The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-09-19
OBSTACLES FAIL
TO STOP A fine
OPEN AIR MEET
Cicero Cops, Fireman
and Lassies Fooled

| >>A((AO ORS1 A NAAAGNAA
and Lassies Fooled
All the powers Of the state in al
most comic-opera FORM tried unsuc-
cessfulIy to stop a Workers Party street
meeting in Cicero Tuesday night. The
BLACK Hundred" the church, the
police, and even the social-democracy
in its historic role, contributed to the
entertainment of crowd of 200 who
braved the chilly night to hear speech
es delivered by VIM. F. Kruse and
prominent Lithuanian comrade.
The meeting was we'll under way
with no more opposition than the
usual auto horns and small boys
smartness, when an ancient fiivver,
light blazing and cut-out roaring,
drove down the wrong side of the
street, right into the crowd, and up
to within few inches of the stand.
One of the crowd protested that his
child had been hit and the burly
driver, at least $50 pounds of him,
rolled out of the machine, took hold
! of his slightly-built critic, and almost
carried him across the street. The
speaker told the crowd to stay where
it was, jumped of the platform, and
separated the two.
Whats the idea Of driving into
crowd Of people that way?" he asked.
"Ain't l got right to park over
there? l wanna go inter that ice
cream store?"
Not For Ice Cream.
He didn't look like an ice cream
customer and later events proved his
lack of interest in that store.
We'll, you're driving on the wrong
side of the street, beat it or you'll get
pinched."
The big mans jaw fell in amaze
ment. Punched? Me? Me pinched ?"
He was so stunned he forgot that he
came to fight. The speaker got back
on. the stand, the driver backed out
his machine and drove up the main
street, and the meeting proceeded in
fine spirit.
The crowd identified the interrupt
er the "The Fire Department" but it
developed that he was only one mem
ber Someone said he was the chief
but this was also denied, he was just
the biggest man on the department
and his chief mission in life was to
keep the police from winning the an
nual tug-of-war. With Dan" as the
anchor, the cops might as we'll try to
pull the Western" off its founda-
tons.
Back Again.
i A roaring like a machine-gun right
in back of the stand Daredevil Dan"
was back again, he had driven around
the block. Some of the crowd had to
jump for their lives. One woman
started to tell him where he got off.
From the stand: LET him alone,
he wants an ice cream" The horse
laugh got the fireman so sore that
without any warning he started the
1ivver forward, just missed the stand,
and was gone for the day.
Soon after Salvation Army organ
started up around the corner. A few
Of the more curious left and came
right back again. The music stopped.
i An Ex-sociaIist Cop.
Automobiles and police were hover.
ing around. Finally uniformed cop,
Charley Opolskis, former secretary OF
the Lithuanian branch of the socialist
party, came over with the word that
we would have to move off the bust
ness street, these here business men
were complaining, and they paid taxes
so we would have to go down a block
into the unlighted residential streets
The personal representative of the
Second International was told that the
issue of our right to hold meetings on
that corner had been fought out once
before in the Cicero courts, and that
: we were ready to do it again; the only
way to stop our speakers was to lock
them up.
Some Friend.
A plain clothes sergeant then took
Iup the plea: IL know you," he said
to the speaker, 1--WE had trouble with
you years ago, better beat it, the
cops yer fren.'" He got the same an
swer with little kidding thrown in.
Another policeman came to the res
cue and saved the others face. He
told the speaker the meeting could &c
ON provided it was orderly, and the
crowd promised to remain that way
even il Daredevil Dan" brought out
the whole fire department.
; A substantial collection was taken
up and large number Of tickets to
; the Foster-Gitlow Mass Meeting al
Ashland Auditorium, Oct. IL were sold
Crowds assemble on this corner
49the Ave. and 14th St., every Tuesday
night long before the meeting starts
and they stay right thru to the end.