Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-01-14

| NEW YORK, January 13.--Echoc:
! Of the Russian Bolshcvilk tumult ar,
penetrating to the ends OF the earth
Even in tho United States their effect
is felt In spirit of rcstlessness and
| rebellion stirring certain New York
slum districts. This Is most notice.
able in those quarters populated by i'm
migrants from Russia. In parts OF
the East Side. RolShevik doctrines have
literally been shouted from the house.
tops. and even translated into lawlcss
action.
The recent nayoralty campaign In
New York brought the restless East
Side elements to the surface. Tho So
cialist candidate policd d heavy vote in
this section. bu, both the old parties
and the Fusionists invaded his strong
hold to battle for votes. They were
met by the battle cry OF the radicals
torrents of eloqucncc in Enslieh and
foreign tongues. lcgions OF soap box
orators. street professions of disaf.
tected Sweatshop workers. and open
enunciation of doctrines so extremely
radical that even cd residents OF the
district were surprised
On one occasion there was "A politica
deba tc scheduled between the Socialis,
ana Republican candidates for a minor
ofhce The debate was held in n hall
seating 1000 persons. a thousand
tickets wero distributed in advance
Inc East Side is taking 4 burning in
terest in politics nowadays. and the
thousand ticket holders were only an
insignificant fraction OF the people who
wanted TO hear that debate. A crowd
estimated at 10000 stormed the doc. :
Next door TO the hall there is a drug
store. The crowd surged into the drug
store and threatened to tear down the
partition wall in order to get into the
debate. a hundred and fifty police re-
serves were called to clear the street
and the house. Numbers OF tho en-
thuSiastS fed to the roof and refused
TO move. The police lieutenant ap-
pcalcd TO their regard for law and or
der and the rishte of the owner OF
the building. To which the crowd
howlcd that tho owner had no right to
possess n building while they possessed
no buildings. that they had as much
right 10 il as he had.
Police CIenr Building.
Moral suasion having failed. the vet
Gran East Side police proceeded to
clear tho building in accordance with
time honorcd and effective methods.
Several young women. however. re-
treated TO a corner OF the roof and
indicated their intention OF dying be-
fore they surrendered. or words TO that
effect. Tho lieutenant said reEretfulIy
that il they did not move nc would
set up such an outcry that the owner
Of the building requested that they be
left alone. lest the crowd in the street.
hearing their cries. should conclude
that they were being murdered and
tear his house brick from brick. Any
ono who saw the dcnsely packed streets
Of that section during tho campaign
solid torrents of packed and damned
humanity, where man could have
walked for blocks on the heads Of the
crowd-will realize that tho pro-
prictors fears were not unfounded
The corner where this building stands
was something of storm center
throughout tho campaign. and on tho
night before election T. solid line Of
police were drawn up on each side
OF it. Before the night ~as over they
were forced TO use their clubs more
than once. The disturbances here were
not exceptional The spirit Of riot was
abroad in several OF the foreign quar-
ters. and the slogans OF the crowd were
no longer the cheap food or high wage
notices that they shouted in tho pa ST.
but sentiments and sentences rcmin!s-
cent OF those that were carried on ban
ners down tho streets Of PetroErad
DiSorderly crowds are nothing new
on the East Side. They arc the daily
problem Of the police. But. according
to intelligent mon who have lived in
the district for thirty years. the East
Side IS more turbulent and restless to-
day than they have ever seen IT, and
they attribute the condition to the ef-
feet Of the Russian situation on the
foreign population. especially those OF
Russian extraction. While prices are
undoubtedly cruelty high for some OF
the poor. there is no lack OF work and
wages are good. The conditions that
formerly bred riot in these districts
arc largely absent. Yet ono veteran
police officer remarked only short
timo ago. We arc going to need big
clubs down here for "a while"
The election was n scene of great
excitement and considerable disorder
but none OF the minor disturba noes
were allowed to reach Formidable pro-
portions. Tho New York police never
permit crowd to get out Of hand"
The daily life OF the slum district is
going forward absolutely unchanged
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