The public ledger., 1918-11-26
RED FLAGS
CAUSE RIOT
IN GOTHAM
Soldiers, Sailors and Marines Charge
Police Line and Break Up "Red"
Meeting Thousands Aid in
Scattering Band.

Scattering Band.
New York, November 26-Hundreds
Of soldiers, sailors and marines broke
through a Gordon of police surround
ing Madison Square Garden last night
and attacked international Socialists
who had attended a mass meeting at
which Bolshevik doctrines were ex-
pounded The men and women leav-
ing the hall broke and fed as the men
in uniform charged past the police,
but were pursued into the side streets
in all directions.
The attacks on the Socialists came
at the close of meeting which threat
ened from the moment it began to
break into a riot. 1t was called os-
tensibly to protest against the exeCu-
tion of Thomas j. Mooney but Scott
Nearing, who presided, and the other
speakers devoted most of their at
tention to pleas for the release of
political" offenders.
Several men and women were ar
rested for displaying red flags snug
gled into the garden in defiance of an
edict by Mayor Hylan. Large num-
bers of men in uniform entered the
building before the doors were locked
with the avowed determination of pre-
venting attacks upon the government.
They were restrained with difficulty
by police and detectives from making
an assault upon the stage. Scores of
fist fights were interrupted by Off
GERS.
Soldiers and sailors who were un-
able to get into the meeting sent out
patrols to round up all the men in
uniform who could be found to join
in the charge on the Socialists when
the oratory ended and the interna.
tionalists started for their homes.
Madison Square was the rallying
point for the military. They quickly
staged an impromptu mass meeting at
which speakers denounced the "Bol-
sheviki."
They were cheered not only by men
in uniform but by civilian sympath-
izers. When someone called upon
loyal Americans" to charge the gar.
den and attack the internationalists,
several hundred responded. They were
driven back, however, by mounted po-
lice and men on foot who had sur
rounded the building.
Realizing that they had failed in
the first attack, the soldiers and sail
ors resumed their meeting and await
ed the arrival of reinforcements Pro
badly 1000 men of both branches OF
the service had assembled by the time
the meeting adjourned.
The opening of the doors of the gar
den was the signal for a second
charge which the police were unable
to repel. The soldiers and sailors
fought their way past swinging night
sticks and attacked the Socialists, who
had packed the big building.
Almost instantly the square was fill
ed with yelling, running, fighting men
The screams of women, most of then
wearing red roses or carnations in
lieu of the forbidden flags, rose above
the din, as they clawed and scratched
the soldiers and sailors who were
! pummeling the male Socialists.
Mounted police, reinforced by auto
mobile loads of reserves rushed from
every station house within a radiu:
of miles, struggled valiantly to clea,
the square but made little progress
Soldiers and sailors, thoroughly ang
cred by what they considered an in
sidious attack on flag they had swori
to defend, paid little attention to blows
from night sticks. They were bent OF
getting revenge from the information
alists and many of them succeeded
The square was cleared of men on
ly when Socialists by ones, twos ant
in groups broke and fed.
The scrimmage in the park thei
was transferred on a smaller scale in
to every neighboring street.
Groups of Socialists soon were run
ming madly along Fifth avenue a hal
mile north and south of Twenty-sixtl
street pursued by shouting uniformet
men. Most of them were hatless an,
coatless, having lost the major par
of their garments In the scuffle.
When they went to the mass meet
ing the men, almost without excep
tlon, wore red neckties because re-
flags were under official ban. Thes
red ties were the special mark OF tn
soldier and sailors, After the battl
they were cherished souvenirs,