Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-03-12
USE OF GREATER FORCE
PERIL0US, THEY ASSERT
Conflict Of Opinion as to Room Back
of the Crowds.
GOOD NATURE GENERAL RULE
Five Thousand Cavalrymen Needed
to Keep People Back of Ropes
in Opinion of One
Spectator.

Spectator.
| Evidence tending to show that il was
| impossible for them to clear Pennsylva.
MIA avenue of people for the suffrage pro.
cession March B in the time allowed by
| Congress. and otherwise supporting the
police. was given this morning before the
Senate subcommittee investigating condi.
tons during the parade
Graphic descriptions of the fight carried
| on BY the police automobiles carrying
| Gen. Johnston and members Of the inau-
gural public order committee TO keep
back the crowds were given by men who.
rode in these machines. They declared
| that in some places 1t would have been
| cruelty for the police to force back the
/ people more than they did.
Room on the Avenue.
Other witnesses said there was enough
room almost all along the Avenue to.
| have forced back the crowd which bor-
dered on the procession during almost the
entire route. Photographs were SUBJ
mitted in support of this contention.
The hearing was continued during the
morning, and recess was taken short
/ ly before 1 o'clock until 2 o'clock, with
the prospects that the committee
would be in session all afternoon.
There are still several score witnesses
to be heard.
walter A. Brown and T. p. Meyers
were the principal witnesses during the
morning session in support of the &C
tions of the police. They upheld the
told yesterday by Gen. Johnston. and
said that the men in the automobiles
In advance of the parade worked very
hard Under Questioning, however,
they said they knew little about what
had happened behind them.
No Reflection on Comr. Johnston.
The Star regrets the publication. in
the issue Of March IL, to the effect that
at the hearing before the Senate SUBJ
. committee on the p0lice-conduct March .;
E ia woman In the hearing Of Commissioner
Johnston uttered an expression challeng-
ing his veracity, to which be made no
|. rejo.nder, which has been interpreted as
II reflection upon him.
II There can be no question OF Gen. john
ston's testifying truthfully to occurrences
, as he saw them, and tn3t his actions &s
lCommlssioner or the District concerning
the sufrragist parade were animated
throughout by sincere desire to perform
his public duties.
Few Save Witnesses Present.
The attendance at the hearing this
morning was smaller than at any pre-
vious session of the committee Most
OF those present had been called as
witnesses.
Senators Jones and Dillingham; ar
rived before 10 o'clock. and Senator
Pomerene a few minutes later. The
hearing was opened before 10 o'clock.
Mrs. E. A. BallOch, who marched in
the procession, was the first witness.
She said she had noticed particularly
the good work of cOlored policemen.
Most of the white policemen seemed
acting merely as spectators
"One policeman seemed quite statu-
esque" she observed.
For the first few blocks of the march
the crowds were kept back, and there
was some cheering, Mrs. Ballock said.
but after that she heard some uncompii-
mentary remarks.
;. Most of the special policemen seemed
to be rough" she continued. Il noticed
one who was only going through the mo-
tions of policeman.
She said that most of the obnoxious re-
| marks were made by militiamen.
!. Mrs. Olive Hasbrouck, q Washington
woman, who was in charge or the ban
J ners for the procession, but DID noe
march told Of conditions near the Cow
coran Art Gallery. -
Women Did Police DutN Z
Il spoke to one mounted policeman, 0ue
he answered i'm a perfunctory manner
said Mrs. Hasbroucx. He told mo Z
would have to speak to another police>
man. and I did. He helped some. bus
| Mrs Randolph Forrest and myself had
to police the corner. We did this sue.
| cessfully-"
/ Capt. Anderson was In. charge at this
| point, Mrs. Hasbrouck said. She de-
/ clared that the policemen put the crowd
/ back whenever she asked It done, buu
did not keep constantly at work.
Mrs. Randolph Forrest the next wit
ness, marched near the head of the
procession She said that the beginning
| of the procession went smoothly. but
| that later she was forced to stop fire.
quently by the halting Of those in front.
/ I'VE were always able to keep four
| abreast in our section said Mrs. For
rest LAS I was marshal. was con-
stantly .iostled. and finally had to get
1 in the ranks.
doing the best they could when they
saw was being pushed"
| Mrs. Forrest said that she saw no po-
licemen joining IN the 5eering. At 10th
| Jumped on the float IN her section ana
knocked over tree on 1t. She said she
saw no policemen in the vicinity. but that
the men got on the noat OF their own ac-
| Guion Miller. a Washington lawyer.
who acted as marshal Of the mems Sec
ton Of the % proce.sdion. g a said d.. there was
L a.
From Sd street to 18th street. where the
cavalrymen came to the rescue. there was
great trouble. he said.
Saw Three Policemen Working.
..During the time Of congestion think
I observed personally about 1.0 police
men" he continued. 'T do not remember
moro than three who were really working.
Most OF them were facing the crowd
sT smoke to certainly not less than =
dozen. Some responded, but others said
they could do nothing. There seemed to
be no concerted action to keep back the
lcrowd.
..If a police captain or other officers had
seriously tried to get the crowd back r
feel sure, from what ] saw, that thew
would have succeeded. There was plenty
OF room back Of the crowd for it to have
fallen back
"Did the police seem to enter into the
spirit OF the crowd?" asked Senator Jones.