, 1873-08-04
ALC0Y UNDER THE COMMUNE.


ALC0Y UNDER THE COMMUNE.
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= THO ssaulz OF tho Town HAIL. 49,.
Madrid tJstv ~ eerfftssst<e' Hssa y tho fs'' 1'*&
poaoetuily situated in tho hoaEt ot the fruitful
Province of Alicante, 80 peaceful that the iron-
horse haa not yet reaohod #, loa tho thriving
City Of; Alooy, famous ;in: ancient times for tho
tho Moora In 1851, md III modern times for It's
mailnfaoturos Of oloth cottont and paper! .'ltB
population ia .somo 16,001 to. 17,0o0. Thls
poacoful city has Just boon tho sceno Of events
which, although but irdperfootly knosn,as yet,
have produced terriblo CONFORMATION il, Mkdrl..
Horrors akin to those Of tho Commune OF Paris.
haye boon committed thoro, and all Spain IL
aglaBt at the mons. i r. - = I: =
It appoarB that Council Or Commission OF
the International OF Spain reside in Alcov, w1o
aro in dsaido1,co Will, tho rest Of tho oryani2n-
ton Of that body. TAoy rofuso, to recognize
the accords Of tho lato Congroaa Of tho Intorna-
tionals hold In September OF last yenr 1T tho
York. After, with more or loss succosa, having
provoked strikes amongst tho worlinE-mon OF
Andalusia, Valencia, and ,Darco1oua, tho Intor-
nattdnalists resolved to try Alcoy, whose indus.,
trial population was Earning good wages mud
took effect. A few. days ago t1reo or four
French; two Catalan, h1id two Valoncian Inter
natonalists arrived in tho city aud ontored Oh SO
aotiyo propaganda that, tho result Wis soon,
eeen-drat in q partial and thon IN general
strike. Tho demand WAS 30 per cent extra pay,'
two hours' loss labor. md othor things-such ~
an assessment Of tho valuo Of tho factories.
loomB, etc., and department of % per cent Of
tho shid value and progts among tho worknieu.
Not oontont with this, the strikora scnt deputies
round tho city, urging the 1nale and fonla1a ser
vanta to leayo .,thor employs, tho bakors to
stop kneading bread. and oven tho, BARRIERS to
cease shaving. Monacos Of most ferociona IA:
ture wore usod in oil casos of hesitation OF ro-
fusal. Great became tho alarm in the r"pulaao,
and with view to quell 1t tho Alca!sic ur Mayor,
Benor Albors, Republican Of great enar1yy; mud
very popular in the place, put out tho following
proclamation: :.
A1ooYAsos: Your Ayuntamento havo soon that
many Of tic Working-men Of dilercut arts and matu-
factrrcs In this city have doclared themselves on
striko wo know not whether tn defense Of their logt
@ nsssson Il at secret aSatora Ito Of dsordes Thoy would
be wanting to their duty II, In Wow Of tho scenes
save s" to % thoir '1 owledse they failed to droe
their voco both to tho worken and to tho manufac-
turora and owners Of establishments, to say that
masters, they arc. at tho same time detcrmined
S e sass ns ass e. sss
any ctizen or who exercise oppression Or coercion
c.npoy II. 1ho working-ms hna tho Tght to ast
grant rofube It. Tho violent atorruption Of theso
rtgltA by means Of monaco or otherwise ts loHct,
and your municipal corporation aro determined to
respect tho ono and not to allow the other to 10 COM
tonto, your A1caldc. Auausr1N ALpoHs.
ALoox, July 8, 1873. u.
Nc1t morning (oth) there WAS general meot-
ing Of tho strikers in tho Bull Ring. Violent
thoy wore strongeat and had right on their side.
They were also told that arms In abundance
were ready for them, and q resolve TO resort to
an armed struggle was carried by exclamation.
Groups aoon after went through tho atEeots
to say, "By Saturday VIC shall ha7o many hoads
cut on, many factories burned, and illunina-
tions in all tho balconies !" The rioters, to tho
number Of 5000 to 1900, next required that
tho Ayunta1niento should reaign within
three hours. Tho answer was a refusal on
tho part OF the Alcalde and Councillors, who ro-
tircd to the Town Hall, together with aomo
twelve to t1ttoen Civil Guards and few private
friends. The mob attaolsed the building, which
WAS gallantly defended for some hours but
what could 80 few do against so many? The
doora wero Ut last forced and entrance effected.
Tho defenders wero seized, stripped, and sub
n1itted to MI kinds OF mutilation. Then they
thoir names called out singy to the crowd below,
with tho question: "Will you hayo him alivo or
aesd7" II the mob cried :sAlive!" the unfortu-
nato being was thrown down to them, and re-
ccIyed on tho top Of bayoneta, and quickly rid
died through with deggor-thruBt6 or with balls.
II the mob said Dead /" no WAS killed first and
then thrown down. Tho young Licutonant OF
tho Civil Guard had his head cut of and exhibit
ed On a lance. One Councillor WAS dippod In
petroleum and then set fire to. Bucl. aro tho
month Of fugltives, who oRctped to Alicante and
other plncos. Heaven grant that they may
prove exaggerated TO Judge by what passed
to-dny in tic Cortes, they must DO too true.
T. Tho Deputy Garcia Romero asked If the Gov.
ernmont had information respecting tho truth
Of the alarming rumors oxating as to tho town
OF Toro. Minister 6unor said tint up to thai mo-
mont tho Government had 10 nsws respecting
| these rumors. Alcoy noxt came up. Bonoi
Aura asked to spoals, and, loavo boing givon, III
| aaid:
| According to private information which hsv,
rcocivod from tho district which avo the honor tt
represen it appears that the City Of Alcoy ia tho thea
and ths. roll Horrors have boon % committca thero
| would seem that The directors OF tho insurgents
ssonss TN o beg gSs S
to tell us whit news they have received It a said thu
yesterday tho Minister Of tho aobcruacion reccyed
asking elemenoy for tho asaassina And incenariats
beg Tho Government for tho prestige Of the ChanDe
those retehes, who have eomln|tte So many horrors
stFess and 70 ~ whvtheF they are aIspessa app
| peninHuia.
Tho Minister Of State, Maisonpave ropllet
on bohalt Of the Government as follows:
Pardon me- gentlamen, u there ha any incoherenc
In my thoughts, any trembling 10 my voice. and II
such s the private nows have received from unfor
tunate Mcoy, sent ne by friends Of my confidence
tases, my Imagination loses ltsolf, and tho sad In
prosaion produced 10 my soul by the orn,cs Of whic
frends who for Year, have beon working with 70
the cause Of the Republic-ls such that fct
In the moae deplorablc atato Of mind. VII
| toll you all tho official news the Goycrnmen
has, and then I will giYo you some. Of th
private neWs, for cannot give you all for tho hone
Of the country and Of the lepublto. The dorernmeu
tionaltsta In Alcoy had promoted general asrlko
first sheas attudo Vas paoao, requiring ineroase
know tue resolution Of tho ln1stcrs. Afterwards the
required something moro thoy demanded tho depos
ropIsce1nent by nominees Of their own. Ths Alcad
{h1syor), tho unfortunate Deputy Don AuBustin A
horB, hu who hnA Bhared tho labora Of the Cortt