also told how a drunken man
had fallen into the procession -.
Walter r. Brown, a real estate dealer.
one of the men who went In automobiles
with Maj Sylvester to clear the Avenue
before the parade. described the efforts to
get the crowd back.
to see different police officers to give
them directions. Later, he said, the
automobiles lined up near the Peace
monument to get the people of the
Avenue. The automobiles went along
the Avenue several times. he said. to
clear off vehicles and people. Directions
were given to policemen to work hard,
he said
Mr.. Brown described the ride up the
Avenue short time bencIe the begin
ming of the procession. He SAID lee sA~s-
a number of policemen working stfenu-
ously. and that one mounted man was
pushing the crowd back so energetically
that he asked him to stop.
Crowd Grew in Density.
Mr.. Brown described the progress of
the group along the Avenue in detail.
repeating much of what Gen. Johnston
had related previously. AS he pro-
crossed westward, he said, the crowd
became denser and denser.
The policemen were pushing as hard
as -Iney CCu10, ne COutihuSu wv 90
afraid somebody was going to be hurt.
After we got started l did not see one
policeman who was not working"
Il believe 1t would have been abso-
lutely physically impossible to have
crowded that mass Of people between
said, in telling why he thought the
trouble occurred.
Senator Dillingham; showed Mr.. Brown
photograph of the Avenue during the
ing, asking if he thought 1T shovel
sufficient room to push the crowd back.
Mr.. Brown said there seemed to be
enough room at this point. He added
that when pushing the people back there
was a great deal of trouble.
Mr. Brown added that he had been
chairman of the committee on public
order Of the Board of Trade Tor several
years, and that he thought the Wash
ington police department deserves great
credit.
Nobody regrets this affair more than
do the people of the District or Column
bia," he concluded.
Senator Pomerene questioned Mr.. Brown
at length. attempting to find out how
crowded the Avenue was. Mr.. Brown IN
sisted that the automobiles had great
deal OF trouble. and would not admit tnAt
there was much extra room.
well, you are CONVINCED that this pa.
rade was seriously .nterfered within
asked Senator Pomerene-
Il do not know what happened oenino
me-" Mr.. Brown continued.
T. p. Myers, lawyer, ana anotner
member of the police order committee Tor
the inauguration, told Of being In an au-
tonobile and trying to clear the Avenue.
He related that he had seen Maj. Sylvee-
ter giving orders to different police cli-
GERS to clear the Avenue.
Gen.: Johnstch appeared and took com
Meyer. said. and strenuous efforts We're
made to clear 1he street. ss<
All Police Working, He Says.
II suppose I saw as many as $50 reg
ular policemen on the Avenue. and pran-
tically all OF them were working" he
continued.
MIR. Myers sAsa the special policemen
were often unsasjasactory and either
worked too hard or noslls - cough. ut
Is difficult to get good meiseE this
MIR. Myers said there was great daM-
Guilty in pushing the crowd back. ZIG ted
of how one young woman fa1nte0."As
soon as the automobiles and mounted po-
lice passed, e'foot police had great diff
fculty in preventing the crowds from
sweeping in on the procession.
THE trouble was that the women and
children were always in 'front.'" he con.
tinued.s land / knew that they could not
be pushed through the crowds back or
them. Several times stood up and ask
ed the people to get back, but usually
they only laughed"
Mr.. Myers estimated that 1t would
have taken 5000 cavalrymen to keep
the crowds back. although he said.
pushed them back. He said that the
automobiles opened up passageway
about fifty feet wide some OF the way.
Did the crowds sweep in between
licemen." asked Senator Jones
Yes replied Mr.. Myers. The fYto-
mobiles started out In a wedge fornA-,
ton. but the alignment was broken
frequently. We kept moving most OF
the time and / do not recah the pro-
cession stopping.
IF the people crowded in on the
automobiles they must have interfered
with the procession" suggested Senator
Jones.
probably they did" replied the wit
ness.
Outside Of the Post ONCE Department
j saw former Secretary OF War Dfclkin-
son. and called to him ana asked him
10 come and get in my car. HIS hat
had been knocked OF. and he could not
get To the automobile.
Thinks They Did Their. Best.
From my observation Of the work OF
the policemen on that day I think they
did their best do not think the tAowd
could have bean gotten back without IN.
yuning people"
Mr.. Myers said he had done his utmost
TO help clear the Avenue out Of civic
pride.
He tnad Of how MAJ. Sylvester gave or
err that the automobiles patrol the Ave-
nua but that when Cen Johnston arrived
m the spot ho told ell In charge Of auto
mobiles to stay with him.
Senator Pomerene asked what he
thought should have been done TO have
Prevented the disorder. Mr.. Myers said
ne believed authority should have been
given the police to have taken charge
Of the Avenue at o'clock In the morning.
In asking Mr. Myers what he would
do to control the crowd. Senator Pome-
rene said: IT have q faint idea that all
crowds should be controlled" Applause
greeted this remark
Dir. Myers said that In his opinion
the sending OF the cavalry to the pre-
eeSsion was without warrant in law.
He also declared that 1t would have
required at least $500 more policemen
Would you have wanted the kind Of
policemen who patrolled the AycnyS
March 81" asked Senator Pomerene-
eff could have had that kind would
have gotten along with LOCO additional =
he replied.
Testimony here number Of the police
men were treating the amAir lightly.
said Senator Pomerene.
Admired Suffrage Faraders.
Rev Howard England. an EpiscopA-
liam cIs..1 man living in Brightwood, told
~ hay.r,r witnessed the procession. HS