The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-09-10
RIOTING AND LOOTING
WERE PREVALENT
Store Windows Smashed and
Contents Stolen With
out Check

ing lHe Iltn, lELn ana lOth regiments pI
infantry and a machine gun company.
At the same time Mayor Peters, acting
under his own authority under the law,
by demands on the commanders of the
units, summoned to his assistance the
one thousand soldiers stationed in Bos-
ton and forming the 10th regiment, mo
tor corps and a troop of cavalry.
About 1000 members of the state
guard were thus made available for po-
lice duty in this city. They were under
orders to report at o'clock this after
noon.
The decision Of the mayor to call upon
the state guard was reached about noon,
after a morning which had revealed ex-
cesses committed during the night by the
lawless, leaving no doubt that drastic
measures were necessary if the city was
not to be abandoned to the criminal ele-
ment.
Mayor Peters Statement.
In a statement Mayor Peters said:
n have heretofore relied upon the
statement Of the police commissioner
that he had complete control Of the sit
uation. | am now in receipt of com
munication from him in which in sub
stance he says the riots are threatened,
that the police provisions are inadequate
TO preserve order, and requests me to
take steps contemplated by the statutes
Of 1917
This letter, coupled with the occur
rences on last night, when substantial
disturbances of public order took place,
shows that the time has come when the
business of preserving order should be
concentrated in the hands of one person.
Under such circumstances the law places
on the mayor the power and duty to as
sumo control, and propose from now on
70 see 70 i that order is preserved and
persons and property are protected with
IN the limits OF the city Of Boston"
Lawlesness was rampant to-day. With
out adequate police protection, private
citizens were left to their own resources
to protect their lives and property.
Since the police struck at 5:45 o'clock
yesterday afternoon, there has been no
organized police power able to cope with
the situation that last night approached
anarchy and to-day appeared to grow
more serious as the inadequacy Of the
makeshift arrangements intended to pre-
serve public order became obvious to
the criminally inclined.
Last night the city was abandoned
virtually to the hoodlum and criminal.
For some reason not publicly explained,
the volunteer force which il had been ex-
pected would 20 on duty when the po-
lice quit, was not called out until this
morning The banks and larger mercan,
tile institutions were protected by their
own guards, but the small retailer was
at the mercy of mobs. Store windows,
estimated to number 300, were smashed
in and goods by the armful carried away
Police Superintendent Crowley placed
the damage done during the night at
$4,000.
Superintendent Crowley said this
morning that his emergency force made
mp of few faithful policemen and vol
unteers totalled between Geo and 700
This was less than one-half the number
OF the regular police force.
Women Chased by Mob.
Attacks on women throughout the
night were frequent and atrocous. In
numerous parts OF the city there were
villanous assaults According to re-
ports, no woman was safe in the little
frequented districts or where the streets
were not brilliantly illuminated Two
women were pursued by mob and found
refuge in the City hospital The mob
even attempted to force its way into the
institution and was only stopped by a
handful Of officers who had arrived a mo-
ment before with man who had been
shot.
Police Superintendent Crowley ordered
the diseontinuanee OF the sale of fire.
arms. Applications for permits to carry
arms were received by the hundreds
The hoodumism of the night was not
free of bloodshed John A. Scully Of
Brookline was shot in the back of the
head and dangerously injured by po-
lice sergeant, who was pursuing a mob
that had sacked several stores in the
Back Bay district. Thomas lnnis, a street
car conductor, reported at a hospital
with bullet in the leg He said he was
fired upon by someone in crowd A jan
itor in the leather district was stabbed
by man whom the janitor had discov-
cred forcing an entrance to the building.
Another man reached the hospital with
bullet in his back
As near as could be determined the
few policemen struggling to uphold the
law made two hundred arrests. Charges
of larceny ranged from the snatching of
women's handbags to the wholesale theft
of wagon loads of goods from the stores.
This morning the emergency police of
ficers, recruited from citizens Of this and
nearby cities and from students at Har-
ward university, were called out and
made a brave attempt to restore order.
The names of Higginson, Cabot, Peabody,
rockingham and Haughton appeared on
the rolls called at headquarters, Harvard
graduates were prominent, and these in
cluded men who had won fame as stars
of the football and baseball teams and in
the crews. At station 2, near City hall,
"Tacks" Hardwick, Harvard's smashing
football back and end, and c. S. Morrill,
Wiggin, the bulky former oarsman, were
paired as a patrol team
As result Of the appearance of men
in naval uniform among the rioters last
night, Rear Admiral Dunn, commanding
the Boston navy yard, to-day ordered
= g 4 4 !.