The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-04-05
Four Hundred New York Pc
lice Battle With Two Thou
sand Anarchists in Union
Square-Many Injured.
Eight Prisoners
Landed In Jail
Program Was to Rush the
Streets. Smashing Windows
and Damaging Property.
Program Discovered by Po-
lice Commissioner.

NEW YORK, April 4.---Police cluDo
beat upon /. ". w. heads and police
cavalrymen sent anarchists sprawiing
in the dust in Union Square this after
noon. For three hous there was saw
age fighting along the north and eost
side of the square, as four hundre0
uniformed and plain clothes men
crushed a combined /. W. w. and an
archist demonstration that was meant.
as the leaders shouted, Ito startle the
city"
Their program was to swamp An
orderly outdoor meeting of organized
labor, break through the police itnes,
and sweep up Fifth avenue. smash-
ing windows in clubs and hotels. But
the retiring police commissioner.
Douglas l. Mckay, heard of the
scheme hours before the /. w. w. and
anarchists came yelling to the square,
and he sent his men out to work.
When the afternoons fighting, which
was like series of thunderstorms in
clear sunlight, was at an end, thero
were eight prisoners in the East
Twenty-second street station. includ-
ing Wild Joe O'Carroll and Garnba1dt
M. La Polla, a teacher In the Dewitt
Clinton High school; thirty men wSro
and cuts. and the rioters were fleeing
in all directions. The Fifth avenue
hotels and clubs were aware OF the
threatened attack only because O3
squads of policemen who were am-
pushed in their cellars or basemant@ u
Worst In History.
There has not been . SCENE o1 such
violence in New York for years. Az
one time or another in the three hours
the four hundred policemen, afOot and
mounted. were struggling with two
thousand OF the followers Of the red
flag, while five thousand peaceable.
but excited. persons looked on from
the border lines OF the fight, or leaned
perilously from the windows OF build
ings. The yelis of defiance, the curses.
the screams of pain from men and
women, the clacking OF galloping
horses, the curt orders from police
commanders, made a chorus which
overwhelmed the ordinary song Of the
streets,
There was never a doubt as to tho
ability of the police to master the riot
ers. The police fought coldly. syste-
matically, shoulder to shoulder. and
elbow to elbow. The 1. w. w. and
anarchists battled wildly and lost all
Judgment in a furious rage. Police
phalanxes ripped apart the horde and
sent the pieces flying. but while Wild
Joe OCarroll Adolph Wolff. the /. w.
w. poet, and other leaders, roamed
free, their followers kept rallytng to
shrill cries, and attempted again and
again to start forbidden marches.
Where Started.
The conflict with the police and the
resulting casualties today were the
outcome, as on the occasion Of the i.
w. w. invasion of Cooper Unin three
weeks ago. of the red flags determine.
ton to dominate a gathering OF or
ganized labor. which did not want
them, and does not applaud their no.
tons. The outdoor meeting today va
called by the Central Federated union
for the purpose OF expressing sympa-
thy and collecting money for the
striking copper miners In the Calumet.
Mich, district Mother Jones, at
eighty-two, is q prisoner OF me Law
out there, and union labor has been
making a point of her troubles.
Thomas A. Curtis, and other offfclAle
for the meeting OF their organization.
But the defense committee of the I.
w, w. and the anarchists. wanted
Union Square for themselves this
afternoon, and when they were told
by the police that the c. F. U. had
obtained the privilege. they determined
to go and take the square, and after
taking it to terrorize Fifth avenue.
Ernest Bohem. secretary OF the c. r.
Jr.. told the l. W. w. and anarchis3
leaders that the labor men had no
objection to their presence X they
would behave themselves, but that or
ganized labor would not stand for dis
order,