Evening star., 1928-11-06
RECORD CROWDS
WATCH RETURNS
Police Estimate 10000 to
$1,000 in Front of The
Star Building.

All election crowd records for WASH
ington were broken tonight by the vast
throngs which turned out in front of
the newspaper offices to get their elec-
ton returns by bulletin and radio.
Police of the first precinct estimated
the crowd in front of The Star Build
ing at from 10000 to $4,000 shortly
before 10 o'clock and it then was being
augmented rapidly by newcomers from
the downtown motion picture theaters.
This is one of the largest crowds 1
ever saw gathered in one place IN
Washington" declared Lieut.. Francis
Burke of the First Precinct. who was
in charge of policing the crowd around
The Star Building.
1T certainly is the largest election
crowd ever saw and 1t is one OF the
quietest and most orderly throngs 1
ever handled 1 should hesitate to
make an estimate as to the number,
but it is perfectly safe to say there are
at least 10000. That is minimum
estimate"
Lieut.. Burke commanded police de-
tail of q men assigned exclusively to
handle the crowd in front of The Star
Building and traffic in the immediate
vicinity. Members of the police detail
estimated the throngs at from 10000
to $4,000, none of their estimates run
ming below the 10000 figure.
The crowd. despite it. great size, was
relatively quiet, and FROM the cheering
it was difficult to determine whether
there was a predominating sentiment
for either of the presidential candidates.
The crowd began gathering in front
of The Star Building before 6 o'clock
and by o'clock there we're nearly 5000
persons, filling Pennsylvania avenue
from curb to curb except for the car
tracks, which were kept open by steel
cables.
Many women were among the early
arrivals and they led the gathering in
the few spatters of handclapping which
were heard during the early evening.
Demonstrations Arc Hid.
There were no indications from the
applause as to the sentiments of the
crowd. When bulletins were displayed
showing that Hoover had taken a pro-
nounced lead in some precincts there
were a few mild handclaps. The DEM
onstrations for Smith were no more
enthusiastic.
The only really spontaneous applause
during the first hour in front of The
the loudspeakers had picked up broad
casting of "The Sidewalks of New York."
two bulletins were flashed on the big
motion picture screens, one giving
Smith a small lead in the first New
York City precinct to report and the
other showing him piling up heavy
lead in a number of South Carolina
precincts. The combination of music
and bulletins caused a smart applause
oh
The streets around The Star Building
were cleared of automobiles soon after
o'clock and before o'clock the
crowds in the Avenue were so dense
all automobile traffic was detoured by
way of E street or to the south Of the
Avenue.
Platforms Taken Up.
The Capital Traction Company had
gangs of workmen on the Avenue soon
after 6 o'clock taking up the street
car platforms on Pennsylvania avenue
between Eleventh and Twelfth streets
and Thirteenth and Fourteenth streets
to make more space for the crowds in
front of the newspaper movie screens.
The platforms were replaced temporar-
lily outside of the crowded zones.
Though the crowd in front of The
Star Building had increased tremen-
dOuSly In number by O'CLOCK, IL was
relatively little more enthusiastic than
earlier in the evening, though it was
beginning to warm UP bit as the bull
letins on the screen indicated more de-
cisive returns from various parts of the
country.
Interest in Searchlight.
Considerable interest was shown in
the big searchlight operated by the
Army in cooperation with The Eve
ming Star on the Monument Grounds
Knots of people were gathered at cor
ners in the downtown section watching
the light and commenting on the results
indicated by its moving beam.
The motion picture houses along F
street all reported heavy attendance,
and some show of enthusiasm as results
were announced at intervals during the
performances A majority of the thea
tergoers went to the various newspaper
offices following the shows and aug
mented the gatherings there.
The auditorium of the National Press
Club, where the returns were received
by radio. was we'll crowded during the
early part of the evening, with fresh
arrivals every few minutes.