Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1919-05-07
REMOVE COAST GUARDS FROM
CITY FOLLOWING DISORDERS
WITH CIVILIANS and POLICE
Two Guards in Hospital-- Three
Fined $25 After Riot in
Upper Smith Street

this city will go virtually out of exist
ence this afternoon, when lao men OF
the First Company, U. S. Coast
Guard will embark for New York,
leaving but thirty men of the company
here to look after the government
property until the expiration of the
lease on the Board of Trade building
on June 80. This action was taken
by Capt Kovel of this district follow
ing disorder here last night and the
night previous between coast guards
and civilians.
At conference with X. s. McCann,
warrant carpenter in charge of the
local barracks, Mayor Dorsey this af-
ternoen was informed that thirty men
remaining here are all picked men
who have good records. None of the
thirty was connected with the disor-
ders last night or on the previous
night and the mayor said that ne
would expect citizens to treat these
men as they should be treated. The
men who were in the trouble last
night will all be shipped away today.
Mr.. McCann will remain here In
charge of the barracks
The 40 men were aboard boats at
the city dock at 2 o'clock this after
noon ready to leave for the Barge Or
flce in New York. Five policemen,
Chief P. ]. Burke and Recorder Pick
roped off and citizens were prohibited
from using 1t while the men were go-
ing aboard the boats.
Capt Koval called Mayor Dorsey
this morning and said that the boats
to take the guards to New York werc
on the way to this city this morning.
Capt KoVal asked the mayor IL, In
the light of this action, three men now
being held at police headquarters In
default of payment of fines, could not
be released and the mayor said that
IL the company would furnish off1cers
to guard the men to the boat and IL
the discharge was satisfactory to Re-
corder Pickersgill he would be satis-
fed. Capt. Koval said the arrangement
was satisfactory to him.
Two Coast Guards are in the hos
pital and three more of them are III
the lookup following a free for all
battle last night staged on smith
street near the trolley car barns be-
tween a detachment of the coast de-
tenders, numbering about sixty and
mob of upper Smith street vicinity
youths. This disorder is the outcome
of the street fight Monday night when
four of the Coast Guards were ar
rested on charges of disorderly con-
duct for fighting in the street and
grossly insulting woman In the Dub
lin section.
Last night about o'clock two of
guards took a walk out Smith street
and when they got near the car barns
were recognized by two of the Dublin
gang, who Immediately proceeded to
beat them up.
this fight, came back to headquar-
ters and told their comrades what
had happened. Then about o'clock
a crowd of the guards came out OF
the barracks, intending to march up
to Dublin and avenge their mates
who had received the beating earlier
in the evening.
the men at the Central railroad cross
ing and inquired whittier they were
bound. One of the men volunteered
the Information that they were going
I'D and clean out the Dublin section
In order to reap revenge Tor the IN
suit that their men had gotten at the
hands of several Dublin boys. The
officer demonstrated with them, de-
ciaring that they should not go too
FAR and take the law in their own
hands, since IL a wrong had been
done their men, the police could and
would take care of the matter.
According to the officer the men
absolutely refused to return to quar-
ters. The roundsman then went to
the commanding officer of the guards
10 see IL the men could not be order
ed off the street as they were creating
a disturbance. K. s. McCann, the
officer in charge, said that as long
as townspeople were lined up on the
streets with bricks waiting to assault
the men he would not order them In
Calvin and McCann left the barracks
but when they had gone about 800
feet the Coast Guard officer turned
back, declaring that he would see
what could be done to get the men 10
return to headquarters.
When Calvin went back to see
where the guards had gone he per-
ceiyed a mob up near No. A school.
He summoned several patrolmen and
on arriving at the school found a
pitched battle between the coast pro-
tectors and civilians in progress.
Calvin ordered the officers to break
ilp the fight and disperse the crowd.
In doing this four of the guards who
were seen fighting were put under
arrest and taken to the station.
The mob was so infuriated by that
time that in order to avert any more
disorders ACQUIRING. Calvin issued an
order that all Coast Guards found on
the street be brought to police head
quarters for safe keeping. for it was
feared that the crowd would kill any
guards they could lay hands on.
Each of the three men arrested
were arraigned before Recorder Pick