Imperial Valley press., 1932-05-23
VETERANS HAVE
DIFFICULTY In
TRIP TO CAPITAL
Railroads Also Having
Trouble As Trains Are
Seized By Men.

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill, May 23
U.Pg-The bonus army" composed
Of 80 World war veterans enroute
to Washington from Portland, Ore,
to lobby for the soldiers bonus, to-
day laid plans for strategic
advance" in their battle of deter
mination with Baltimore and Ohio
railroad officials.
Retreating yesterday under the
threat of being ousted by the ma
tional guard, the veterans today
said they would continue eastward
as soon as possible
After holding up the movement
of a second freight train in two
days, the veterans left the railroad
property late last night, were fed
and billeted in vacant store build
ings by businessmen.
Were going on, and the Balti-
more and Ohio can't stop us" w. w.
Waters, field marshal of the
army" said today.
Saturday night trainmen made
up" the 11:15 train with non rush
shipments, and the veterans took
possession of it Immediately. But
no engine was hooked on. Later il
| developed officials had ordered nc
train to move with the veterans
aboard. The cars, with the vet
Grams on top, were allowed to sit in
the yards all night.
Yesterday, similar procedure
took place, resulting in the holding
up of the $3.50 freight until tn;
veterans admitted temporary de.
feat and left the train seven hours
later. The train then pulled out.
| For three days the veterans hac
boarded every Baltimore and Ohio
freight train in the East st. Louis
yards, but railroad officials had Or
dered that no train was to leave
while any veterans were aboard.
Early today the veterans with
drew from the railroad yards anc
announced they were disbanding
w. w. Waters, their commander
had gone east on a bus, desertine
his men, it was announced.
Railroad officials assured them
selves the men were disorganizeo
and proceeded to make up a freight
in two sections. The sections were
brought to Caseyville, Ill.,, separate
ly The veterans spy" system re,
ported these movements to theil
comrades. Caseyville is seven miles
east of st. Louis.
About $50 members of the bonu.
army started a thanking movement
that brought them upon the trair
as the crew was about to pull it Out
of Caseyville. A score of former
railroad men among the veterans
clambered aboard and uncoupled
the train in several places.
Train Held Up
They refused to allow the crew
to move the train while they waited
for the remainder of the army to
arrive. The trainmen said they
had orders not to move SO long as
single veteran was aboard any OF
their freight trains anyway.
Immediately upon receipt of word
train had been captured, the re-
tildliidCI Vi Illt- diHlg lCil uilO
marching formation in its East st
Louis camp. Railroad detectives
preceded the men in automobiles.
When all the veterans had ar
rived and boarded the train the
crew refused to pull the freight out
of Caseyyille. They were awaiting
orders from railroad officials, they
said.
Charles Galloway, vice-president
of the B. & o., informed of the
action of the veterans, said: We've
had about enough of this. We've
tried TO avoid use of force, but II
now seems as If we'll have to try
other methods to prevent confisca-
tion Of our property"
w. A. Olsen. one of the veterans
In charge In the absence of Waters
replied We're going east toward
Washington on a B. & o. freight
and the road may as well be nice
about IL. We know how TO play
rough II We have %"
Meanwhile Sheriff Jerome Munie
was asked 70 stand by" in readi-
ness 10 bring his deputies here 70
quell any disorders.