Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-05-02
AUDITORS OF
SOCIALIST ALL
WEARING RED

ical and industrial prisoners. ! de-
mand that this freedom be granted
them without delay"
Big crowds gathered during the
evening outside the Swedish audi
forum, Sixteenth and { ago
streets; at socialist headquarters,
Twenty-hrst and Cunning streets and
at the dingy hall of the l. w. w,
l04 North Thirteenth street.
But large, thick policemen were
at all three places and determined
looking plain clothes men "circula-
ted through the crowds and there
were no bolshevistic ou.bursts.
Chief of Police EberSle,n was "on
the job" in person all evening. He
went from place to place II an auto
mobile.
"There'll be no I. w. w. or So
cialist meetings" he said. Il shall
carry out Mayor Smiths instruc-
tons to the letter. Plenty of po-
licemen are stationed at every place
where there is any likelihood of an
attempt to hold a meeting"
Couldn't Get Support.
"How many men have you out?"
II can get about 400 if | need
them" said the chief.
From Fort Omaha?"
well, there was militia " man i'll
nv office this afternoon and that
is the subject we talked about" said
the chief.
About 1000 people we're gathered
outside the Swedish auditorium
early in the evening. Eight blue
coats mounted guard in front of the
building and detectives were sprin-
killed. through the crowd.
A big, roughly-dressed man nearly
got himself arrested when he walked
up to the door and tried to enter.
Sergeant Wentz stopped him. They
had some words of dispute but the
fellow finally obeyed the officers
injunction to move and move rap
idly.
A small panic started in the drug
store at the corner adjoining the
Swedish auditorium when tank OF
car1on gas at the soda fountain
sprung a blowout" with loud
report. Twenty people were in the
store at the time. There were
screams and wild plunge for the
CO =.
ITS a bomb!' somebody yelled.
At the socialist hall. Twenty
first and Cunning streets, an attempt
was ..lso made to hold meeting.
But there were many officers there,
too. No sooner had the hall been
opened than the socialists were IN
formed that no meeting would be
held ......
Kapinski Protests.
George Kapinski, secretary OF
the state socialist organization, pro-
tested that Mayor Smith had told
him they could hold a meeting.
Some of those present began to talk
violence, but when threatened with
a swift trip to the city "calaboose,"
this talk stopped.
Several hundred people were
gathered in front of the hall: But
this place was closed early in the
evening and the socialists dis
persed.
1--WE are going to sue Mayor
Smith for the rent OF the hall,
said Mr.. Kapinski. This was
different proposition from the
Swedish auditorium. This is our
own hall, where we hold regular
meetings. Neither Mayor Smith
nor Chief Eberstein nor anyone else
has the right to stop US from hold
ing a meeting. 1t is -titu-
tional and un-American. The mayor
should have placed plain clothes
men in the audience and permitted
us to hold the meeting. Then if !
we started anything Objectionable
they could have arrested us"
The "proletariat" gathered at I.
w w. hall, 104 North Thirteenth
street, rear of the Aetna hotel, num-
bered only a few dozen detected
looking people, including several
women.