A City in Terror: 2The 1919 Boston Police Strike [Hardcover]

Francis Russell (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Viking Adult; 2 edition (May 19, 1975)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0670224499
• ISBN-13: 978-0670224494
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,025,176 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars September 9. 1919 and the police go on strike in Boston., April 2, 2008

By 

Kevin M Quigg (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: A City in Terror: 2The 1919 Boston Police Strike (Hardcover)

There is a new reprint of this book on the market. This is a classic on why police are not allowed to strike. On September 9 and 10, 1919, Boston Police struck for better working conditions and wages and the right to associate with the AFL. What happened is that the criminal element struck during the strike and literally looted and damaged millions of dollars worth of property. Women were raped on the streets. Both the police commissioner Curtis, Mayor Peters, and Governor Calvin Coolidge did nothing, being assured by Curtis that enough policemen would remain to patrol the city. Bad elements, including sailors, anarchist Letts, and underworld figures from New York struck and mayhem ran wild in the streets for two days. Mayor Peters finally got help from the National Guard and Militia to put down the rampage at a cost of 8 lives. When Coolidge saw what Peters did, he claimed the credit for the militia action, even though it was the Mayor's incentive. Of course, Coolidge parlayed his fame from this to become a Vice Presidential candidate and eventually President.

This is a worthy read of an event not now known to many people. Police still do not have a right to strike, and this is the reason. One man road this issue to the Presidency. Politics and public protection do not mix.