Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-08
Fires Lighted in Streets,
Autos Wrecked, Pedestrians
"Bombed" With Debris.
HOODLUMS ARE WORST
SINCE POLICE STRIKE
Legionnaires Orderly, but Toughs
Are Overcome Only After Much
Damage Is Done to Property.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
BOSTON, october 8.--City and
American Legion police controlled the
downtown streets today after q night OF
disorder by mobs Of hoodlums.
Overturned automobiles, the ashes Of
. score Of bonfires that had been built
In downtown thoroughfares and on Bos-
ton Common, and here and there q
battered head, marked the passing Of
the rowdies, who took advantage Of the
privileges extended the Legionnaires on
night Of frivolity after the annual
parade in connection with the national
convention.
At one time it seemed that the melee
in Park Square might gain the proper
tons Of vicious riot. Dennis ]. Lor-
den, heading detail Of Federal agents,
had arrested four local men for
peddling liquor in the square. As he
started marching his men away, the
crowd, composed mostly Of the toughs,
who ranged In age from IA to 20, moved
on him.
Police Squad Rescues Them.
Fists began to fly and the agents had
their backs to the wall when a squad
Of police forced their way through the
crowd to rescue them. Legion police
or "Co-ops," held lane open while the
agents and their prisoners were brought
to the comparative safety Of nearby
street.
Those four were the only arrests DUR
ing the outbreaks that marked the post
parade celebration. Police who att
tempted to round up the detached MODS
OF hoodlums were hindered In making
arrests by the crowds that milled
through the streets all night and during
the early morning.
It was a night such as Boston has
not seen since the days Of the police
strike.
The Legionnaires themselves were
orderly. The semi-oficial police of the
Legion found little trouble In keeping
their mates in hand.
TOughs Divested of Uniforms.
Legionnaires, incensed at several
toughs, who were exploiting Legion uni
forms which they had no right to wear,
chased the hoodlums in and out through
the crowd, forced them out OF the uni
forms and sent them on their way.
Pedestrians and automobiles became
the targets for tins, water and missiles
thrown from hotel windows.
The best that the authorities could
DO was guard the packed wooden grand
stands along the parade route from
flames that spread from bonflres on
the street and the Common. Hotel
entrances were guarded by officers, who
refused admittance to any but the
Legionnaires and guests.
Confetti, ticker tape, crates and boxes
that had been used as seats by parade
spectators made excellent fuel Fires
burned wherever there was a few feet of
vacant space.
AT the corner of Stuart and fremont
streets a decrepit automobile caught
hre. One OF its 10 occupants was re-
cued by pedestrians. One had his
trousers burned. None Of the automo-
bilists was a Legionnaire.
Those boxes and crates that were not
burned and tin cans that would not
burn were hurled at passing automobiles
oy the toughs. Tops Of the machines
were 0ented and torn and In one or
two cases crushed. Automobiles were
seized and jounced until their springs
gave way. Now and then an automo-
bile was overturned. A few missiles
WClC 1dAOHu 1IOIu nOCe1 WINDOWS.
Always 1t seemed the hoodIuns
were behind the boisteriousness. The
Legtonnaire was having his good time,
but confined his celebration to a parade,
a quartet or an impromptu song and
dance.
Several hundred persons were treated
Tor minor injuries during the night.
None Of the injuries was serious
The convention Of the Legion turned
again to business today.
Two Cities Seek Convention.
The selection Of the scene of the next
convention was one of the important
matters on the days calendar. A brisk
fight was waged by the cities Of Los
Angeles and Detroit for the honor Of
entertaining the Legionnaires in 1891.
Both cities sent representatives here
with certified checks for $4,000 to
show that they were ready for the con-
vention.
Admiral Benson urged members Of
the Legion to "study and eradicate the
causes of crime and to vindicate the
(ConfiniInd IN Pace r0IIIy,or a.