New-York tribune., 1918-07-22
800 Arrested i'm
Slaclxers' Raid at
Coney Island
Police, Marshals, Soldiers
and Sailors Join in
Roundup

Coney Island experienced one of the
widest nights, or rather mornings, in
It's history yesterday when scores of
deputy United States marshals, police
inspectors, police officers, soldiers and
sailors spread a big "slacker" dragnet
about the island and hauled in 500 men
of draft age who did not have their
draft classification cards. Of this mum
Der, $50 had failed to produce the re-
CURED pasteboards by daylight and
they were taken to the Raymond Street
jai. in Brooklyn yesterday afternoon
There remained at the jail ffty-three
men, the majority OF whom must
answer charge of violating Section 10
of the selective service law.
"Coney" was entertaining a record
Saturday evening crowd when the raids
were made. Approximately 100000
persons had been taking in the sights
during the evening. Large numbers
h. come prepared to spend the night
on the beach; whole families from
Manhattan's east side were on hand
equipped with everything from blankets
to milk for the babies.
Policemen Gathered for Raid
When midnight arrived, those living
near police stations noticed policemen,
strange to the neighbornood, congre-
eating, all ncrvously swinging their
night-sticks. About an nour and half
later little squads of men could be seen
leaving the station houses. each squad
in charge of an inspector or a deputy
United States marshal, who had slip
of paper upon which appeared the ad-
dress of some ice cream saloon, scenic
railway, pool room or other attraction
where young men might be expected to
be found.
The entire raid was so we'll planned
that at 9 O'Clock the net had been all
set and the blow fell in all parts of the
island practically simultaneously.
The Culver depot and the West End
terminals proved to be the most pro-
ductive spots, scores of young men be-
ing picked up at these points. Auto
parties on all roads leading from the
island we're stopped and thoroughly
looked over by business-like men who
spoke in tones of authority.
Late arrivals at the midnight mass
in the Church of Our Lady of Solace. in
West Seventeenth Street, were asked
for their cards and several were side
tracked from their devotions to the
police station.
Streets Were Crowded
From 2 o'clock until long after day
light, West Eighth Street. in front of
the police station, was thronged with
escorts had been taken in the general
round up. Others were parents of
young men who had left their classi-
tication cards in their "other clothes" "
AS fast as relatives arrived with the
required credentials, the men were
allowed to go. AS they were thinned
out in this way, new squads arrived
in the custody of officers or guarded
by soldiers and sailors from various
nearby camps and forts.
AS fast as the men arrived at the
Jail, they were taken before United
States Marshal James II. Power and
United States District Attorney Harvey
H. Harwool The names and addresses
of the men were taken and then they
were herded back to the space usually
reserved for spectators.
Nearly every state in the Union was
represented in the addressed obtained
BY the officials.
Plain Clothesmen George J Noel and
Oliver t. Hanson scored the record
largest number of arrests. turning IL
fifty men between 2 o'clock and day
light. Half dozen soldiers in one
squad lined UP twenty in one crowd on
the beach sands, where they had
stretched themselves for tic night.
The news of the raid spread rapidly
and automobile parties were stopped
ir some cases, and eight times on their
way from the island by policemen con-
nected with Sheepshead Bay and Bath
Beach stations.
The number Of arrests made was the
largest single nights haul in the his