Evening star., 1914-07-05
McLennan "Restrained'' i'm
Denouncing Present Form I
of Government Government. :
"ARMY" STEALS MARCH
ON POLICE OF DISTRICT
Leader Released From Custody Upon
Promise to Retreat" With
Sixteen Followers.

The army of Gen" Kelly stole q
march on the police OF the Capitol build
ing yesterday afternoon about o'clock.
when every one else in Washington was
celebrating Independence day. and Col
McLennan succeeded in making a brief
speech from the steps of the structure in
which the laws of the country are made,
denouncing the present form of govern
ment, for the purpose, he declared. OF
calling attention to the large number of
unemployed persons in the United States.
col" McLennan. who is the leader of
the little band that is the remnant OF
the army OF unemployed that started
from California for Washington early in
the spring and who has been encamped
with his followers on the Virginia side
of the Highway bridge for week. was
interrupted shortly after he" began to
speak by the police Of the Capitol build
ing and soon they detected him.
He was taken In custody, but was not
locked up. His assurance that the army
would retreat from the Capitol grounds
gained him freedom.
Thus ended an attempt that has gained
more or less newspaper notoriety for
several months. which has resulted in
Gen" Kelly himself being sentenced TO
Sacramento prison, in California, and
which has brought about the arrest OF a
number of his followers in various states
of the Union. while on the way to Wash
ington for the demonstration"
California McLennan's Goal.
Col" McLennan said last night that
he intends to leave as soon as possible
for California. What would become of
the army" he did not know. He said he
and his men were penniless. and Maj"
pof fvc all Of
said the other members of the band have
been starved OUT so far as the capital
of the United States is concerned.
I'VE have been up against a hard
proposition in Washington" Maj.
Kelly said. 1T has been as hard as
anything l have ever been up against
In my life. We have had barely two
square meals a week in, Washington-if
you can call the Virginia side of the
Highway bridge Washington-and, so far
as l am concerned. shall be glad to get
away. I am off to the Canadian north
west, and no! for job with the harvest
hands,
Permission to speak from the Capitol
steps had been refused Col McLennan.
the leader OF the little band that finally
accomplished, in some measure, its object
yesterday afternoon. Vice President
Marshall had given personal instructions
to prevent it, but with Congress not in
session, and few people about, yesterday
afternoon was deemed a suitable time. by
the army to attempt to carry out its
project. After his speechmaking was
stopped. Col" McLennan came out OF
the Office Of the Capitol police suffering
under no greater punishment than an
admonishment. Then his bugler. bring
Ing a bent and much twisted instrument
into play, blew a blast. and with the
colonel at it's head the army" moved
away.
Members of Col" McLennan's army"
last night said he had been arrested.
His description of the occurrence tall
lied with that Of the police Of the Capi-
tol building, who said he had been
detained"
March Down the Avenue.
On the march to the Capitol members
of the army" proceeded through
Pennsylvania avenue. attracting prac-
tically no attention because almost
every one in Washington was busily
celebrating Independence day. e'Col-"
McLennan led the way, then came his
bugler, Capt" Brown. and about six
teen members of the army" followed.
I'VE left the camp about 4 o'clock.
| John D. De Motto. who accompanied
the army. said last night The men
figured that the police of the city would
be out in Rock Creek Park. Geological
Park and at other points where the
Fourth of July celebrations We're being
held and they also figured that there
would be no great number of guards in
and about the Capitol building. as they
knew Congress was not in session and
expected a number of guards would be
Off because of the holiday.
They got to the Capitol about
o'clock Before they went into the Cap
ftol grounds they circled about to
see IL there were any police or Capitol
guards on hand who might stop them,
sad there was not one in sight.
When they got on the Capitol steps
the bugler. Capt Brown, blew .atten-
ton and then the Assembly call. Then
Col McLennan. the leader, began to
speak from the Capitol steps. in the CEN
ter of the building. The men had. gath
ere, about him and below him In a semi
circle
LAS Col MeLennan continued to speak
the Capitol police came. One OF the SER
seants told me that Vice President Mar
shall had given strict personal instruc-
tions that the men should be arrested
the minute they tried to speak or 10
conduct a demonstration. They led the
colonel off, and then the army hip-hip-
hoorayed and ieered. They said that
they felt they had accomplished the's
object.
Called STARVATION Army"
There were about sixteen or sevens
teen i'm the party. When the 'armyA
arrived here there were forty-two men
in the party, but this morning four OF
them backed out and left, and during
the day others also left the camp near
the Highway bridge for parts un-
known"
THE starvation Army was the title
given the so-called organization by
one of its members last night
And that goes he said.
He declared that of forty or more
men who had been in the party yes
terday but few, so far as he knew, had
had anything to eat during the day.
Some of the members of it had man.
aged to get food from housewives in
Virginia by doing odd jobs of beg
ging. but the others had not Jared
that we'll According to another ''pri-
vate." a sheriff in Virginia yesterday
notified the party that it would have
TO leave it's camp near the Potomac.
Some of them last night said that they
might pitch camp on the Potomac fats
until they got themselves ready to get
out of town.
The men have been selling literature
on their way from the west, but they
say they have not been able to obtain
in NaS or bax