The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1939-08-26
MOB OF 5000
IN ATTACK ON
COMMUNISTS!
Three Policemen and
Photographer Are
Injured Seri
Use Fascist Salute

SAN ANTONIO, Tex.-A
crowd of 5000 angry citizens,
including several hundred
World war veterans in fra
ternal uniforms, broke up a
Communist meeting in NUM-
cipal auditorium last night
and some of them partially
wrecked the building, which
was dedicated to Texas soldier
dead.
Police Chief Ray Ashworth,
Sergt. Wallace Waltersdorf. Pa
trolman A. B. Gonzales and George
Bartholomew. a newspaper pho
tographer. were injured seriously,
and several demonstrators received
minor injuries when 100 police
men attempted to dispense the
crowd with tear gas, water hose
and nightclubs.
1t was a demonstration pro-
testing what many partici-
pants vo~ciferously claimed to
be "the dissertation" of the
auditorium by the Communists
and by Mayor Maurey Maver-
lex.
The permit was granted by an
acting mayor in Mavericks abs
ence. 1t vas issued to Mrs. Emma
Tenayuca Brooks, state Commun-
list secretary. The auditorium
chapel, which seats only about 200,
was partially occupied by Com
munists and their sympathizers
when the crowd began to congre-
gate in the auditorium patio and
in surrounding streets.
Policemen Are Rushed
The demonstrators were obvi-
ously in a wrath. Many of them
from time to time m~ockingly gave
the fascist salute and cried de-
n~unciations upon Communists. In
the crowd were hundreds of the
blue and white service caps Of
legionnaires and the khaki caps of
Veterans of Foreign Wars.
The 100 policemen. sent by Nav
erick to keep order. we're rushed
repeatedly by sections of the
crowd, and, when the Communist
meeting was convened and Mrs.
Brooks began an address. the po-
lice found 1t necessary to summon
firemen to fight off the demon
strators with powerful streams Of
water.
Police Chief There
They threw numerous tear gas
bombs and there occurred several
incidents of hand-to-hand scuffling
between rioters and police.
Chief Ashworth ordered the
meeting dissolved and personally
escorted Mrs. Brooks and her hus-
band, Homer Brooks. from the
building. Other Communists and
sympathizers fled the scene escort
ed by police.
At this point the crowd got out
Of hand and rioted. Bricks rained
down on the police. Chief Ash
worth was struck In the back and
knocked down. Sergt. Wallace wa
hit in the groin
Crash Into Building
Patrolman Gonzales and Bar
tholomew, the photographer. were
hit in the head. All were rushed
to a hospital, where physicians
said Bartholomew. the most seri-
ously hurt, received a brain con-
cussion.
Several hundred rioters. led. po-
lice said, by a dozen leather-iunged
young men, crashed through and
entered the building. began sys'
tematically to wreck Il They
ripped and tore up the furnishings
of the chapel. broke every moo
and glass door In the building.
Police did not attempt TO hall
the vandalism. The Rev. Marcus
valenti, chancellor of the San An
tonic Catholic arch dioceses, sought
futileiy TO address the vandals. u
quiet them and halt the destrue.
ton.
Clad in clerical garb, be stood
on the chapel rostrum and called
The Communists are gone; theJ
are not here"
He was drowned out by cr1ef
from the wreckers. who stopped
only long enough to raise the open
palm Fascist salute.
Maverick, who had said preced'
ing the meeting that San Antonio
has never been disgraced by mol
outbreaks and never viii BE-" wal
not available Immediately for com
ment.
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