New-York tribune., 1919-04-07
Chase After Reds Leads
Into the Building After
Office of Protective As
sociation Is Wrecked
Labor Feud Back
OF Attack Is Charge
Ex.Employer of Guards
Accused of LeadingPur-
suit; No Arrests Made

Soldiers and sailors chased Ralph
Trott, president of the Soldiers,
Sailors and Marines Protective As
bociation, from Union Square to Peo-
ple's House, 7 East Fifteenth Street
yesterday afternoon and ransacked the
place. Then they stormed the head
quarters Of the protective association,
st 1913 East Twenty-third Street, de-
molishing furniture and Selling rec
prds.
The raiders yelled that they were
hunting Bolsheviki. Trott and other
members Of the protective association
beclare that even though some of the
mob believed this they were led by a
man who hired discharged soldiers and
Sailors as guards for strikebreakers
and had personal feud with the
protective association, the aims of
which were not Bolshevik but to en-
dist discharged soldiers, sailors and
narines with the American Federation
Of Labor.
Ralph Trott and his brother, both Of
them honorably discharged as members
Of the 9TH Division. the former after
having been wounded, were in the Sal
sation Army hut in Union Square A
FORMER Canadian soldier whom they had
met in such places before, they said,
soliciting guards for the service of the
New York Towboat Exchange. entered
and eyed them. They were in civilian
garb.
Chased by Scores
Shortly afterward they were sum
moned to the door of the hut. Fifty or
sixty soldiers were grouped there. On.
seized Ralph Trott and yanked him
into the midst of the crowd. Then sew
eral set upon him. He managed to
Irgnt his way clear and ran for Peoples
House, headquarters of the Rand School
OF Social Science.
b. The soldiers and sailors gave chase.
lrot slammed the door Of Peoples
house in his pursuers' faces. BY the
!'mc the foremost had effected an en-
trance Irott was not to be seen, The
uniformed mob burst into an auditor
3um where Professor Henry Wadsworth
Aong'ellow Dana whose radical views
severed his connection with Columbia
university, was delivering lecture on
Russia.
Professor Dana was halted in the
m'dst OF his lecture. The ntruders
demanded Trott. He was not to be
sound. though they searched the room
lor him, to the CONSERVATION of the
audience. Satisfied at last that Trott
was not there, the uniformed men
eisstered out and dashed upstairs.
mere dance was in progress. They
Inlust tne1r way among the dancers
one OF the latter, George Schwartz. a
.otmer member OF the 77th Division,
demanded TO know the meaning Of the
disturbance. '''O
We're after that damned Bolshevik
shouted.
Schwartz expostulated with the man
snd his followers, he told the police
iaIer, and was hit over the head with
nlackJack. HIS Injuries were not seri-
ous. Before the police had responded
10 the call for help sent from People's
mouse, the search party had gone.
sol aahey went to brownstone house at
10 East Twenty-third Street, on the
rsecend floor of which the Soldiers.
Sailors and Marines Protective As
Soeiation has its headquarters.
ne door was forced and the place
wrecked Desks and chairs were
smashed, typewritcrs were hurled
snrougn windows to crash on the side
wax below. Filing cabinets were up
~, 'helr drawers torn out and the
~CCu"hls seized. The entire member
au,p records of the organization were
'''"s "nen help at last arrived.
Lone PatroIman to Rescue
T. lone patrolman was sent from tor
.;ase !"enty-second Street police sta
..on "nen word Of what was going on
sa.ned ,,.d that place from some type
"'''eT-dodging pedestrian. He made
.v arrests Calls for trouble men were
ss". 70 the gas and electric companies
r. Is me Wrcckers mad torn out chande,
- oodily and the whole house reeked
es;lff~D' "nlie wires trailed from the !
lung and walls Of the Offices.
aonr ~ s.uiar .l winch vas found on the
III ar OF the wrecked office reads:
\. DO you know that thousands ~ en-,
az ano saliors arc out of q Job?
=. 10 you know that wages are falling
we are coming back?
o. now long will we be able to live nm
s"s s"s memory Of the receptions we re-
ac. awhat are VIC going to do?
''eans are always open"
- sehWartz, the ex- soldier who was IN +ha
~. at the Peoples House. declared
bsa ncr ne,tncr frott nor his organization
an, nD'isneTk tendencies they were
sn,,,.i. s@s,. iD.oishevik, he asserted. AZ thew
sy;s,knI ,s;,k TO prevent men DISCHARGED from
eb.aIy ebsry service from becoming public
css'iR niiKss and TO enroll them With or
tsetiyes sisoneous soa.s conception of the pro-
ks.s, es saaa, after speech made under -,
fypssss iass week by former naijor
o vas connected With lha ns"~;a9n "@,av
&yepaent In Seattle. The snsat.x rys'ss
~ yemarks lad been rsn,.Glsssa Gnlsss
L. .s.'. &ehHaxt Dsxaid !