People's Pilot, Volume 3, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 May 1894 — FELT THE LAW. [ARTICLE]

FELT THE LAW.

Coxey Fails in His Attempt to Speak from the Capitol Steps. Hustled Out of the Grounds by Policemen —llrownu Reglgtg and I* Clubbed and Locked Up—Parade Through Washington. STOPPED BY THE POLICE. Washington, May 2.—Gen. Coxey's commonweal army’ marched through the streets of Washington to the Capitol building on Tuesday, arriving there about 1 p. m. The route of the procession wasdown the Fourteenth street road to Mount Pleasant, thence along Fourteenth street proper to Pennsylvania avenue to the Peace monument, and around the capitol grounds. The commonweal moved at a funeral pace, and it was three-quarters of an hour in reaching Mount Pleasant, a suburb of the city. « The parade reached the city limits at 11:20. It was not permitted west of Fourteenth street This was at the instance of the president, who thought it inadvisable to hazard a possible demonstration by some crank in front of the white house or treasury building. Coxey wanted to pass these two points, by Maj. Moore firmly insisted on the Fourteenth street line of march. At 12:10 the procession turned from Fourteenth street into the famous Pennsylvania avenue, which leads to the capitol. Thousands of people lined the avenue, but there was little confusion, owing to the excellent police precautions. When the army reached the capitol at 1 p. m. the immense crowd on the eastern front of the capitol saw Coxey, bareheaded, proceed to the steps of the east portico and mount to the first platform about five steps. Here were stationed Capt. Kelly and other officers of the police force. They met the general before he had time to turn his face to the gathered multitude and he was politely informed that he could make no speech at that place. Coxey said firmly: “I wish to enter a protest.” , “No sir,” firmly said the captain, “you can take no action here of any kind.” The police were courteous, but very firm. Coxey then, bareheaded as he was, said: “Well, then, I wish to read a protest.”

“It cannot be read here,” said the officer. Coxey showed no inclination to yield and he was unceremoniously hustled off the steps into the middle of the broad plaza in front of the capitol. He made no physical resistance but protested all the while and the crowd gathered around him and obstructed the way somewhat, but it was not a hustle of resistance but seemed more like curiosity. The police did not use their clubs; no one was struck and the immense crowd was handled in the kindliest yet in the firmest and most effective manner. All who came expecting some serious trouble, and there were not a lew, were disappointed. Peace reigned throughout the whole demonstration. The ep : sode then certainly closed for the day, and the affair of Coxey lasted not over ten minutes. He was taken by the police to the edge of the crowd without any difficulty and entered his carriage. Capt. Kelly said: "Where do you go now, Mr. Coxey?” “To our new grounds in southeast Washington,” the industrial leader said. He then gave the army the order to march. The police authorities again showed their courtesy in furnishing him a suitable escort, and the weary, disappointed "Wealers” again started on a hot tramp for a new resting place. Meanwhile in another part of the grounds another scene was being enacted. Just as the head of the army turned along the south front of the capitol grounds, Maj. Moore, who headed the procession, fearing that the Coxeyites would attempt to enter the grounds at that point, turned his horse and rode back to where Marshal Browne was. Browne turned and pointed straight ahead, signifying that he would not enter the grounds there. Maj. Moore saluted, smiled pleasantly and rode ahead. The army following the car tracks, turned up B street along the south side of the grounds.

Just not th of New Jersey avenue Browne halted the men and called Jesse Coxey up and turned the command oi tne army over to him, leaving his horse in the charge of his attendant. He told young Coxey to keep the common wealers where they stood and to wait until he came back. Instead of waiting untibhe reached the entrance to the grounds, Browne cldmbered over the coping, and, breaking into a run, dashed alone in the direction of the capitol. The enormous crowd, composed entirely of the rougher class of Washingtonians, followed him, dashing over the bushes and destroying all the shrubbery in their path. For a few minutes the police could do nothing at all with the crowd, but rode aimlessly about clubbing anyone who happened to be in the way. Browne dashed on until within 100 feet of the capitol, where he was arrested by Officer* Stramline. The officer says Browne assaulted him, but Browne himself was clubbed and pretty roughly handled by four officers, who grabbed him at about the same time. Browne was led down First street with an officer holding each arm and mounted police riding alongside. As they turned down toward the fifth precinct station other officers came up with Christopher Columbus Jones, the leader of the Philadelphia contingent, in custody. He also had been arrested for disorderly conduct. When arraigned, Brown gave his name as Carl Browne, date of his birth, July 4, 1849, at Springfield, 111., and his occupation as that of a journeyman artist. He had $7.35 in cash, several medals and a gold watch. He requested a receipt for these things, but was informed that that was not necessary. When the officer was asked what the charge was, he replied; "Disorderly

conduct, and as for myself, why he assaulted me.” Browne was not charged with the assaqlt, however. He was placed in cell Na 1 and had nothing to say except: “I am going to let the American people speak for me.” He requested that some one be sent to tell Jesse Coxey to get the army back to camp as quickly and quietly as possible. When Jones was arraigned he gave his name slowly and distinctly, “Christopher Columbus Jones,” his age as 56, and his occupation as that of a pumpbuilder. He had only seventy-nine cents in money, a paper of pins and a knife. Late in the afternoon Browne's bail was fixed at SSOO. Mrs. Emily Briggs, a wealthy resident of this city, and Mrs. Anna Hahn, a prominent labor sympathizer, undertook the bond and the chief marshal was set free. Christopher Columbus Jones was left to languish in itie station house. Later in the day Gen. Coxey said he believed the laet that the common people of the United States represented by his followers had been denied the right peaceabl}- to assemble and state their grievances would be heralded throughout the land and would result in bringing many thousands of the unemployed to this city. He still advised peace and declared that he believed his two bills would be passed by congress inside of two or three weeks. Chicago, May2.-r-At 10:05 a. m. Tuesday Gen Randall and his industrial army of 450 men, with four commissary wagons and plenty of supplies, left their barracks at the corner of Rawson street aud North avenue, and started for Washington, headed by twenty policemen in uniform to escort them to the city limits. Six thousand people assembled to see the army start on its journey. In the procession was a barouche, in which sat Mrs. Dr. Greer aud her two little girls, dressed in white silk and waving white flags. Gen. Randall, wearing a black mackintosh, rode a big bay horse presented to him by Dr. Greer. The first stop was made at Grand Crossing, just outside the city limits.