The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-09-06
Civil LIBERTIES
union DENOUNCES
POLICE VIOLENCE
Cites Suppression of
SaccO- Vanzetti Protest

fragrant instances of violent sup
preston of free speech and unex-
ampled police brutality in connection
with Sacco-Vanzetti protest demon
strations in many cities thruout the
United States are contained in a
statement just issued by the Amer
lean Civil Liberties Union.
New York, Boston, Chicago, Los
Angeles and a number Of other large
cities are mentioned by the organiza-
ton as scenes of legalized violence on
the part of the police department.
The statement follows:
While the eyes of the world were
focused on the central figures of the
recent tragedy in Massachusetts, the
police authorities of many of the
larger cities in the United States en-
gagged in activities which, summed up,
constitute an all-time all-American
record for the ruthless violation of
the constitutional rights Of free
speech and assemblage.
Arrests in Boston.
Outstanding instances Of the legal
lied violence which brought about
this condition include the following
Scores of protestants who Joined
the first caravan from New York to
Boston on August 10 were arrested
and roughly treated by the Boston
police when they attempted to parade
or hold protest meetings The next day
on historic Boston Common. Permits
for meetings in public places were
denied by the police who also pre-.
vented the holding of meetings in
private halls by intimidating the own
ers into refusing to rent them.
Powers Hapgood, miner and Har-
ward graduate, was arrested and re.
leased on bail on several occasions
when he attempted to address Sacco-
Vanzetti sympathizers on Boston
Common. Arrested on charge OF
speaking without permit, he was
fined and then charged with unlaw-
full assemblage and attacking an Of
ficer. The arresting officer testified
that Hapgood had not attacked him
but he was nevertheless sentenced on
the charge to six months in prison
His case was appealed and while he
was out on bail, he was again seized
by the authorities and taken to the
psychopathic ward of a Boston hos
pital where his clothes were. taker
away from him and he was held a
prisoner. After many hours delibera-
ton, the learned doctors Of the hos.
pital were forced to admit that Hap.
good was normal and above the aver
age in intelligence. He was released
Later, at a gathering on the Common
a policeman recognized him and
slapped him in the face, remarking
eve are tired of arresting you"
Hapgood's sentence of six months
imprisonment is now on appeal.
Miss Mary Donovan, secretary of
the Sacco-Vanzetti Defense Commit
tee, was sentenced to one years i'm
prisonment by a Boston Municipal
Court judge because she placed a
placard among the floral offerings to
the two dead men which read, "Did
you see what I did to those two
anarchistic bastards Judge Thay-
err" She was charged with attempt
ing to incite riot and distributing
anarchistic literature. This is thought
to be the first appearance of Judge
Webster Thayer as an author of
anarchistic literature.
Police "Needlessly Brutal"
Describing the actions of the Bos-
ton police as needless, unprovoked
brutality" Creighton J. Hill, in a let
ter to the Boston Herald, gives the
following description of the breaking
up of a meeting on Boston Common:
'In fifteen years of newspaper re-
porting, | have never witnessed a
scene eQualing that on Boston Com
mon this afternoon for needless, I'M
provoked brutality on the part of the
Boston police. +. l saw one woman
knocked down by a blow from a
policeman as she was trying to move
away. Had there been the least sign
of mob danger to warrant Superin-
tendent Crowley's conduct, it might
have been at least understandable.