Evening star., 1927-08-23
WASHINGTON QUIET
DURING EXECUTION
Secret Service Agents Co.
operate With Police to Pre-
vent Any Disorder.

Washington was believed TO be safe
today from any violence as the result
! of the Sacco.VanZetti execution in
the unseen protection Of the law. Sc
cret service agents of the Department
Of Justice and plain clothes men from
the detective force, their presence un-
known to the throngs in every public
place Of the city. constituted a force
of minute men" prepared to cope de-
cisively with any emergency arising
| out of the execution Of Sacco and Van
Zetti.
Absence of any public demonstra.
ton in the Capital as result Of the
sentence imposed on the two men was
attributed by police officials today
| largely to the extra precautions taken
| to preserve quiet and order in the face
of threatened disturbance. Every per.
son of suspicious character in the
| Capital known to the police was un-
der surveillance. and evidently none
dared to make menacing move.
Augmenting the regular police force
the Gordon Of secret agents was main
| tained around every important public
building, particularly the Capitol.
| White House, State Department and
| the Department of Justice. Others pro-
| tected the homes of cabinet officers
and justices of the Supreme Court to
prevent the recurrence of the bomb
outrage of 1919 at the home Of Attor-
ney General A. Mitchell Palmer.
Situation Well in Hand.
| SO far as could be learned today not
| a single instance of attempted dis
| order was brought to the attention of
police headquarters, where a special
armed squad is being kept on duty
day and night. 1t was as quiet and as
orderly In the Capital today as police
| officials could hope for under circum'
stances unusual everywhere in the
| country.
No additional measures of protec-
| ton were ordered today, although all
officers on duty were impressed with
| the necessity. as they were last night,
| of maintaining the utmost vigilance
on their posts. This was to be expect
| ed in view of the anticipated disorders
| Immediately following news of the ex-
ecution in Boston.
I'VE have the situation we'll in
hand" Maj. Edwin B. Hesse, superin-
tendent of police. repeated today, land
| are ready for any emergency that may
arise. We do not anticipate any trou-
BILE, however"
The taut protective Gordon of special
guards and police around public build
| ings was pulled even tighter than pre-
viously last night as the climax of the
Sacco-Vanzetti case approached.
Capital Forces Modified.
Local police reinforced the guard
| forces at all public buildings. giving
especial attention to the temporary
White House, the home of Secretary
of State Kellogg, the Capitol, Post
Office Department, City Post Office,
Union Station and Department of JUS
| tice Building.
On all porticos of the Treasury De-
partment and State Department
Buildings the lights burned brightly
| to aid the guards in spotting any sus.
| picious characters.
A score of detectives was told off
| in pairs as details for various public
buildings. Theaters were watched
closely. Reserves were held at all
downtown precincts ready for action.
! AS the hour of execution drew near,
all of the highest police officials
gathered at police headquarters. Maj.
Hesse, Inspector Henry G. Pratt. chief
of detectives and assistant superin'