Evening star., 1933-03-06
POLICE R0UT zoo
IN STREET BATTLE
Officers Use Clubs to Break
Up Demonstration.
Order Is Defied.

when an attempted parade was broken
up by police clubs.
A few minutes earlier the demon
strators had set out from . hall 1T
1909 Eleventh street intending to
march to the District Building to de-
mand more unemployment relief and
equality between white and colored
persons.
The demonstrators carried four ban
ners with printed demands for 50
weekly relief and for equal treatment
for colored and whites. The banners
were the flrst targets for the police
rush All were seized. although their
carriers put up struggle.
The demonstrators were met imme
diately outside Of the hall by Inspector
Albert j. Headley. who warned the
marchers that they would not be
allowed to march In formation through
the streets In spite Of the warnings.
! approximately 200 demonstrators. most
of them colored. persisted in going
south on Eleventh street to P street,
where a police Gordon turned the pro-
cession west to Twelfth street.
At Twelfth street the demonstration
walked into wall of blue. In front
were police with clubs and behind them
were drawn up riot gun squads and
others with tear-gas grenades. Further
| to the rear q line of patrolmen solidly
blocked the street.
As the demonstrators marched on the
foremost policemen leaped upon the
head of the column and rained blows
upon the heads Of those in the front
rank Those in the rear of the column
broke and fed.
One Of the marcherS in the first rank,
who gave his name as Leslie Ferguson,
carried two smau children in his arms
! in the parade As the fight started he
was proclaiming loudly that he insisted
on his rights TO 60 where he pleased.
The children were taken from him by
Lieut. Rhoda Milliken of the Woman's
Bureau and two members of her force
Lieut.. Milliken lost her pocketbook in
the struggle. but got the children and
took them TO the bureau
All who were not able to make their
escape were loaded into police wagons
and carried to the second precinct
station house. At first those who had
heads cracked were booked and hurried
in patrol wagons to Freedmen's Hos
pital
Thirty EIGHT persons, three OF them
women. in all were booked All were
charged with parading without a per-
init and $25 was set as the amount of
collateral for such as could post it.
Among those who were injured were
Harold Spencer, white, 28, of SIS Twen-
ty-third street. who had his head cut
Thomas Elroad. white %. 1920 Church
street, also with head INJURY.
Three Others Treated.
The hospital reported treating three
man besides Spencer and Elsroad.
They identified themselves as Lester
Gurley. l8, q laborer. of 525 Twenty
third street, suffering from cuts about
the head which required three stitches
to close; Eddie Euell, colored "a, me-
chanic. 2500 block of l street, cuts
about the scalp, and Maj L. Jones.
colored, 40, of the 4l00 block of N
street cuts about the head
Jones declared he was a messenger
in the Treasury Department and IAN
innocent bystander" who had no part
in the parade. He insisted he was ar
rested by police mistaking him for q
demonstrator. but officers at No pre-
cinct said he would be charged along
with the others.
Among those arrested. but not in
jured were Dorsey Dean. who said he
had no local address but was going
through the city from Georgia to New
York when he found himself in the
crowd He claimed he had no part in
the demonstration. Israel Bull. "a. 25O2
l street: LargoW Rose colored. 90 of
IA Daniels Court: william Milton, COL
ored, SIS @ street
zoo Crowd Into Hall
The demonstration had its origin at
meeting called by the Washington
Unemployed Council and other groups
organized into the United Front Com
nittee for Unemployment Insurance
about 200 persons, most Of them colored,
crowded into the small hall at 1909
P street and heard Paul Cline and
others exhort the unemployed to de-
mand more relief that has been forth
coming. SO far, particularly in view of
the fact that President Roosevelt has
Just taken Office with promises for .
new deal for the forgotten man"
Cline said a Committee of 10 would
60 to the District Commissioners to
demand IS week for each unem-
ployed family head, together with 81
a week for each dependent or two
days work for each single unemployed
person.
He said the committee would demand
for the next year no unemployed person
be evicted for non-payment Of rent
and that colored persons should not be
Disseminated against in relief pay
ments
Spencer and Robert Marshall also
addressed the gathering and presented
the same demands.
Not Opposed to Parading.
While the Communists and police
were battling. President Roosevelt was
making known to District authorities
that he personally has no objection to
the Communists parading so long as
they do not interfere with normal
strations the occasion for activities
that might incite disorder
He also made 1t plain that he ex-
pected the police to act with discretion
in dealing with parades and other
demonstrations Of Communists.
Herbert Benjamin, head of the I'm
employed Councils Of America, who
called at the executive Office this morn
ing, to request an audience with Mr..
Roosevelt. was received by M. H. Nc
Intyre. the Presidents public contact
secretary. Mr.. Benjamin was reported
to have requested an audience for
group to get the necessary permission
to parade, and was assured that upder
the conditions outlined to the District
oflcials the necessary permission might
be obtained. AS to an audience on
any specific matter, Benjamin was ad-
vised that an audience with the Presi-
dent would be arranged later.
Policy to Receive Leaders.
At the White House 1t was explained
that it has been Mr.. Roosevelt's policy.
both as Governor Of New York and
since his election in November, to re-
ceive personally representatives Of Com
munist and other radical organizations.
and to hear what they have to say, and
it is expected he will continue that pol
Icy.
The Presidents policy was outlined to
DR.. Luther H. Reichelderfer and Maj.
Gen. Herbert B. Crosby Of the Board Of
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