The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-02-25
Women and Children in Crazcd
Throng That Storms Wal
dorf-Astoria Hotel
SIX ARRESTED AND AS
MANY HURT IN CLASH
Madison Square Orator Told
Women to See Governor
Whitman at Hotel; Then the
Mob Went lrazy


New York, Feb 24--Fiye thousand
participants in the food dcmonstra-
lion at Madison Square todav charged
upon the Waldorf-Astoria hotel at
sunset demanding food \ real bread
riot @nsaed Ninety per cent of the
e'tJ7rs-Tr ttrr-tTfrE were woTIIrr and CtItt--
dreh, Six arrests were made ana
half dozen persons were injured in
the clash between them and the mob
ana lie hundred policemen who were
called 10 fight it back
N"tor ears were turned back and
their occupants threatened with
death. one mOtorist, Chauncey Wehl.
man, was mohbed and beaten by n
crowd al women who following tho
! lead Of Samuel Solomon leaped into
Wehlmans car crying.
You ride in comfort while We wafh
and starve. Soon your wife will b4
with us crying for bread
They drove their fists in Wehlman's
face ana dragged him from the steer.
ing wheel, Responding to his cries
for help twenty policemen crashed
their way through the horde around
the car and saved him. Solomon who
dragged unconscious to the police STA
ton.
Meanwhile the frantic women lcav.5
/ ing their screaming children to strnc
gle for themselves in the furore. beat
upon the revolving doors Of he hotel..s
With the Fury OF Amazons.
Give us bread?" they cried.
Others screamed I'VE are starving
at the door
siVny bayc moro fond ba vf,H4e
want feed u.s.
I'VE came to see the governor He
said he would listen to us. Let us see
him. Why can't we see the govcr-
noro"
Don't touch us, screamed the wo-
men to the police. Don't kill US.
We are hungry. We came to get help.
no' to fight the police.
Isabella Sorkin. A pretty girl Of
nineteen. began A savage assault upon
one az the revolving doors. The girl
seemed to have lost her reason. She
called upon the crowd at her back to
come with her
Policeman Jordan, buckling through
the cr~Sd as football halfback,
reached tho frantic girl and tried TO
| haul her away from the door.
She turned upon Jordan and dug
her hngernaiis into his face. She
Csn6GKH&
and then tiinging herself upon him
with the fury of an Amason she
hurled him backward.
Her shrll cries made her sisters
bold. They fastened upon Jordan as
the girl had. Jordan was thrown to
the pavement. The policemen form-&
ed A hollow square around Isabella
and began to remove her to the police
station. In the fight that ensued an
other woman and a man were ara
rested and thrown into the center OF
the riot formation with Isabella To
add to the furore. Women began to
/ realize that their children were lost
and wailing was set up.
The policemen seemed unable to
handle the mob. They declared they
could have cleared the streets 81
ffteen minutes had there been men
to deal with. But the harder they
pushed and the louder they yelled,
the wilder the women became
They screamed curses at the poles
and prayers for food and help. And
the curses and prayers arose In half
a dozen tongues.
Thought War Was Declared.
guest of the hotel was set upon
as he. apparently innocent Of the tenn
per of the mob. sought to force his
way to the doors. He was biz
chap, well over six feet and two hun~xs
dred pounds When the police flnally
rescued him he was bleeding from thu
nose and one ear. His collar and H.
were gone and the sleeve o. his over
coat was missing. The big fellow
seemed dazed.
MY God" he gasped. has war bs1rls
declared?"
Two women arriving in a taxtcah
made an effort to enter tho hotel By
way of the servants entrance The1
made dash for the door ami crows 1
of one hundred women fror, the molD
entered the race yelling:
Listen to us, lady: listen TO NJ
We want food and coal ami you ca
help u.s. Nj
Both the women were we'll drosse1N
and poor runners. One OF them, $685.!
ing entrance to the hotel imposaiblGL Il
fed toward the roadway The otha4
woman was caught. In the fury 0GH
the meeting she was stripped OF he
furs. her hat and the back Of heQMs
skirt. She disappeared an though hg9
magic.
A hatless. bedraggled woman MN
husky voice Of tremendous volunD
began to address the mob It t.
corner OF Fifth avenue and ThtytySs
fourth street / She had spoken TOR Ms
moment only when there came anc<hs
err rush. another wild jam and she ~ H
TO the street screaming:
Bullets Or S1arvattO0.
Use their tactics: use their taczac
Let them shoot Ten m1ght - -