The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-01-03
TOWNS FIRED BY RIOTERS
A Third Of Campo BellO, in Sicily. Laid
In Ashes.


Town Hall, and Many Private DWELL
ings Burned-Half Dozen Build
inRs Burned at Salemi.
Rome, Jan. 2.-Dispatches received
from Sicily to-day show that the anti-tax
movement has made great progress in the
province of Trapani.
Several days ago, the discomfort in
Campo Bello, town of 5000 inhabitants
near Trapani city, had become so threat
ening that the town council passed res
olution abolishing the wheat octroi. AS
protest against this action the millers
refused to reduce the price of -four, and
the bakers announced an increase in the
price of bread.
MOB ON THE MARCH.
When these measures became known
yesterday morning, about 1000 men and
fifty or more women of the working class
gathered from the town and the surround
ing country and began marching through
the streets. The police who tried to dis
perse them were put to flight. The riot
ers set fire to all the public buildings ex-
cept the town hall. From these build
ings the fire spread to private houses.
While large district was in flames the
mob left the owners and officials alone to
fight the fire, marched to the prison and
took it by storm. All the prisoners ware
liberated
The'soldiers, who had been confined in
their barracks, were driven out by the
fire and then turned their attention TO
saving the rest of the town. They were
very forbearing and did not fire or use
their bayonets upon the mob
A THIRD OF THE TOWN IN RUINS.
Nearly third of the town is now in
ruins. Many families that were burned
out walked the streets all last night. The
whole town looks as if it had suffered
from bombardment. Among the build
ings destroyed were every mill and every
miller's house in the place.
At Salemi, town Of $4,000 inhabitants,
in the same district with Campo Bello,
fires were started by anti-tax rioters
shortly before dark yesterday, and a
half dozen buildings were burning by 0
O'Clock.
FIRES IN OTHER TOWNS.
Fires were set by rioters in several
smaller towns also, and in the early even
ing the whole district seemed ablaze.
The troops, although provoked by the
rioters repeatedly in Salemi, did not fire.
struggle. A private was shot in the
cheek and a captain in the stomach.
FIVE RIOTERS KILLED.
At Pietra Persia, a town Of II 900 in
habitants, near Caltanisetta, an an:i-tax
mob set fire to three public buildings
and tried to get at the rest, but was pre-
vented by troops who had been called out
to protect them. The rioters made such
determined attacks on the military in
their efforts to reach the buildings that
eventually the order to fire was given.
Five persons were killed and many were
wounded by the first volley. The second
volley, fired over the heads of the rioters,
was followed quickly by the dissolution
of the mob
THREE KILLED AT MARINEo.
The town council at Marineo. near
Palermo. abolished the wheat octroi on
Saturday, but the millerS and bakers,
like those in Campo Bello, refused TO re-
duce their prices. The people rose yes
terday and tried to destroy the town
buildings, but were driven Off by the
troops after several stubborn fights, in
which three rioters were killed and sew
eral more were wounded. Troops contin-
ued to guard the houses of the millers and
bakers and the public buildings through
out the night.
The communal councillors of Syracuse
have taken steps to quiet the populace by
lowering the wheat tax. The announce
ment of this policy yesterday morning
was received with Joy throughout the
city. and the governor was received with
tremendous enthusiasm when he entered
the theater last night.
READ TO THE CABINET.
The dispatches from Trapani giving de-
tails Of the rioters in Campo Belle arrived
during cabinet council this morning.
They were read first by Premier Crispi,
who at once communicated them to his
colleagues All the ministers pronounced
the situation in Sicily to be graver than
at any previous period of the anti-tax
agitation. Several ministers expressed
the opinion that the communal councils,
whose administration had caused the
disorder, ought to be dissolved by the
government. The appeal of the military
commander of the islands TO the patriot
ism of the people is considered in the
ministry, as well as among the people at
large, to be proof of the desperate condi-
tion Of Sicilian affairs.
DEPUTIES GOING 20 THE ISLAND.
Several Sicilian deputies, who have
great influence with the people of their
districts have started for the island to
help in the work Of pacifcation. Pre-
mier Crispi expected until this evening
W kOs Uub bllC LCpOAAo AtNNAfS0
in the last dispatches caused him to
change his plans. He will not visit Sicily
for the present, as he deem his presence
in Rome as indispensable.
A mass meeting of ali classes at
Palermo last evening appointed deputa-
ton to report formally to the government
what reforms were most needed in Sicily,
as the government was but i'll informed
by the officials representing it on the
island
MANY REPORTED KILLED.
Rome, Jan. 3, 8a. m.-Five leading news
papers, in their latest editions, contain
serious news from Sicily, and the Osserv-
atore Romano says that many have been
killed, both among the troops and the peo-
pie.
The Tribuna says: "It is absurd to de-
lude ourselves. No government can hold
terms with disorder. Repression having
become a necessity, IL will retard the
dawn Of those reforms which we all In
woke, but which will never be brought by
fires lighted by furious crowd"
TAX COLLECTOR EXECUTED.
London, Jan. "A dispatch from Rome
10 the Central News says: ''The peasants
in village in the province Of Trapani,
seized a tax collector this morning and
arraigned him before mock tribunal
They convicted him Of oppression and
ordered that he be shot, the community
applauding The sentence was executed.
IN 90 ftsess Ia