Gamblers rounded up on Boston Common by U.S. soldiers after Boston Police went on strike

Photographs

September, 1919

Boston Public Library

Black and white photograph of people gathered in front of a small, one story building. The building has light colored vinyl siding and has two large letters on the front of it above two windows and a door. One of the letters is K, and the other is obscured by a tree. There is also a sign on the front of the building. The only legible word on the sign says "seekers." Most of the people featured in the photograph are men and boys gathered between the building on the left and a short metal fence on the right half of the image. They are all wearing dark suits and have hats, some of which are boaters, newsboys, and bowlers. One person at the front seems to be a younger man wearing breeches. These people are gathered tightly together facing towards the building and all have their hands up. They are surrounded by a group of a smaller number of State Guard officials, the majority of which are on the left side of the image. They are in State Guard uniforms including trench coats and campaign hats. They each hold a rifle at the ready by their side. They are pointing the rifles towards the larger group of men and boys that they are surrounding.

After they arrived to Boston and had begun to restore order, the state guard set out the break up the gatherings of gamblers in parks, squares, and on street corners. Unused to policing, these actions often resulted in deadly incidents though the gamblers were among the least violent of the rioters.

As the city guard took control of the city, they set about breaking up the crowds of gamblers that had assembled where every there was space. This photograph was taken by Leslie Jones during the strike.

The 1919 Boston Police Strike

Demonstration

Words

Photographs