Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1892-03-01
IN NEED OF BREAD.
Charity Alone Keeps Berlin
Workmen from Starving.
SUFFERING IS WIDESPREAD
ness-Nob's Action Believed to Have
Been Inspired by Sociaiisis-Incidsnts
Explaining the Origin of the Outbreak.

BEELIN, Feb % There WAS ominous
quirl in the city Yesterday The
mosts significant feature oi the morn
ing was the silence of most nj the pas
tors on tho subject that was in
everybviy's mind The usual prayers
were offered up for the kaiser and the
fatherland, but not a word of admonition
| OF petition bearing upon an outbreak ot
| disorder such as Berlin had not seen in forty
years, The explanation of this is that the
Protestant churches generally are extreme
lv dissatisfied with the new education bill,
which places Catholics virtually on par
with the lutherans and Is regarded ss
establishing substantially a Catholic state
church.
In he quarters OF the city mostly inhab-
tied by workmen a double force of police
was on duty, and wherever three or four
persons WAS seen together they were
ordered to di,perse, The order was gener-
ally obeyed. although in one instance a
workingman asked the police 70 arrest
him. and said he would do violence If they
did not On being questioned rs to h,s
| reason he sad that he had nothing TO eat
and that he wished 10 he imprisoned he
could not bear the sight nj his
Wife and ChiIdrrn starving.
His story was investigated and proved
to h. ,ru. In ,vretcbed ,n,rt,n,,,, {,
woman and three children were found
| almost without clothing and weak from
want of food Tho husband bad come IN
Berlin when huilding was active, and lost
work when times grew hard His story
was that thousands of wOrkingmcn Of
Berlin. some Of them old residents OF the
city bnt lie greater number attracted to
the metropolis Of The empire hy the boom
that preceded depression, were idle.
Thousands "i families oi these men are
absolutely starving. or dependent on char
ity- \ touching spectacle wa~ Witnessed
at the prison yesterday. The wives 0f
several Of those taken captive in the riot
of Thursday night were permitted 70 zee
them. In nearly every instance the men
handed to their wives a part Of the prison
ration to carry home In one case pris-
oner had actually gone without his bread
| rations since Friday morning, roncealing
it, ~ az To he able to give II 70 his family.
He gave the whole OF 1t tn his wife for
her and the children. One Of the turn.
keys, although accustomed to pitiful
scenes, was 50 touched with this that he
gave the man extra fooi and gave the
woman some money.
Those incidents explain the fear and the
origin "i the outbreak.
Misery Among the roor
this winter has been greater than At any
| time for years past The municipal
authorities. following the lead NJ the
| hurgoma-ter, have trusted To repression
| rather than paIliAtion Tor dealing with the
desperate and poverty stricken populace.
| Relief when asked for has been given
grudingly, and the men have been told
| that If they persisted IN applying for pub
| lie aid they would be sent to the so cal He'd
tramp colonies and made to work as
| prisoners This meant separation from
wives and children and the breaking IN OF
associations and ties ss dear to the poor a.
TO the rich
Tn. answer and threat were generally
accepted ~ y denial of relief, and at last
the unemployed gave up booking TO the
local authorities for any aid whatever.
! 1t was this frame ri mind that prevailed
on Thursday last when some onc possibly
a socialist agitator, suggested to halt
starved, shisering crowd: Why not ap-
peHi y" '"' N''' W. "h''n L" tns
s,n,usH Hn'. 80 ''' -, '"'h'i ~ '"e ''h'l io'
N0' anu 49, a
IL was IKE E'eati, g' nope IN me hark
ms "i 'Sp',''- 10 '"' N"laer' tne
! The ihrong grew in numbers until thou,
sands were in the nob of ragged, gaunt
and hungry men marching toward tn
| palace gates
The story Of their repui@e has been told
Bat in that march and rephlse the popu