Evening star., 1932-09-12

ton was entirely out Of the control Of
the police, and that when darkness ar
rived appalling scenes of disorder would
follow. during which the rest OF the city
would be without substantial police
protection, except for few scout cars.
Meanwhile, as early as 1890, Lieut..
Keck of the Metropolitan Police and
aide to Gen. Crosby, Commissioner OF
the District, reported to the Commits
sioners that in his opinion and In the
opinion Of the assistant superintendent
of police and two. police inspectors.
the situation was beyond control.
and that bloodshed could only be
averted by the presence OF Fed
eral troops. The Commissioners then
stated that before calling for mill
tary aid they desired the opinion OF
Mai Glassford, the chief OF police. MAJ.
Glassford stated that since Waters, the
commander Of the bonus army, had
lost control of his own men. the police
could not control the situation any
longer. Maj. Glassford. accompanied by
Lieut. Keck, went to the ONCE OF the
District Commissioners ut / pm. In
response to questions by the District
Commissioners he stated that the stu
alton was out Of his control and that
the police could no longer hold the
bonus marchers in check. He was asked
the direct question whether he thought
it was necessary to secure the assist
ance Of Federal troops, TO which he
replied in the affirmative. The Com
missioners then notified the chief Of
STAN of the Army that the assistance
of troops would be needed and requested
that the necessary preparations might
be made Before asking for military
assistance. Commissioners Reichelderfer
and Crosby themselves then visited the
area where the serious situation was ap-
parent. After their return to the Dis
| trict Building 1t was reported to them
that further rioting had broken out and
that a bonus marcher had been killed.
Then 1t was decided to dispatch a COM
munication to the President requesting
the assistance of Federal troops to pre-
serve law and order. A statement from
| the District Commissioners respecting
this matter, dated August 2, 1882, is
attached and marked Exhibit C From
this time until the troops arrived the
situation steadily grew worse. There Is
no difference Of opinion about the fact
that the presence Of troops was neces-
sary to and did prevent further dis
order and bloodshed. In their absence,
| further rioting would have occurred,
with further bloodshrd among bonus
marchers and police. and possibly in
nocent bystanders.
"The troops arrived and, with the
use of practically no weapons except
| tear gas. restored order and cleared
the area and put an end to the dis
| turbance.
Two Marchers Killed.
"5. Casualties
Two bonus marchers were killed in
| the disturbance. They were shot by
police in self-defense, not by troops.
A full investigation by a coroner's jury
established that the police shot in
necessary self-defenSe to save them
selves from threatened fatal injury.
| After the troops arrived no series in
juries to any one followed. A few OF
| the troops were stoned and slightly
! injured, and one bonus marcher had
his ear cut but no other casualties
were suffered after the troops came.
Stories published in some quarters that
the troops shot or seriously injured
! bonus marchers are utterly without
foundation. The published reports that
an infant child OF a bonus marcher
gas are false. The records at the GAL
linger Hospital show that the child
died Of intestinal trouble contracted
and diagnosed before the riot.
"6 Fires.
| After the troops arrived fire broke
out among the old Shacks occupied by
bonus marchers on the PENNSYLVANIA
avenue tract, where the rioting oc-
Cured and later at the big camp
known as Camp Marks. on the Anacostia
River. from which the bulk OF the
rioters had come to attack the police
The cause Of the outbreak of the fire
in the Pennsylvania avenue area is not
known. The troops had no orders to
set any fires. There was inflammable
debris around. and the cause of the
origin of the fire in the Pennsylvania
avenue area is variously given as hav-
ing been set by cigarettes or hot tear
gas bombs. The evacuation of the
large camp. known as Camp Marks
, occurred later At I O'Clock In the
evening the bonus marchers at that
camp were notified that they would
have to evacuate and that the troops
would arrive. Some time later the
troops arrived at Camp Marks and
were asked by the bonus marchers TO
delay an hour more to give the march
ers time to evacuate comfortably This
I
bonus marchers had already left. but
the troops waited until the remainder
packed up and marched out. While
the troops were waiting. fires, set by
the retiring bonus marchers broke out
i'll number of localities among the
. sh2cks and debris in the camp. and
the confagration became general. Such
action as the troops took at either of
tneSe places with respect to fire was
later to complete the work Of the re-
tlrlng bonus marchers by burning up
the remainder of the debris Photo
graphs of soldiers setting fire to debris
were evidently taken at this stage of
the proceedings. The bonus marchers
at these two sites, having evacuated
their camps. then proceeded to leave
the city. Camp Bartlett. on private
property. was not disturbed by the
troops, but was later evacuated by the
bonus marchers.
u. Women and children.
The principal group of women and
cnlidren In the bonus army was located
IN the Communist camp at Twelfth and
Thirteenth streets southwest. which was
not disturbed by the troops, but was
voluntarily evacuated by the marchers
the Red Cross promptly offered and
iurnlshed assistance and transportation
10 all women and children in the bonus
army and to their menfolks and ac-
tually did furnish transportation to 22l
women and 247 children There is no
evidence whatever that any women or
children were injured or ill-treated.
The Veterans Bureau. under authority
OF congress, issued transportation to
4,344 veterans by railroad and 939 by
automobile. Transportation by truck to
their homes had been offered by the
Secretary of War to all remaining bonus
marchers. but was not furnished be-
cause the offer was refused.
"s. Grand jury.
Indictments have been returned by
the grand jury Of the District Of Co.
lumb1a against number of the alleged
rioters. The results of this effort to
bring to justice the principals who in
cited this riot have been unsatisfac-
tory. The reason is that on the dav of