Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-04-18
INQUIRY VERDICT
SOON TO Be READY
Senate Investigation Of Suf-
frage Parade Disorders
Practically Closed.
PASTOR TO COME HERE
TO IDENTIFY OFFICERS
DR.. Mythens of Baltimore Will Face
Men He Accused of Neglect
Of Duty.

VI Uuty.
| With the hearings on the woman suf-
| frage parade practically concluded, the
| subcommittee of the Senate District COM
mittee is now considering the testimony
| taken, and Senator Jones, chairman of
the committee, said today that he hoped
| to have his report ready to make to the
| Senate within the next week or two. He
said that it probably would be brief.
Senator Jones said that DR.. Mythens,
| an Episcopal minister of Baltimore, would
| be asked to come to Washington to see
| if he could identify some of the police
men whose numbers he gave to the COM
| mittee as not doing their duty during
the parade. The men will be summoned
before the committee again while DR..
Mythens looks them over.
Sylvester on Stand.
Just before the hearing was ended yes
terday afternoon Maj Sylvester. super
intendent of police, took the stand and
offered supplemental testimony in refu-
tation of testimony given against himself
and the police.
He was questioned by Senator Jones as
to testimony given by many of the pri-
Yates of the force that they had had no
orders to begin clearing Pennsylvania
avenue of pedestrians until $50 o'clock
Maj Sylvester replied that he did not
consider that under the resolution passed
by Congress he was authorized to clear
the Avenue earlier in the day.
Maj. Sylvester said that he had never
been opposed to woman's rights, that
many members of his family favored
woman suffrage and some OF them vot,
ed in states where suffrage was anoWeu
the women. He said that even had he
been opposed to woman suffrage. 1t would
have made no difference in the perform
ance of his duty March 3. He declared
that he had every confidence in his
men and that he thought they had done
good work.
Cars Carried Thousands.
Maj Sylvester testified as to the large
number of cars passing along or across
Pennsylvania avenue between H:3O
O. clock and 8 O'Clock March 3. pouring
thousands of persons into the Avenue
and making that thoroughfare harder to
clear bAout So 600 people were carried
into the Avenue, he estimated.
The number of arrests made between
the hours of and O'Clock on the Ave
nue. March was thirty-seven. he sald
The number of arrests between and D
o'clock March was thirteen. said MAJ.
Sylvester in the same territory.
In thirty years, he testified. he had
never had so many policemen detailed on
any one similar job. Maj. Sylvester SAID
there had been considerable criticism OF
the police because they did not use their
batons. He told the committee that
police officer had touched man on the
shoulder with bis baton during parade
and asked him to move Dack he was
later fined $500 for a technical assault.
1oo1 Of o.
Iicemen using their batons." said Maj.
Sylvester.
Suggested Use of Troops.
He told the committee that in his
opinion it had never been his duty to
ask for federal troops, but the duty Of
the District Commissioners. He said
that he had recommended to the Com
missioners that it would be a good
thing to have a cavalry troop as an
escort.
Policeman F. j. Drummer testified
that not until about o'clock was an
attempt made in his territory to clear
the Avenue Of pedestrians.
He testified he was stationed at 9Th
street and that when the automobiles
in the parade came along he helped to
fight the crowd back. There was no
passageway up the Avenue at that
point, ne Sa1O. When the dutOS CdIuc
along The witness said that he had
heard the suffrage parade discussed by
members of the force.
Policemen were for and against woman
suffrage, he said, "just as in the case OF
any other political question"
Drummer said he had never heard the
parade spoken of lightly by policemen or
any intimatiOn that men opposed to suf-
frage would not do their full duty.
~ myself am in favor of woman suf-
fro o,,1 hav> nf "a
were in the parade said the witness, de-
Tending himself against the charge that
he had not done his full duty to protect
the parade.
conversation with you?" asked Senator
Jones.
Several spoke to me-" was the reply;
zone lady thanked me for keeping the
space for the parade open. I thought
she was being sarcastic but she assured
me she was not.
Zone woman as she went by said:
1--WE may have grafters in New York,
but, at least, they can handle crowds
"Another woman asked why we didn't
crack a few heads One man came by
and asked why i didn't arrest some peo-
Pile, but he didn't stop to point out any
one for arrest.
Should Have Begun Earlier.
Policeman r. F. West testified that he
thought the work Of clearing the Avenue
of pedestrians should have been begun
earlier.
Policeman o. C. Clay testified that be-
tween 10th and 10Th streets. as the autos
came along at the head of the parade.
there was ample space for the autos to
pass.
Policeman w II. Carlin had previously
stated that he watched ahead OF the
first automobile and that the people had
crowded in on the machines and they
had to open way
Senator Jones called attention to the
discrepancy in their testimony. Clay said
that his duty had been to open up a way
for the mail wagons across the Avenue at
18th street
Policeman C. T. Gibson. a private. tes-
tilted that the autos leading the parade
had a hard time getting through the
crowds between 9th and 10th streets.
Policeman A. n. Haycock, who was sta
toned between nth and 18th streets, said
that when the head of the parade ap-
peared there was open space occupied by
the car tracks. He said the front auto
mobile had ample space. but the two on
the sides had hard time getting
through.
Policeman r. T. Talbert said that be-
fore the parade came in sight there was
a clear passageway, but when the autos
came along the crowd surged in.
Ran Among Paraders.