Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1892-03-05
in detnchments over the npighhor

the demolishment OF the bakers stores
and turned its attention to the butchers
stores, which were quickly emptied of
their contents.
The Spoils Divided.
Then there was strange scene. I'm
mense piles of stolen meat and bags of
-four were gathered at convenient
spots, and the work of equal distribu-
ton began. Sturdy rioters guarded
these stores of provisions while others
measured out the meat and flour to the
stM wing men. But it was not for them
selves that these provisions were taken.
Each man, as he approached the dis
tributing point, was asked how many
people he had i'll his family, and upon
the number being given, he was handed
a piece of meat and measure or two of
flour, according to the needs of his
| household
The Police Kept at Bay.
While this work of distribution was
going on, in an orderly manner in the
public streets, skirmishing parties of
rioters were keeping the police, who
were greatly outnumbered, at bay by
pelting them with stones or charging
bodily upon them and driving the au-
thorities from the scene of the riot.
Other skirmishiug parties emptied wine
stores, grocery stores and other places
where food and drink was to be had
until every man among the rioters had
laid in stock of provisions of some
kind or another.
An Orderly Mob.
The mob, in spite of this rioting was
orderly, if such term can be applied to
rioters. For instance, the chief magis-
trate previously referred to, while the
work Of pillaging the provision stores
was still in. progress, appeared on the
scene surrounded by detachment of
police, and implored the rioters to main
tain order and to go to their homes
without doing any further damage,
promising if the men would go back
to their homes that the local authorities
would overlook, so far as possible, the
damage already done, and that they
would do their utmost to provide addi-~
tional relief works.
The rioters gathered together in a
compact body and listened impatientlv
to all that the magistrate had to say,
and then one of them, acting as spokes-
we will go ours when we have food for
crime to take bread for our dear ones
than to see them starve to death before
our eyes? Leave us alone and all will
be we'll; if you provoke us you must
take the consequences, and the streets of
Dantzic may be hidden beneath ashes
and blood"
These sentiments evidently met with
the Endorsement of the mob. for a roar
of hearty approval greeted them, and,
in view of the threatening attitude of
the mob, the large majority of them be-
ing armed with sticks, tools, stones
and, in some instances, firearms, the
magistrate deemed it wise to beat re-
treat. which he did to the disgust of the
police, who were anxious for brush
with the rioters
During this retreat shot from re-
volver was fred, probably by drunken
man among the rioters. The result was
that he was Immediately set upon by his
comrades, Who tore the weapon from
him and gave the man a sound thump-
ing and kic',ing
Another md even more dangerous
man, not content in taking part in sack
ing bakers store, dragged some hot |
Goals from the oven and threw them |
upon a large heap of brushwood which |
the baker had accumulated for starting
the fires with which to bake. Conse-
quently, the dry brushwood was soon in
a fierce blaze and the building was in
danger of catching fire. This so en-
ragged the companions of the man who |
had started the fire that they caught |
hold of him and threw him back into |
the bakehouse, from which he had |
escaped, commanding him to put out |
the fire or perish in the flames, shouting
angrily:
"We are not anarchists. We are not |
socialists. We are honest workmen, and |
who have starving families to protect. |
We will burn no mans dwelling, though !
we take the food the authorities refuse
to give us"
Unhappilv though, these were beyond
doubt the sentiment of the majority,
there were more mischievously inclined
people among them, for number of pri-
vate houses, and stores containing valu
ables were broken into and part of their
contents carried off. In addition a large
quantity of property was willfully de-
stroyed and many lives were imperiled.
The Police Not Idle.
During this time, naturally, the po-
lice We're not entirely idle. They
formed into several detachments and re-
peatedly charged the mob. The latter,
far outnumbering the police, fought
desperately with the policemen, injur-
ing a number of them and in several
cases completely routing them. Victory
eventually rested with the police, but
the rioters were not dispersed until they
had done all the damage they intended
to do.
Not over fifty prisoners were taken
by the police during the whole course
of the riots and many of these we
rescued by the mob while being taken
to the guardhouse.
No Further Trouble Anticipated.
In view of the fact that the authorities
are not inclined TO be very severe with
the prisoners taken, no further rioting
is anticipated, especially as committee
of influential citizens is being formed 10
take steps to enlarge the relief works so
as to employ at least 900 men.
The Emperor Kept Posted.
The emperor, according to rumor, Is
kept advised as to all such outbreaks,
and he is said to be angry at what he
terms the lukewarm manner in which
the local authorities of Dantzic have
handled the rioters there.
Another Side to the Story.
A later dispatch from Dantzic, how
ever, places a somewhat different aspect
upon the disturbance, at least so far as
the looting of shops and wagons is con-
cerned. This dispatch says that after
the speakers had addressed the disap-
pointed workingmen, a majority Of the
latter, without needing the appeals to
right their own wrongs, returned to
their homes. Those who did the riot