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Bonus March — Part 1
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to usé them and did not do so. This attack finely subsided. Thousané
. of persons were attracted to the scene. The crovd of bonus marchers
assembled at this point increase? to numbers estimated at 4000 to 6000.
With the bystanders, the srowd increased to an @stinated number of
nearly 20,000. The situation became more strained, and meny of the
Bonus Army were walking about with clubs and bricks in their hands,
This continued until the middle of the afternoon, with continuons teik
about attacking the police and driving them out. Some lewfully inelined
veterans ettempted to eslit others, but made no impression, Finally the
mob of bonus marchers seein ettacked the police with bricks, lumps of
concrete, and iron bars, Two of tho bonus marchers vere shot by police
who hed been set upon end were in danger of their lives. The entire
mob became hostile snd riotous. it Was apparent that a pitched kettle
on a large scale might start et any moment. Tractically the entire
police force of the city were enlled from their pests and assembled at
this point, but they were outnumbered 10 or 15 tol. Notwithstanding
the large number of irreaponsible persons in the City, the rest of the
city Was stripped of police protection, Many of the policemen had been
on duty all night. It was obvious that the Situation was entirely out
of the control of the polica, and that when darkness arrived appelling
scenes of disorder would follow, during which the rest of the city would
be without substoatial police protection, except for a few scout cars,
Meanwhile, as early as 12:20, Lieutenant Keck of the ite tropoli tan 3
Police ené Aide to Generel Cresby, Commissioner of the District, reported :
to the Commissioners that in his opinion and in the opinion of the
ASSistant Superintendent of Police and tye police inspectors, the situation
Was beyone control, ané that bloodshed could only be averted by the pras~ re
ence of federal troops. Tle Commissioners then stated’ that before calling
. for military aid they desired the opinion of Major Glassferd, the Chief of —.
oe Police. Major Glassford steteg that since Jeters, the Commandar of the mF
Banus Army, had lost eontrel of his owh ten, the nolice could not contrel |
the situation any longer. Major Glassford, accompanied ty Lieutenant.+ .
Keck, went to the office of the District Commissioners at 1:00 P.M. ‘Ig
response te Cuestions by the District Commissioners he stated that the
Situation was out of his control and thet the police could no longer hold
the bonus marchers in cheek. He vas asked the direct quastion whether ha
thought it was hesessary to secure the assistance of federal troops, to
which he replied in the affirmative, The Commissioners then notified the
Chier of Staff of the Army thet the assistance of troops would be needed
. and requested that the necessary preparations might be made. Hefore
\ asking for military assistance, Commissioners Reichelderfer ana Cresby :
themselves then visiteda the area vhere the serious situation Was apparent, é
After their raturn te the District Building it was reported to them that .
further rioting had broken out end that a bonus marcher had been killed,
Then it was decided to dispatch on commnication ta the President request~
ing the assistance of federal troops to preserve lew and order. 4 state+
ment from the District Commissioners respecting this matter, dated August 2,
19532, is attached ana marked Exhibit "c", from this time until the
troops arrived the situation steadily grew worse. There ig
no difference of Opinion ebout the fact that the presence of troops
WAS necéssary to and did prevent further disorder ang bloodshed, In
their absence, further rioting would have oceurred with further dlood-
shed among bonus marchers and police, and possibly innoeent bystanders,
wee
The troops arrived and, with the use af practically no “papons
except tear fas, restored order and cleared’ the arose aad put en end
to the disturbanee, .
5. Gasusities,
Ses tes.
Two bonus narchers were killed in the disturbances, They were shot
by police in self defense, not by troops. A full investiesticn by a
coroner's jury estublished that the police shet in necessary. sclfe
defcnso to srvyg themselvas from threatoned fatnt injury, Aftor the
treeps arrived, no serious injuries to anyone followed, A fav ot the
treops werc stoned and slightly injured, ond one bonus mercher had his
cor cut, but no other crsuelticas vere suffered efter tha troops Crna.
Storics publishea in Some Guerters thet the treops shot or seripusly
injured bonus wirehers ere utterly without foundation. The published
Feporte thrt «<n infrnt child of a bonus mercher nomed Myors died as
n result of terr ena ore frise. The recerds -:t the Gr linger Hospitr2 ..
show thet the child dica of intestin-l trouble contracted rnd dingiosod .- ,
before the riot. . ,
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