They fired their revolvers into the air as a warning, but that was not sufficient. More than one striker was removed to neighboring drug stores and doctor's offices to have wounds from
clubs dressed. Joseph Barondess, the strikers' leader, was taken to the Elizabeth Street Police Station, but was released.

When the paraders reached Union Square violent speeches were made in which the police were alluded to as "beasts" and "brutes". It had been announced that several thousand strikers, men and women, would form in Rutgers Place last evening and march to Union Square, where a
mass meeting was to be held. It was about 6 o'clock when the cloakmakers began to assemble.

At that time a Roundsman and six patrolmen of the Madison Street Station were on hand, and they ordered the gathering to disperse. The strikers refused to do so. The Roundsman ordered his men to draw their clubs and clear the square. Then a scene of confusion followed. The strikers were clubbed. As many as could escape fled, closely followed by the policemen, into Essex and Division Streets, where they ran into hallways and saloons.

Israel German of 156 Suffolk Street had his head cut open by a policeman's club. He was carried in a semi-conscious condition to Dr. Levinsky's office, at 60 Jefferson Street, where Samuel Rosenthal of 11 Eldridge Street was left to take charge of him, after the doctor had dressed
his wounds. David Davis of 7 Forsyth Street was clubbed on the body and legs, and Joseph Fingould of 285 Monroe Street had his right arm and wrist injured.

Leader Joseph Barondess, who was in the committee room at 412 Grand Street, was summoned. He reached Rutgers Square, where the strikers again endeavored to form a line, just as Capt Grant and a squad of police from the Madison Street Station arrived on the scene. Policemen again drew their clubs when the strikers refused to disperse, and a conflict with the crowd took place. Policeman No. 720 fired his revolver into the air, and several other policemen followed his example. Barondess forced his way through the crowd and urged the police to cease their clubbing. He says that Policeman No. 2,227, who was whacking a striker, replied, with an oath: "I'll Kill them!"

The square was nearly cleared for the second time when Joseph Bowlofsky arrived with a permit from Superintendent Byrnes allowing the parade to take place. Capt. Grant permitted the strikers to reassemble when this was shown him. Before all had arrived he ordered Barondess to start the parade.

This necessitated a division of the line into two parts. The first division numbered about 3,500 men, the leader claimed. Their route was Rutgers Place to Division Street, to Attorney Street, to Broome Street, to Suffolk Street, to Houston Street, to Second Avenue, to Thirteenth Street,
to Fourth Avenue to Union Square. They did not meet with any interference by the police after they left the square.

Barondess waited to take charge of the second section, which, he said, was about 5,000 strong, including 800 women. Two bands accompanied this party, which Barondess led from Rutgers Place to Canal Street. At this point, between Mulberry and Elizabeth Streets, the parade was again stopped, this time by the police of the Elizabeth Street Station. Barondess was taken to the Station House. Police Headquarters was communicated with, and on being informed by Superintendent Byrnes that he had issued a permit for the parade, the leader of the cloakmakers was permitted to go.

Then the parade proceeded through Mulberry Street to Hester Street, to the Bowery, to Fourth Avenue, to Union Square. Barondess addressed the crowd, and urged them to be orderly. He called the police "blue-coated beasts." "Tyrants." and "brutes". "Mob the police!" cried an excited cloakmaker.

At this outbreak another riot seemed imminent. The police from the Twenty-second Street Station and the Park policemen started to draw their clubs as the strikers turned toward them with hisses, groans, and clenched fists, but the speaker urged the mob to be quiet and trouble was averted.

In continuing, the speaker dwelt at some length on the strike and the disturbance in Rutgers Place. At the conclusion of his address he brought forward Israel German, who had been clubbed early in the evening, as a "terrible example of the outrage." Half a dozen other speakers delivered addresses predicting success and shorter hours of labor.