Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-03-10
British Policemen Brutally
Beat American Soldiers
and Sailors.
TWO SOLDIERS IN
HOSPITAL INJURED
Clash Growing Out Of Arrests During
Game Of Craps ReSults in Riot in
Which Canadians and Australians
Side With Amercans-British In
spector Admits Policemen Lost Their
Heads and Were Too Brutal.

London. March 10-Corporal c, r.
Zimmerman and Private l.. y. Wilson
American military policemen who were
injured during fighting between Lon
don police and soldiers and sailors the
resting quitely at q hospital here. 1t
is not known how seriously .hey are
hurt
The trouble began when Zimmerman
and Wilson demanded that the civil
police turn over to them two Ameri-
can sailors who had been arrested In
the vicinity of Eagle Hut on charge
of playing craps. The argument grew
bitter and finally the policemen drew
their batons and severely beat both
soldiers.
American, Canadian and Australian
and a few British soldiers who were
lounging near protested and followed
the policemen with the four Amerl-
cans to the Bow street police headquar-
ters The crowd grew less demon
strative when the officers and their
prisoners had entered the building, put
an unfounded report that Iimmermon
was dead led to threats to storm the
station.
The police charged on the crowd and
William Van Sice and Edward Ro"-
land were injured. The crowd was
finally dispersed. An American mil
tary officer who arrived at the station
soon after demanded possession of the
four men injured in the first melee, hts
demand being granted. A number Oh
uninjured men were arrested but So
far no charges have been preferred
against them.
1t is expected that joint army and
navy board will conduct an investisa-
ton of the incident.
Officer Describes Clash.
Inspector Wilson described the in
cident as follows:
"A little after o'clock crowd OF
about 800 Americans. Canadians and
Australians appeared in front of the
station and a, deputation entered my
office demanding the immediate re-
lease Of the two sailors.
II answered I was unable to re-
lease them, but would turn them over
to the American provost marshal.
We'll pull your whole damn station
down il you don't release them,
threatened. the men, and I ordered the
station cleared.
1.-THE policemen didn't treat anybody
too gently. I myself was passing down
the Strand and happened to drop into
the midst Of the riot at lis O'Clock.
Aldwych street. the Eagle I!ut, one side
OF the Aldwych Theater and the Aus
~ TO
surging with a fighting mob, with
policemen backed up against the
Strand Theater, making baton charges
to scatter the Americans, Australians
and Canadians.
Australians Cry "Mob."
'"The instant the trouble started the
Australians set up the war cry, "Mob.
Mob" and came pouring out of their
headquarters to join the Americans
|swarmng from the Eagle Hut
However responsible the sailors and
soldiers may have been for starting the
trouble, as a spectator I may say that
the London police lost their heads in
their rage and clubbed the men un-
mercifuRy.
"One instance particularly that
noticed in which the police were hot
headed was the case Of Military Police
Corporal Zimmerman, Company 242
from the Winchester camp. thinner
man ran out of the Eagle Hut in an
attempt to stop the sailors charges
against the police, but a husky
"bobbie' swung at Zimmerman without
Questioning him. Zimmerman reached
for his gun, but two other policemen
Joined his assailant and the three
hammered away at him with their
clubs.
"A seaman named Pickens. who halls
from New York City. rushed to zim-
1nerman's assistance and fought until
I.dazeG by blow from a club.
Zimmerman was drasgcdy in a half
conscious condition into Bow Street
station"
Not an Intern ationai Affair.
Admidal Sims, commander Of the
American naval, forces in European
waters, in talking to the Associated
Press today regarding the incident at
the Eagle Hut yesterday, was inclined
to deprecate the affair.
1T is not an international affair"
said the admiral, "but purely q police
incident and so regarded by all the
authorities concerned. There has been
misunderstanding regarding the
status Of the American military police"
Admiral Sims called attention to the
fact that the London police regard the
American soldiers as the best behaved
that have visited London.
Sundays affair will be investigated
by a commission. possibly consisting
Of an officer appointed by Admiral
Sims, two army officers and an officer
appointed by the British authorities.
The two most seriously injured are
Australian soldiers.
------------------ M
Baker Visits Camp Custer.
Detroit, March TO- Secretary Of
War Baker and General Peyton G.