New-York tribune., 1921-11-14
Invade Town Hall, Order
Out'Audience of 1,5OO;
Arrest Margaret Sanger
and Miss Windsor
Officers Hooted by
Indignant Crowd
Reserves Called to Handle
Throngs Angered by
Treatment of Women

The inal session of the first Ameri-
can Birth Control Congress, to have
been held last night at Town Hall. 113
West Forty-third Street and extensive
" advertised in advance, was broken
up by police orders at the last moment.
Just before Mrs. Margaret Sanger. one
Of the leaders of the movement, had
arrived in the hall.
Captain Thomas Donohue. of the
West Forty-seventh Street police, sta
tion, with q squad of police and detec-
tives, entered the hall and declared the
meeting would not be permitted. There
were more than 1,500 In the audience
at that time. Hundreds we're held back
by uniformed officers at the doors. The
police gave no advance intimation of
intention to stop the meeting.
When Mrs. Sanger arrived she was
unable to get in. Later when the
doors were reopened to let the audi,
ence out she entered with Harold Cox.
During the ensuing confusion Mrs.
Sanger sought to make a statement
this apparently, the police decided
half-hour later to place her under ar
rest on one of the usual "disorderly
conduct" charges.
AS she was led from the hall the au-
dience spontaneously Joined in the
strains Of ssMy Country; 'Tis of Thee"
The gathering was to end the con-
gress, which has been in session here,
and Harold Cox, former member of the
British Parliament and editor of "The
Edinburgh Review" was to have deliv-
cred the principal address.
Arrest Angers Audience
Hundreds of we'll known New York
women were present in the audience,
and the arrest of Mrs. Sanger was the
signal for demonstration of indigna-
tion on the part of the gathering.
Immediately after Mrs. Sanger's ar
rest Miss Mary Windsor, writer and
lecturer, of Haverford, Pa, was also
taken into custody.
Mr.. Cox, who sought to speak after
the police interfered, was peremp-
torily ordered by Captain Donohue
to keep quiet if he wished to keep out
of trouble. The editor replied that he
believed himself within the law, but
being an alien would bow to police de-
cision.
Scores of automobile owners volun-
teered to take Mrs. Sanger and Miss
Windsor to the police station, but Cap
tain Donohue insisted they would have
to go in tho patrol wagon. When the
women protested against this indignity
they were marched through packed
streets to the station house, followed
by a crowd which hooted at the police
and demanded Mrs. Sanger's release.
Before the station was reached the
crowd became so threatening that po-
lice reserves were ordered out to pre-
vent trouble. Shouts of "Where did
you get your orders 2" were directed at
Captain Donohue, and one woman
screamed repeatedly that Donohue was
acting on Tammany instructions.
Extra Reserves Summoned
"The Tammany gangs behind this"
called one woman. "Are we going to let
them have their way?"
The first squad of reserves was un-
able to handle the more than 5000
persons packed about the station and
extra reserves were summoned. Mean
while several women addressed the
multitude, declaring the meeting at
Town Hall had been representative
American gathering, called to discuss a
scientific subject In a scientific way.
The raiding of the hall by Captain
Donohue and his men was a gross out
raso they charged. While the crowd
tainted and threatened. Mrs. Sanger
and Miss Windsor were booked on dis
orderly conduct charges.
The raid by the police was evidently
prearranged. Fifteen hundred persons
had been admitted to the auditorium
when Captain Donohue ahd squad of
patromen and detectives arrived.
Uniformed men were stationed at the
doors with orders to permit no more to
enter. Captain Donohue then ordered
the doors thrown open. An announce
ment was shouted to those within that
the meeting would not be held. Com