The Lamar register., 1892-03-05
A RIOT IN BERLIN.
The POLICE AND woRkMEN IN
CONFLICT.
Unemployed LAboring Men Desiring to
Appeal to the Emperor Are Driven
Away After Hard Fight.


cry during the forenoon. The workmen had
gathered there to receive the report of depu-
tation which they had sent to the burgomas-
ter, Herr Forkenbeck, asking him to see the
Emperor in behalf of the unemployed work
men of Berlin and to intercede with his m21es-
ty upon their behalf The men wanted Herr
Forkenbeck To ask the Emperor to appoint
fair and unprejudiced commission TO inquire
into the wrongs which the workmen complain
Of and promote Immediate legislation nee
essary to redress their grievances. The depu-
tation had been refused admission TO the
house of the burgomaster who, although
liberal did not dare to encourage the men but
sent them word that they had better go to
their homes. The delegates were also warned
that the police forbade all riotous gatherings
and professions, and that steps should be
taken to prevent any demonstration on the
part of those the delegates represented.
With this information as the result OF their
visit to the burgomaster, the delegates re-
turned to Lipp's brewery, where they an
nounced TO their comrades, who by that time
numbered fully 5000 men, the disappointing
result of their mission. The message of the
burgomaster was received by the worRmen
with regular howls of rage and storms OF ex
ecration They decided to march at once to
the castle, the home Of Emperor William and
present their petition 10 him in person.
Thereupon steps were Immediately taken 10
gather the great body of workmen into some
sort of order, the Socialist portion of those
present showing themselves 90 be admirably
ready to convert an unwieldy body of shout
ing, yelling, excited men into parade shape,
Amidst the uproar, n number of the cooler
heads and more thoughtful of the leaders ot
the worImen tried almost in vain to be heard
| In loud. piercing tones they implored the
| men not 10 lose their heads and TO remember
that they were but small handful when
| measured against the garrison and police OF
Berlin But many of the men were partially
intoxicated and gave no heed to advice OF this
| kind.
| All the recent utterances and doings of the
| present emperor of Germany seem to have
struck deep and dangerous root in the hearts
| of the people, for upon this occasion as If re
| solved to freely give vent to long pent-up
| feelings of indignation and wrath, the work
men, the Socialists and their sympathizers,
\ recalled and jeered at everything recently
| credited to their monarch. The utteranees at
| Brandenburg, about causing everybody In
| Germany who did not support him to shake
| the dust of Germany from their feet, were
particularly referred to with deep curses, as
| were the other and similar remarks credited
| TO the effect that he would grind TO powder
those who opposed him.
The crowd formed into sort Of procession
and marched through the Inter den Linden,
singing the "Marseilluise."
At that stage of the riot many believed that
| a revolution had broken out in Berlin and the
| widest rumors concerning the movement
spread on all sides The officers in command
of the different corps Of the garrison were
80 7sa-NF ar,sl
| by wire, and such was the excitement and
| preparatiod for some time that one would
| have thought the people were rising against
the government From every available quar-
ter detachments of police were hurriedly sent
for, arriving at the palace on the trot and
| completely armed. By this time the rioters
had reached point outside the castle gates
and there they halted, sang the -Marseillaisen
in laundering tones and wildly shouted for
the emperor to appear
As soon as the force Of police on the spot
had been sufficiently reinforced a charge upon
the rioters was ordered, and then began
series of the most hand-to-hand fights ever
| witnessed in the streets Of Berlin. The police,
| 1t was evident, had received strict orders to
| avoid bloodshed. but they hit right and left
with the fat of their swords, pounded away
F, with the stocks of their rifles and hammered at
the rioters with batons. During the melee
the police made 100 arrests, but each arrest
| seemed to be the signal for an attempt at res
| cue upon the part of the mob, and in some
cases they tore their comrades from the grasp
| of the police and carried them away in tri-
| umph.
| While this battle was being fought almost
beneath the castle windows, Emperor VIII
liam of Germany, pale and looking like man
| just recovering from 4 severe attack of sick
ness, watched his subjects struggling with the
| men they had termed his butchers" their
only crime being that they desired to appeal
to their monarch for the justice which they
claim they are unable to obtain elsewhere.
When the presence of the emperor at the
| window became known Che stood at large
window on the first story there was such a
| howl, mingled with cheers, that It must have
caused him very uncomfortable feeling.
| But by lifting his hand he could have put a
stop to all the rloting, and by addressing
few calming words to the mob, promising to
investigate their complaints, he could have
sent them home satisfied, but he did not do
| it, and the battle between the police and the
| dissatisfied workmen continued.
The reinforcements received by the police
enabled them finally to disperse the mob be-
| fore the castle, and the crowd scattered to
L
tinued their disorderly conduct.
| AS darkness came on the mob increased in
number and grew more dangerous in temper.
| The various bands must have numbered sew
| eral thousands. They had no organized lead
ership, but they held virtual possession Of the
| eastern quarters of Berlin, especially Of
| FranBfurter and Weissenberger streets. The
| whole police force of Berlin was called out,
| under orders to go to any extremity to sup
press the uprising. The working people were
not sanguinary, but they were resolute. They
opposed the police stubbornly, and refused to
disperse. They gathered in large body on
the Frankfurter strasse, with the intention Of
marching toward the palace. Near Kaiser
strasse severe conflict took place, in which
large number of persons were injured.
The police were directed with much judg-
| ment and skill, their instructions being to aim
| for the capture, If necessary, the killing of
those who appeared to be the leaders. This
they carried out, and as fast as one who
seemed to be ringleader taken he was
| hurried away TO prison. In this way the mob
! was kept disorganized aud prevented from