The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-03-08

Washington Police to Present
Their Side of Controversy.
Superintendent Declares His
Men Did Their Best.

Washington, March S.-With an in
tervening day in which to analyze the
complaints of suffrage leaders and
sympathizers against the actions of
the police at the great suffrage parade
last Monday, police authorities today
controversy to the special senate COM
mittee investigating the alleged lack
of protection given the suffragists.
Richard Sylvester, superintendent of
the police department, has presented
general statement to the committee,
outlining the difficulties under which
the department 1abored and asserting
that his force had done its best to
maintain order along Pennsylvania av-
enue and give protection to the thou
SANDS or women marcherS. The senate
committee, composed of Senators Jones,
D1ll1ngham and Pomerene, had sum-
moned for the hearing today many
patrolmen and -sergeants whose num-
berS had been furnished as those of
officers who failed to do their duty in
keeping the crowds orderly and MAIN
tanning an open line for the parade.
Hundreds of women sought for ad-
mission to the committee room where
the hearing was held. Policemen had
trouble stopping the crush. The first
witnesses, who appeared in defense of
police methods were greeted with rid
fcule and in some cases with Kisses
when their testimony differed with
that given by the suffrage witnesses.
The first witnesses today were Geo.
S. Garfield of Spokane. Wash, COM
modore w. s. Moore of Washington,
and Judge Henry D. Pierce of In
dianapolis.
They declared the police methods
lax and inadequate. Judge Pierce
told of seeing Chief Sylvester giving
orders to patrolmen, but he said the
patrolmen evinced a lack of interest
in carrying them out. AS soon as his
back was turned the policemen would
lapse to inactivity. he said. Other
witnesses testified to indignities and
insults to the women marchers, none
of which seemed to stir the police into
any efforts for protection of the pa
rade. Commodore Moore declared
Sylvester had refused police protec-
ton for the suffrage rehearsal that
took place day or two before the
parade. He said the police superin-
tendent told him that he sympathized
with the suffrage cause, but that he
did not approve of the methods adopt
ed by the women who were trying to
advance it.
Defends Police.
defense of the police was pre-
Sented by the Rev. ]. H. helms, who
said the crowd was good natured and
the police tried hard to keep them
back.
Il have seen large crowds in every
European capital on all sorts of i'm
portant occasions and never saw a
more good natured or better handled
crowd he said.
The statement was greeted with a
chorus of mo, no; that isn't true
from the big crowd of women which
filled the committeeman and over
flowed into the corridors. Chairman
Jones was forced to admonish the au-
dience several times.
I'VE are here to investigate the dis
orders during the parade" he said
finally, but if we cannot have order
here we will have to make an inves-
tigation as to the causes of disorder
in the committee room''
Former Secretary of War Stimson
and Major General Wood attended to-
days hearing and Police Chief Syl-
VeSter was on hand with his attorneys