Imperial Valley press., 1932-12-05
.MARCHERS IN
FIRST CLASH
WITH POLICE
Gordon OF Officers Surrounds
Capitol To Prevent Approach
fOf Alleged Radicals.
TROOPS HELD In RESERVE
Leaders Plan To e,,orce Way In
to Congress Tomorrow Either
Legally Or Illegally.
BY HARRY FERGUSON
United Press Staff Correspondent

United Press Starr Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Dec. 5. = Hun
ger marchers" engaged in the first
disorders of their invasion of
Washington today as extra police
congregated around the White
House and the capitol to stem a
possible rush of the tatterdemal-
ion 5000.
The marchers chased a priest
from their boulevard camp and
then threatened to kill a portly
man they claimed was a depart
ment of justice agent stool pig
con-"
Police rescued the latter after
the ragged crew began to beat him.
He refused to say who he was, but
looked almost like a thousand and
one other men who drove into
Washington rrom all ends of the
nation yesterday.
The Rev. Kiro Nickoloff, Greek
orthodox priest, previously had en-
tered the camp on the boulevard
in the hope of getting some of the
marchers to pray. They jeered
and told him to "beat it." He
walked slowly away, with tears
in his eyes.
The marchers spent four cold
and uncomfortable hours waiting
for breakfast after they had risen
from their pillows of shoes on the
pavement. A truck finally arrived
with apples, bread and coffee.
Police meantime locked the main
entrances to the capitol building
and subjected every visitor to the
closest scrutiny. Officers also re-
doubled their guard around the
White House. Two officers stood
al every entrance, other police
we're hidden nearby, and all call
ers had to run the blue coated
gauntlet.
The cold and road-weary "hun-
ger marchers" were determined to
try to overcome by legal writ or
force the cordons Of police who
barred them from their goal-the
nails OF congress.
Everywhere around them they
felt the pressure of the forces of
law and order. Lines of heavily
armed policemen, reinforced by 400
firemen sworn in as special Off
GERS, confined them in roped off
section of boulevard on the edge
OF the city.
At nearby army posts, 1000 troops
stood by for a double time mobil-
ization in event District of Col
umbia officials are unable to put
down any disorders.
Plan Legal Move
Attorneys representing the march
ers planned to seek an injunction
in District of Columbia supreme
court today against the district
commissioners and police.
They argue that the heavy guard
deprives the marchers of their con-
stitutional privilege of petitioning
congress. The attorneys were re-
| tanned after group of liberal
writers headed by Mary Heaton
worse, Malcolm Cowley, Michael
Gold and John hermann arrived
to aid the marchers.
Leaders of the march insisted
they would try to lead their CO.
horts to Capitol Hill tomorrow re-
gardlesS of the outcome of the
legal proceedings.
Dawn found 5000 persons en-
camped in trucks and automobiles
in the roped off street. Food was
plentiful, but sleeping facilities
were inadequate. The marchers
spent dreary, rain-splashed night.
In the distance they could see the
goal of their invasion, the capitol
dome bathed in white light.
Police, gas guns strapped to their
legs, stood sentinel around them.
Up and down the struggling line
of trucks moved federal agents,
scanning the faces of the march
ers in an attempt TO locate aliens
whom they wished to export.
The encampment was without
sanitary facilities of any kind.
Health authorities feared an out
break of disease. Fourteen march,
ers were treated at hospitals for
influenza, one for pneumonia, and
one of dysentery.