Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1913-01-01
HOW THE NEW YEAR
WAS USHEREO IN
Midnight Marauders Made Last
Night OF 1912 Hideous.
WAS THERE EVER SUCH?
New Year 1913 Greeted With Cst-
Calls BY HoOdIums ROwdyism
and Vile Language.

/ got slap IN the face last night, when
the town far and near was torn wide
open by a gang of hoodlums and
drunken rJwdies, not to mention some
score of little boys, ages ranging
from to ID, few boisteIous wo-
men, who assisted in making night
hideous.
The din began at II 80 and lasted
until 80 before there was any sur.
cease from yelling. screaming, pistol
| firing, bonfres, cursing, swearing,
and the vilest exhibition of rowdyism
that has ever been known in Annapo-
lis. Every street, every section of
the town was scandalized, but espec-
tally Main and Conduit streets. One
old lady, who has resided here for
nearly half century, and has spent
every New Years of that time in
Annapolis, said she never had expert
enced such New Years Eve as last
night.
Mr.. T. Kent Green. in front of
whose drug store great deal of the
ribaldry in this section of the town
was the scene and objective point, said
in his eighteen years OF business on
that street, he had never known such
rowdyism. The young rowdies used
the vilest language, and oaths of the
worst sort, with every breath, and the
cursing and swearing could be dis
tinctly heard block away.
A gentleman returning from the Ma
val Academy hop with some ladies
who had to pass through Andrews
Alley, intersecting Francis and Main
streets, in front of Conduit street,
besought the rowdies to &C ase swear
ing a few minutes until the ladies
passed. A man high in authority in
another city, who had room for the
night in the neighborhood of Main
and Francis streets, inquired if An
napolis had no police or city auchori-
ties who could be called on to quell
the disorder.
rwo bonfires were started on Main
and Conduit streets. Every dry goods
box was taken from tho yards and
stores nearby to pile on the fire.
Every door mat was used to brighten
the blaze. around which the half
drunken rowdies and hoodlums danced
as Indians are wont to do in their
war dance, from time TO time some
one of the crowd throwing a burning
ember into the air.
The gang screamed and yelled.
whooped and made night hideoua for
everybody but themselves. Store
doors were kicked, the roughs yelling
"kick it in" pistols were fired across
Ha in hn a. oN NJ 60 10
walk. To help the young citizens"
do their best, bunch of young wo-
men Joined the hilarity. These, ac-
companied by their gentlemen
friends, " beat with sticks on door
steps, shutters, banged on signs, front
doors and bulletin boards, and finally
exhausted with their efforts to bid
farewell to the old year and usher in
the new, they parted at the front door
at 80 this morning, having done
their best to hail the gladsome new
year.
Nobody objects to a decent New
Years celebration, to bells ringing,
wistles blowing, to horns footing and
even to firing crackers, but when it
comes to vulgar rowdyism, obsce ne
end indecent language, screams that
are prolonged for over two hours,
reckless pistol firing, and bonhres,
there is a limit.
Annapolis is long-suffering; too
long g-suffering, and it is time for some
body to act before there is another
such hideous night Of rowGyism as
last night, and the town given over
to toughs and roughs, to drunks and
pc ople bereft of their senses. 1t is
against the Constitution of the Uni
ted States. and also city ordinances,
which are thrown to the wind.
To add to the din an automobile
tied with cowbells, tin cans and the
like, ran twenty-five miles an hour
around and around the block, until
a Main street merchant called the
police station AMI demanded the Off
cial to stop this imposition and hold
up the chauffeur.
This is not knocking Annapolis, /"
as some may think; it is imploring
for right and privilege due every
American citizen--not to have his
rest disturbed by street mobs for
two hours after midnight on New
Years Eve, and with hope that the
Chamber of Commerce or the Civic
League may begin now to fight for a
ssfe and sane ending Of 1913 on next
December 81 at 12 o'clock midnight.