Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-09-11
MILITARY RULE

faction Of the criminal class. The re-
sponsibility for the situation was Bit
teYly debated wherever citizens met an
From the governors Office came an inn
piled rebuke' in the statement that the
governor had been ready for two days
to meet . request for assistance from
the mayors ONCE. Mayor Peters in
statement for the press accused the
governor Of trying to place upon him
. responsibility that rested with Police
Commissioner Curtis. an appointee of
the governor. The mayor said Curtis
had assured him that the aid of the
state guard would not be needed and
that he. the mayor, had no authority
to. call for troops until disturbances
had actually occurred. Charges that
politics was responsible were secuted
from the street corners wherever
group of citizens gathered.
The patrolmen, numbering roundly
400. virtually the entire body. struck at
6ls o'clock Tuesday afternoon, as they
had voted to do early that morning.
Hope that the strike could be avoided
was openly abandoned during the aft
ernoon. The business men were reas-
kured. however. by statements that hal
been current for several days that II
volunteer force was being rapidly or
gained and that the police commission
er and the higher officials of the resu.
lar force were prepared for EVENTUAL
ties.
Last evening the banks and larger
business houses took special precau-
lions, but smaller dealers trusted to the
improvised police force.
For some reason not publicly explain
ed the volunteer policemen were not
called out until this morning. with the
result that throughout the night the
city was virtually at the mercy of
mobs. Exact figures of the damage done
could not be had because Of the alb
sence Of the usual police reports. SUI
perintendent of Police Crowley estima:-
ed the monetary loss roughly at $780,
600. An estimate of the stores. the win
dows Of which were broken in and the
stocks looted. was 800. At any .ate.
scarcely a district In the city failed
this morning to show evidences of law
lessness. In some instances trucks
were backed up to stores whose wi l.
dows had been smashed and deliberate
ly loaded with loot.
Numberless institutions were rob-
bed. Dice games for varying stakes.
were boldly opened in the streets
and on Boston Common or wherever
professional gamblers found men
with money. One man on the COM
mon had just pocketed gains Of 500
when he was knocked in the head
and his roll taken. Other crimes of
revolving nature were committed.
Unprotected women were brutally
assaulted in dark corners. Two wo-
men pursued by a mob found refuge
IN the city hospital. Their pursue-s
forced their way into the institution,
where they were driven back by off,
GERS who had just brought in a man
with a bullet in his head.
Daylight brought a cessation Of
the holder attempts on life and prop
erty. but petty thefts in great num-
bers continued and in some cases
thieves made rich haul. A truck
containing 80 cases Of shoes VALUED
at $4,000, the property of the McEl-
vain Shoe Company, was driven
away by thief. In Scollay Square a
truck was relieved Of its load Of
coal by men and boys who took the
coal to throw a the few police Of
fiecers on duty. One onicer was bad
ly wounded in the eye.
Women were victims in many
cases Of those who make a speciality
Of snatching purses. This work was
made more profitable by the unusual
number of women in the streets at
tracted by curiosity. In all the
crowds that idled in the streets nine
out of ten probably were merely cur
ious. But in every group there ap-
peared to be a few, ranging from the
simply mischievous to the criminal
ly inclined who were ready to start
something at every opportunity. Ex-
ecration Of the police and Of the
city omcials, who were accused Of
not acting promptly and firmly, led
to frequent fist fights in which many
Joined. The nerves Of the people
seemd to cd on edge and it didn't
take much pro~ocation to start a
row. -
Countless cases Of lawlessness went
unpublished but the municipal courts
had all the business to which they could
attend. Many persons were given sen
fences of six months for rioting or ba-
cause loot was found upon them. South
Boston had the greater number of cases,
az the outbreaks there were more fire..
Quent and violent than elsewhere.
After last nights experience business
men were not inclined to take unneces-
sary chances tonight. The banks and
!. other houses in the financial district
doubled their guards and many mer-
chants barricaded their stores. On Ire
mont street fence was built in front
Of one block. jewelers. removed stocks
from their windows and turned on more
lights than usual. Shoe. dealers. who
suffered more than any others. took
special precautions. many Of them
boarding up their windows and leaving
special guards in the stores. A grea.
many permits to carry revolvers were
issued. but only to those whose armins
was authorised by the mayor. Such If
the city lights al usually are discoa-
tinued at midnight were kept lighted.
Burglary insurance jumped from Is
to Is cents on coptractc covering riot
and civil commotion." It was estimated
by underwriters that burglary insur-
ance written today had run well into
tens Of millions Of dollars.
Secret service men who watched the
railroad stations carefully said that