New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-06-16
Cuardsmen Arrest Forty
Unable to Show Regis
tration Cards
Anti CONSUMPTION
Talks Toned Down
Presence Of Troops Results
in Restraint on Seditious
Utterances

Disorder was general last night in
those sections of the East Side, Harlem
and Brownsville in which so-called
anti-conscription meetings were held
Nothing of a seditious nature was
spoken by speakers at any Of the sched-
uled meetings, but anti-draft utter
ances were made by numerous street
corner orators, who appealed to excited
crowds to embarrass the government in
various ways.
Bayonets were brought into play by
members Of the 9Th Coast Defence
command who mounted guard at a
meeting of the Peoples Council held
in Arlington Hall. st. Marks Place.
The speeches at this meeting were mild
and unofFensive, the hall was draped
with American flags and many in the
crowd wore tricolors in their lapels.
Twenty-Five Without Cards Held
The soldiers, however. discovered
twenty-five men in the audience who
were unable 20 show their registration
cards. The men were taken IN patrol
wagons to the ST. Marks Place police
station, protesting that they had regis
tered but had left their cards at home.
The greatest excitement prevailed as
the men were driven away, the crowd
streaming from the hall and, supple
mented by thousands of agitated men
and women, forcing its way 10 the sta
tion house. Clubs, swagger sticks
weighted with bullets and nightsticks
were used by the soldiers and the po-
lice in their efforts TO restore order,
but not until the soldiers drew their
bayonets and drove the throng into
the houses near by was a semblance of
order restored.
No one was injured, so far as could
be learned, but even the passive use of
the bayonet resulted in the greatest
fear and excitement throughout the en-
tire East Side.
OF the twenty-five men arrested in
connection with the Arlington Hall
meeting FIVE were held by the police.
Two of the five, who declared they were
less than twenty-one years old, were
held until their statements could be
verified. Another explained that he had
written 10 the County Clerk at Red
Bank, where he resided, and expected
his registration card soon. Fourteen of
the men were sent home in company
with soldiers in order that they might
show their cards, which they said they
had failed to carry out with them.
The disturbance on the East Side
caused by the dispersal of groups by
soldiers with bayonets continued until
after midnight, when the soldiers were
called off.
Yelled Protests on Draft
At the meeting in the New Star
Casino the utterances Of the speakers
against the draft were made only in a
yelled sort of way, although it had
been understood it was to be an anti
CONSUMPTION meeting" A hundred po-
hcemen, under the command Of In
spector Frank Morris and two lieuten-
ants, and an equal number Of National
Guardsmen-a detail from the Sth
Coast Artillery, under Corporal Levy,
and another from the 47th Infantry,
under Sergeant Halpern-cleared the
street, from Park Avenue to Third Ave
nue., after 1000 persons had jammed
their way in and a still larger nim-
Der had been turned away.
At the conclusion of the meeting
Morris Hillquit announced from the
platform that every man must show his
registration card as ne passed out. In
stantly there was mad rush for the
doors. With nightsticks and short
clubs the Guardsmen beat them back,
and not one was permitted to pass out
without proper credentials A police
automobile appeared in front of the
door and kept its searchlight played
upon II.
pen was made Of small tables at
the rear Of the hall and $50 men who
failed 20 produce cards were corralled
there. a man with a wooden leg al
most escaped, but was brought back
and lined up with the rest, while wives,
sisters and mothers hurried 20 their
homes for the missing cards. One
= hysterical woman stormed the doors,
waving a registration card and shout
ing:
u want my husband! want my
husband"
She was repulsed until calm enough
TO give her husbands name. He wasn't
found among those held.
Seven were ultimately held.
Emma Goldman's Arrest Rumored
The news that Emma Goldman had
been arrested had spread through the
East Side earlier in the evening, and
suppressed excitement marked the
throEgs that filed the streets dis
Cussing her activities. The police had
anticipated trouble in connection with
the scheduled radical meetings, and had
made every preparation 20 handle what
ever disorder developed. Had they
been less well prepared, said Captain
John 7. Sweeney, Of the East Fifth
Street station. order probably would
not have been restored throughout the
night.
Impromptu meetings Hourished along
Second Avenue from 81. Marks Place
20 Houston Street Speakers harangued
the crowds IN Yiddish. Russian and
other languages AZ Houston StI\.t
and Sehond Aenue stood an excited
crowd under futtering red flag The
Stars and Stripes were absent. When
called upon % either take down the
red flag or supplement 10 with the
American emblem, the speakers re-
fused. The police accordingly arrested
Louis Wcitz. twenty-six years old. Of
40 East Thirty-cighth street. Fred
Fedatof. twenty years old, % - St.
Marks Place. and Louis Erons. th r'y-
three years old, Of SO East l24th Street.
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