Evening star., 1934-07-29

cfgOukb--eXcept IOr TIE TACT tnab LleIt
was an ominous silence from ths
White House and the War Depart
ment. From both these quarters in
the past several days had come un-
nistakable evidence that. If the Dis
trict police under Gen. Pelham Gls~z-
ford. we're unable 10 evacuate the city
Of msrchers. then the Federal Gov
eminent was ready 70 step in and do
It for them
Local police gathered on lower
Pennsylvania avenue, where a thou
sand or more Of the marcherS were
olartered in abandoned buildings, and
the order was given for the marchers
to evscuate. The bonus seekers an
swer to this order was continued ST.
lence and continued failure to move,
About II am. Gen. Glassford's po-
lice began the task Of moving into
the sectors which they planned to
evacuate Of marchers.
Just at this point, from behind the
humanity packed abandoned build
ings. there came a roar, and a group
of several hundred marchers. come
from across the river, rushed the po-
lice lines and started a brick battle.
The police stood their ground, some
officers getting nasty cuts about the
head and body
Stubborn police resistance finally
broke the back of this rush, and the
marchers were then rounded up into
their quarters. Things grew more ano
more tense by the minute.
Then it happneed.
A police officer who entered the
heavily packed brick building got in
an argument with a marcher. Other
marchers, i'll humored, crowded around
their companion who was arguing
with the policeman. Some one showed
from behind. The marchers in front
jostled the officer. In a moment
there was pandemonium. The officer
was surrounded by shouting, mad
mass of humanity. He fell, and as
he went down the old law Of self
preservation began TO operate. He
pulled out his revolver.
Five staccato shots punctured the
air. The marcher directly in front
of the officer sank to the ground
The others, paling before this sudden
attack, gave ground. Then the officer
got I'D, called an ambulance for the
man shot, and reported to Gen
Glassford.
The injured marcher, William
Hushka of New Jersey. died on the
way to the hospital, and several days
later was buried in Arlington National
Cemetery in a soldiers grave. Since
then little remnants of the Bonus
Army have yearly paid tribute to him
by placing wreaths on his grave and
holding brief ceremonies on Memorial
day and on July %.
From this minute on, the bonus
camp was packed with dynamite.
The marchers milled, restlessly. Gen
Glassford served notice again ano
again that they must evacuate. II
was all to no avail.
Then GlaSSford asked the marchers
to have their wives, many Of whom
were living in the wretched camps
evacuate so that they would not be
in the path of trouble. This advice
the marchers refused to heed also
Glassford reported progress to the
White House, and for more than an
hour there was little activity. BY
this tins the Federal Government
had already gone into action, but the
marchers did not know it. They re-
manned tense, milling and growing
Suddenly, at o'clock in the after
noon--it was sitting hot-the rattle
of cavalry was heard on Pennsylvania
avenue.
The astonished marchers looked up
the avenue and saw advancing toward
their rude quarters the Army's crack
cavalry troop from Fort Meyer Trim,
business like, khaki clad soldiery
moved down the avenue in full mil
itary array. Sabers were drawn.
Blue steel machine guns were packed
in full view on the horses. Gas
masks dangled from saddles.
This couldn't be true! Soldiers,
American troops called into action?
The marchers looked, shifted uneasily
and waited.
Directly in front of the marchers,
quarters the troop of cavalry halted.
Equipment was unloaded. 1t began
to look like business.
One soldier methodically dismount-
ed, walked back to the horse behind
his own, calmly unpacked a machine
gun and set it on its tripod, barrel
pointing into the mass of marcherS.
A shiver went through the ranks of
the bonus seekers.
Just as suddenly, an officer walked
up to the soldier who had unpacked
the machine gun. Curly, he ordered
the man to re-pack the gun. This
order was obeyed. The marchers
breatned a sigh of relief. and waited
uneaSily for some word from the
Army commanding officers. None
came.
Then, methodically, the soldiers all
dismounted, and donned gas masks.
Still, the marchers waited for an
order of some sort. They didn't
know that the orders we're given long
before the soldiery packed up for the
trip to the bonus camps There were
to be no more orders. The soldiers
were settling down to work.
Like a fash Of lightning, the
LldAOAl6lS ICdIlDCu IllSy were W Dt
forcibly evacuated when the gas
masked soldiers pulled the caps from
tear gas bombs and in unison threw
them into the first ranks of the
bonus seekers.
Then began the retreat of the
bonus army, and for 10 long hours it
kept up.
Even before the gas attack the
marchers gave ground slowly. dogged-
ly. But they gave ground. The
soldiers were instructed to evacuate
the marchers and fire their rude huts
They did their work with a vengeance
Milling, shouting. curSing. nearly
1000 marchers made up the ragged
host that was driven out of those
shacks and wood and tin hutS
Stones flew thick and fast for little
while. But the soldiers were relent-
less They continued to plop gas
bombs into the midst of the marchers
The soldiers were protected by masks
The marchers' eyes streamed tears
their joints chafed as the tear gas
got in its painful work. Mad as