The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-12-27
DEADLY ANARCHIST BOMB
EXPLODED IN THE FRENCH
CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES.

CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES.
The Miscreant Caught-He is August.
Valiant, Professional Anarchist
and Glories in His Crime-Eighty
Persons Injured-Paris in Per
feet Fury of Indignation.
Anarchy has struck its most inso.snt blow
In Paris. 1t fired bomb in the French
Chamber OF Deputies few afternoons ago
when about 300 members were in their seats
and the galleries were filed.
In the course OF the business of the House
the election Of NJ. Mirman came up for dis
cussion. NJ. Mirman had been speaking
from the tribune, and had Just descended tc
resume his seat, when man in the gallery
above threw bomb toward the floor. The
bomb must have had time fuse attached to
It, for as it passed the head of Prof. Lemire,
Deputy for Hazebruck, it exploded with q
terrific report. A dense cloud OF smoke and
dust assembled, shutting out from view for q
time those sitting in the body Of the House.
For single instant the House was per-
fectly quiet. and then. the members and
others realizing what had occurred, there
was the widest excitement. The officers de-
tailed to guard the Chamber were the first to
regain their senses. They at once shut the
great doors leading to the Chamber to pre-
vent the escape of the boom thrower. The
people In the galleries fed in wild disorder,
fearing that other bombs would be thrown.
They were in state bordering on frenzy,
and almost fell over each other In their wild,
but futile, haste to get out OF the building.
One lady, who, it was learned, was an Amerf-
can woman. had been hit on the forehead by
piece of the casing of the boom, and she
aed with blood streaming over her face.
On the floor Of the House the excitement
was fully as great as that in the galleries.
Many of the members rushed for the exits,
fearing every moment to hear another explo-
sion. M. Dupuy. the President OF tho Cham
ber, was apparently the coolest man In the
Chamber. Two ladies besides the American
in the lower gallery were injured. A man
sitting beside the bomb thrower was also
wounded.
The Deputies wounded were Professor
Abbe Lemire. Count Paul Henri Lanjuinais
and NJ. Leffet.
The excitement among the members did
not last long. The wounded were taken to
committee rooms and medical assistance was
hastily summoned to attend them. While
this was being done some of the reporters
picked up on the floor of the House bits of
metal and q number Of horseshoe nails that
had formed part OF the contents of the bomb.
The dust raised by the explosion was 50
thick that the clothing OF everybody in the
Chamber presented an ashy appearance.
The Chamber looked as If 1t had been
swept by riot. Many desks and chairs la7
where they fell after having been wrenched
from the floor. In several places the floor
and furniture were espattered with blood. The
mattresses for the wounded In the commit
tee rooms we're spotted red and the door,
latches were smcared with blood. NJ. Leffot
looked as ifbrought from battlefield when
he was carried from the Chamber. His face
was blackened and streaked with red, and
the blood flowed in streams from his left
hand. Two of his fingers had been blown of,
and his arm had been badlytorn.
At noon as the smoke and dust had cleared
away the members resumed their seats and
the tribunal, and, in perfectly steady
voice, took up the discussion ofthe question
before the House as though nothing out OF
the ordinary had occurred. When the dis
cusslon had been finished N. Casimir-P Perier,
the Prime Minister. said that he did not wish
to interrupt the business of the Chamber, but
he felt compelled to assure the House that
the Government would do its duty.
At 10 o'clock in the evening it was an
nounced that, as far as known, thirty Depu~
ties and fifty onlookers had been injured by
the explosion. Many Of these eighty, how
ever, received only scratches. Some of
them lost fingers, others have slight frac.
lures, not fow suffered merely painful
flesh wounds. One woman suffered bad
fracture Of the knee-cap.
As soon as the explosion occurred the
guards locked the gates leading from the
Chamber and no one was permitted to leave
unless he or she could give satisfactory rea-
sons and Identification. All others were de-.
tanned as suspects.
Some of those detained were dirty, repul-
sive loafers OF the lowest type. Any one OF
them might pass as an Anarchist. Despite
the numerous arrests, it was feared that the
culprit escaped through some side exit dur
ing the panic.
The wounded spectators. who, after hav-
Ing been arrested, convinced the police OF
their innocence. were allowed to 20 In ambu-
lances to their homes late in the evening.
At midnight it was announced officially
that forty-eight persons were wounded. This
list does not include those who received
merely slight scratches and bruises.
The number OF persons arrested In the
Chamber on suspicion Is twenty-three. Elk.
cepting those who were wounded, the sus-
poets were sent to tho police station. The
wounded were taken to an inf1rmary by q
strong guard.
All during the evening the officials at the
Prefecture Of Police were verifying the state
ments and examining the names OF the sus
poets. The first name to challenge their at
tention was that of valiant. Several deteo
tlves remarked that this man had long been
known as an Anarchist of the extreme type
n ranter who had surpassed all his comrades
recently in the violence OF his language.
Upon searching the records the off,
cials found full biography of Vail
LIANT. whose career jus' i1ed all that the
detectives had said OF him. He was among
those detained by the closing OF the gates
when the crowd sought to escape from the
scene Of the explosion. A fragment OF his
bomb had torn away part OF his nose. he
was rushing toward the street, with blood
streaming from his face, when stopped BY
the soldiers. Four detectives then went to
the Hotel Dieu and sought the bed on which
Valiant lay, suffering from many wounds.
In reply to their questions he said that his
name was Marchal and that he lived In
Choisy-le-Roi.
When asked for more information, he
pleaded that the shattered condition OF his
nerves incapacitated him from talking
eoherently. He must sleep, he said, be-
fore talking more. When the detec-
tives pressed him for answers he grew
angry, tufueu over III Ueu, anu Feiuseu
to speak. The detectives, convinced that
he was either principal OF accomplice
in the plot against the Deputies, con-
tinued their efforts to draw him out. As the
French police say, they "sslted" him. Moth
ing was learned, however. until we'll into the
morning. At o'clock the Procureur of the
Republic and NJ. Lepine. Prefect OF Police,
arrived at the Hotel Dieu. After comforting
with the detectives they went to Vaillant's
bedside.
Tho Dreouraur ao;d noaitivaIr