The City Under Siege: A Holiday Snow Riot

Beautiful snow has come at last. It was the longed-for opportunity of the street boy, and he proceeded to enjoy himself hugely at the expense of everyone in range. The snowballing began in sport, but was carried to excess. When the Salvation Army started on its usual march through the streets at 7:30 in the evening, it was assailed with a volley of snowballs and was persistently pelted until it returned to its barracks. As it marched up Third and Second streets, a mob of hoodlums varying in number from forty to 100 pursued it and kept up a continuous fire. Capt. Smith, the veteran commander, was struck by about 500 snowballs, one of which hit him squarely in the right eye. The crowd occasionally became bold enough to advance to close quarters, but the old captain drove them back with his cane. The police, when the new watch came on, did not show the energy which the occasion demanded. One officer went calmly on his way, as though the outbreak did not call for his attention. Chief Jackson was all the time comfortably ensconced in his office.