The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-03-10
TOOK SIDES WITH
U.S.SOLDIERS
Australians and Canadians
Championed Yanks Against
London Police. ..
SECOND FRAY AVOIDED
Jack" Coombe Urged Men to
Keep Cool-zimmerman
Reported Dead.

Keporte0 Oea0.
London. March 1o.-U. N. s.
A thorough investigation Is being
made today by Provost -ssrshal-
Major Campbell. U. s. A G to the
riot in the Strand yesterdf 5 which
a number of American j. RS and
sailors and policemen WI s ounded.
In the fighting. which 3 ed after
a policeman arrested tv : mericans
for shooting craps" "a Eagle
hut, Australian and :: dian SOL
diers Joined on the sid !, the Amer
leans. @
242 from Winches e camp, was
clubbed by a 'Lo policeman
when, he. ran forth fro.- Eagle hut In
an attempt to prevent the American
sailors from charging against the po-
lice line. A wild rumor got abroad
some way that Zimmerman had died
in Bow street station, and several
soldiers returned to Eagle hut TO pro-
cure rides just brought in by bunch
of men on leave from France.
Jack" Coombe, of Philadelphia, in
charge of the leave men, Jumped to
the top of table and exhorted the
more trouble. During q iuIl in the
fighting, two motor trucks filled with
American soldiers just IN from
France on furloughs threaded their
way towards Eagle hut Can Ameri-
can rest hut for soldiers and sailors).
That's the Stuff" Shouted.
7 At the sight of the bayoneted rifles
carried by the doughboys the Aus
| tralians set up the shout: That's
the stuff. Give them the bloody
Steel"
Lieut.. Porter and Lieut. Sears had
| rushed to the scene from the pro-
vost marshal's Office in an automo-
bile to disarm the Americans. Thirty
American military policemen, who
| had been held in reserve at Eagle
hut, were sent out to Aldwich street
| to gather in all Americans they could
| find.
As the police lines were drawn back
from the scene of the original fray,
| a crowd followed but did not attack.
Red Cross ambulances carried off
| five Americans, including two
stretcher bearers and one Canadian.
All had been hurt.
Mai Campbell visited the Bow
Street police station to take over the
American prisoners. The soldiers were
sent to his office and the sailors to
| naval headquarters.
| Maj. Campbell was asked for a
statement, but replied:
II cannot trust myself to make one
now. But a thorough investigation is
proceeding" oesN
At the hospital the sname OF the
lsfo,sr srgs2jAxnerioaas~svtA tAissn- -t1seBea with
FZfmmerman were refused. One mili-
tary policeman, WHO was said TO be
p. G. Field. was reported to have a
fractured skull. 'e'
A sailor named A. A. Towner, of
Chicago, was wounded, but not Sc
riously enough to go to the hospital.
| About twenty, American soldiers and
| sailors were arrested
Injured Resting Quietly.
London, March ga. P)-Corpl.
c. r. Zimmerman and Private L. N.
| Wilson, American military policemen,
who were injured during the fighting
today between London police and
soldiers and sailors, are resting quiet
lv at hospital tonight. It. is not
known how seriously they are hurt.
The trouble hegan when Zimmer-
man and Wilson demanded that the
| civil police turn over to them two
| American sailors who had been ar
rested in the vicinity of Eagle Hut
on a charge of playing craps. The
argument grew bitter, and finally the
| policemen drew their batons and Sc
| verely beat both soldiers.
American, Canadian, Australian
and a few British soldiers who were
| lounging near protested and followed
the policemen, with the four Ameri-
! cans, to the Bow Street police head
| quarters. The crowd grew less DEM
| onstrative after the officers and their
| prisoners had entered the building,
but an unfounded report that Zim-
norman was dead led to threats to
storm the station. The police charged
on the crowd and William Van Sice
| and Edwin Rouland were injured.
| The crowd was finally dispersed. An
| American military officer, who arr
rived soon after, demanded posses
| sion of the four men injured in the
| first melee, his demand being granted.
A number of uninjured men were ar
| rested. but so far no charges have
| been preferred against them.
| It is expected that a joint army
and navy board will conduct an in
| vestigation of the incident.
Admiral Sims, commander of the
American naval forces in European
waters. ordered all sailors to report
| to their ships and put an armed pa
| troll of marines in the thoroughfares
adjacent to Wldwich street.
Arraigned in Bow Street.
London, March 10.-Americans who
were arrested during the fighting be-
i tween American soldiers and sailors
| and the London police were arraigned
in Bow Street police court today.
James McNally was charged with
obstructing the pohce. He asked to
! be allowed to see the United States
| consul. and was remanded until to-
morrow.
An American soldier named Wright
made similar request, and his case
went over until Tuesday.
| James Campbell was charged with
assaulting a policeman and causing
grievous injury. He denied the
charge. saying it was case Of mis-
taken identity. He was remanded for
a week.
Canadians and Australians sided
with the Americans in the rioting.
Not international Affair.
London. March 1o.-Admiral Sims.
| commander OF the, American naval
forces in European waters. IN talking
to the Associated Press today re-
| gardinc the incident at the Eagle hut
| yesterday, was inclined to depre-
| cate the affair and regard it as a
| sporadic occurrence without signi-
| ficance.
| ut is not an international affair.
said the general. "but purely police
incident, and is so regarded by all