Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-01-26
S. p. G. A. Factions Line
Up in Fight for Control
Continued from rage One


that he had better move carefully because
the election surrey would be contested in
court Mr.. Breen meant. OF course If the
Miss Bddle ticket lost and Il looked from
the temper Of the meeting that 1t surely
would. He said very plainly that no yea
ana nay voting should be permitted, and
asked for ballot voting even on the tenn
porary organization. limiting that the meet
ing was packed with nonmembers who had
no right to vote.
After the meeting was ad jOurned to al
low for balotinE. Joseph p, Gaffney chair
man Of Councils Finance Committee, rushed
up to Mr.. Lewis He came thrcateuingly
ard told him that the whole procedure had
been shamefully Illegal and that Mr.. Lewis
would certainly have to answer for It..
For moment the atmosphere was dis.
tinctly pugnacious but Mr. Lewis said he
would answer for II in court IL necessary {;
that the organization OF the meeting would
not be disturbed today.
you certainly will answer for it in
court" Mr.. Gaffney replied
COUNTERCHARGEs MADE
Trouble at the meeting was not uunx-
pcCtcd and a heavy detail Of police was ON
hand headed by Captain Mills, Each SIDE
accused the other of summOninE the police
and captain Mills said nothing, but simply
smiled automatically. There were also
several ambulances on hand to care for
any one who might get hurt, also dog
ambulance.
The crowd had gathered long before the
time set for the meeting. BY 10 oClOCk.
when ii was to have begun. it was impOs-
slble TO get near the door of the building,
much less the room of the meeting. which
vas around a long hallway. Upstairs there
was an executive committee meeting In
progress SO downstairs the many men and
women amused themselves singing Bright
en- the Corner" and 'lf Your Heart Keeps
Right and some other camp meeting songs.
1t was peaceable enough while the eNecu-
tive committee was upstairs When the
crowd tired OF singing, one very comely
young woman standing crushed up against
a wall sang the Rosary" and an Irish
melody that was SO beautiful that the un-
ruy crowd was as sin as could be-
shortly aftcrward the officials came
downstairs and when they had pushed their
way to the front the trouble started. 1t
was all in the rear of the room. Men
started to wrangle. and two of them threat
cned to put one disturber in the cellar.
"ItIl take two of you :" he snapped back.
while women .Hierpoated with you should
he ashamed. and 80 ON. Suddenly the ar
gumeut was stopped when a tall. luuky man
hauled Off and punched small man in the
nose. He truck back; a woman tainted,
and two men showed the tall assaiant into
Il crowd Of women.
From still farther in the rear came a
voice Of protest:
"'rhis is the Ninth Ward, not the Fifth"
IL said.
II was absolutely impossible to carry the
faintiug women to fresh air one could not
move I'm any direction, so crowded was the
room and hall, and so the faintng women
simply had to revive of their own accord.
Then interest was transferred to the
front again, where persons were trying to
organize the meeting.
Mr.. Lewis moved the nomination and
election OF Mrs, Mary f. Lowell as chair