New-York tribune., 1922-11-27
Cops Swing Clubs in Eff
fort to Break UpChilders
Outdoor Protest Crowd
at 5Oth ST. and I'll, Ave.
Escape i'm Taxis
With A Prisoners
Nightsticks Futile as the
Marchers Rush Officers
With Poles Of Banners

" c''o A@oD JilJc III SpOu tIdty
years the police started something last
night they couldn't finish. They under
took to break up meeting of Irish
Republicans at Seventh Avenue and
tlftieth Street, and beat hasty re-
treat in taxicabs, taking four prisoners
with them but leaving the field to the
Irish and their friends, who filled Fiji
tleth Street in a yelling mass from
building line to building line.
Every Sunday night for months there
has been an Irish Republic meeting at
the Earl Carroll Theater. Seventh Ave-
nue. and Fiftieth Street. Until four
weeks ago the overflow that could not
get into the theater were addressed by
speakers on the street corner.
Four weeks age the speakers were
warned that this was restricted terri
tory within which no street meetings
were permitted, even the Salvation
Army having been ousted. Since then
there had been no outdoor meetings
there until last night.
FrOtesc on ChtIdaES
Last nights meeting, called by the
American Association for the Recoe4,i.
tion of the Irish Republic, was in pro
test against the execution of Erskine
Childers and the Imprisonment of Mary
MacSwiney. Mrs. Muriel MacSwinev
was one Of the speakers, and by s
o'clock 1000 persons had iammed their
way into the theater and almost 1000
more were clamoring at the doors.
Sergeant ellison OF the West Forty
seventh Street police station, making
his first round of the evening. found
choked by a crowd that was cheering
Edmond Maiilard, of 447 Columbus
Avenue. Forgetful, or perhaps mind
full, that he was born in England
Maillard was denouncing the British
government and reciting the woes of
Ireland, while kis audience jeered and
cheered by turns.
ellison edged his way TO the ladder
upon which Maillard. ~ painter had
found secure foothoid and trsE him
that outdoor meetings didn't go in that.
neighborhood. Maillard replied that
this outdoor meeting was going big
and advised him to look around If he
doubted his word.
The colloquy between the speaker
and the policeman had not escaped the
notice Of the crowd and they began to
yell taunts at Gibson, pressing against
him as though to shoulder him away
from the foot of the ladder.
Yanked from Perch
Without more ado the sergeant
yanked Maillard from his perch and
ub ubo1ra1 h;a h oh
whose members reviled him and tried
to obstruct his passage, but offered 10
actual violence.
Arriving at the West Forty-seventh
Street police station with his prisoner.
ellison told Lieutenant Sheehy Of the
situation at Fiftieth Street and advised
that If anything was going to be done
about it the reserves had better be
doing 1t. Lieutenant Sheehy, whose
brougue is as thick as they come, an
Hounced the reserves would be doing It
and pretty quick, too.
He pressed the bell for them and
they piled into police automobile
standing outside the station, which
sped away with policemen crammed
into both seats of the vehicle and
clinging on both running boards.
Seventh Avenue and Fiftieth Street
was a seeming mass or humanity when
the police arrived. About 200 of the
overflow meeting had formed q parade
and marched eastward to proceed Tn
Fifth Avenue to FIfty-ninth Street,
across to Seventh Avenue and back
again to the corner, but the rest were
listening vociferously to the speaker
Of the moment.
Plows Through Crowd
The police car, apparently with un-
slackened speed, plowed straight
through the center of the crowd, men
and women falling 70 the pavement in
sheir efforts to avoid its spinning
wheels. The policemen leaped from
;heir places and charged through the
,rowd, their nightsticks swining vi
,iously.
The response was immediate. Not
only did the men and women who had
been listening TO the speaker join in
combat against the police, but men and
women who had been walking along
Seventh Avenue rushed to their aid ind
,wo or three men jumped from taxi
,,abs and joined in the fray, all yelling
of the police.
1t was at this iuncture that the
oaraders bearing MacSwiney and
5hilders banners came marching back
lown Seventh Avenue. They increased
5heir pace to. run as the leaders
.aught sight of the mob swirling about
,he little knot of blue uniforms and
Continued on rass tMrec)