St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-04-16
KILLED A WOMAN.
Blood Shed in q Clash Between
Belgian Rioters and Gen.
darmes.
In Ghent the Police Were Routed
by the Mob'S Superior
Strength.

BRUSSELS, April 15.-The most seri-
Gus disturbance that has yet occurred
during the agitation against the cham
ber of deputies for rejecting the uni
versal suffrage bill took place last
night at Jolimont. In q fight between
the strikers and the gendarmes. one
woman was killed, and three of the
strikers seriously wounded. The strlk-
ers had been acting disorderly all
day and at night began to assemble in
great numbers. The gendarmes at
tempted to diSperse them, aud met with
strong resistance. In the mob of rioters
were number OF women, who encour-
aged the men to give battle to the po-
lice. SpurreG on by these women, the
strikers fought desperately when the
gendarmes attempted to drive them
from the streets. Clubs and stones were
freely used, and there was prospect of
the mob getting the upper hand of the
gendarmeS, when the order was given
for the latter to draw their swords and
charge the crowd. The order was at
once obeyed, and, SlaShing right and
left, the geudarmes moved through the
mop. which broke and scattered in every
direction, hurting stones and any other
handy meSsIle before they ran. After the
rioters were dispersed it was found that
one of the women had been SlaShed
with sword and killed, and that three
men had been so badly wounded that
thew could not get away from where
they had fallen. The wounded were re-
moved to a hospital and the body of the
woman was taken to the morgue. The
affair has caused great excitement and
further trouble is apprehended.
The labor leaders, many of whom are
socialists, are striving in every way to
make the strike general. In Ghent their
efforts are meeting with success, and
every day fresh acceSSiOnS are gained
by the strikers. The situation is acute,
but the government is yigilant. The
strikers in Ghent are CAUSING great eX-
element in that town. Among the men
who have quit work are large number
of weavers. The more orderly per-
sons engaged in that occupation refused
to Join the strikers, and this fact
greatly incensed the strikers. Today
the latter determined to force the work
ing weavers to leave their looms, and in
consequence a bloody riot ensued. The
rioters, numbering hundreds, attacked
the workers, and severely injured many
of them. The police were promptly or
the scene, but they were pOWerless
to handle the mob. The strikers,
aided by the great crowd of loafers
and Yagabonds, turned on the police,
and, though the latter had the advan-
tage of being armed, they were put to
! rout. Two police captains were quite
badly wounded, presumably by the
stones fired at them. The entire por-
ton of the city in which the disturbance
occurred was in an uproar. The strlk-
ers, after the retreat of the police, took
| possession of the quarters and acted In
| a most diSgraceful manner.
The civil authorities finding that the
| riot was growing worse every minute
called upon the military for aid. Under
| orders from the central authority,
which appears to realize the gravity of
the movement, the troops were ready to
| render assistance whenever called upon.
A detachment of cavalry was ordered
| to disperse the mob. They at once
| proceeded to the scene of the
| rioting, and upon the order to disperse
being greeted with derisive yells they
charged the mob The latter fed pre-
cipitately when they saw the cavalry
men riding with drawn swords upon
them, and sought refuge in houses and
| alleyways. Not all escaped, however.
Some of the less fleet of foot were
knocked down and trampled upon by
the horses, while others were struck by
| swords and badly hurt.