March 24, 1894: In dreams, he sees an army. Then Coxey awakes, and sees only fifty tramps.
The New York Times ran a number of wire service reports immediately before Coxey’s Army left Massillon, Ohio on March 25, 1894. Coming from Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Washington D.C., the tone of the writing can best be described as bewildered amusement. But the powers in Washington are taking notice.
Mr Coxey’s attempt to storm the Capitol
In the meantime numerous police, both mounted and on the floor, had assembled at the east part of the Capitol, where Coxey had declared his party would assemble. On reaching the street skirting the Capitol grounds to the north the procession found that the police barred the entrance.
The speech Jacob Coxey (almost) never gave
When participants in Coxey’s Army (estimated at 500 people) reached Washington on May 1, 1894, having started their march in Massillon, Ohio, they were met by 1500 soldiers, with more on call in case of trouble. Jacob Coxey went to speak, but only managed to make it through the first two paragraphs, before getting arrested for walking on the grass.