Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-01-03
SICILIAN CRISIS.
An Alarming Increase in the
Anti-Tax Riots.
City After City in Hands Of Angry
Mobs---BuiIdings Destroyed.
The Cabinet GrarlIy Concerned Over The Pres.
ent pesperats Condition.

RoME, Jan. 2.--Dispatches from Silly
today how that the. anti-tax movement has
made reat pro gress in the province OF
Trapani. Several days ago discontent in
Campobello, 600 inhabitants, become &c
threat ening tina, the town council passed 9
resolution abo!ishing the wheat Oitroi. A;
protests against this action the mi!!ers re-
fused to reduce the price of -four and the
bakers announced an increase in the price
of bread.
When these measures became known yes
terday NOR ling, about 1000 men and so o.
more WON IN of the working class gathere(
from the town and surrounding country an6
began marching through the streets. The
police who tried to disperse them were pu
to fight. The rioters set fire to all public
buildings exc ept the town hall. From these
bu;' ding, the fire spread 10 the nearby
private houses. The mob left the owner!
and officials alone to fight the FIRE. marched
to the prison and took it by storm. All the
prisoners were liberated and the soldiers
confined in their barracks.
The registration bureau was driven GU
by fire started by the workingmen before
the course Of the mob was reported to thu
commander. When brought out to saw
from destruction what was left Of the town
the soldiers were extremely forbearing
They forced back the mob slowly at thu
poiut of the bayOnet, and at no time re
ceived orders to fire. Nearly third Of th'
town 10 in ruins Many families burne'
out walked the streets all last night. Amons
the buildings destroyed are every mill am
every miller's house in the place.
At Salemi, $1,000 inhabitants, in thu
same district with Campobello. fires werE
started by the anti-tax rioters shortly before
dark Yesterday, and half q dozen building
were soon burning. Fires were set by tn
rioters in sew eral smaller towns and in th'
early evening whole districts SCENE
sblaza. The troops, although provoked b.,
the Iioters repeatedly in Salient, did no
fire. Several riJters were arrested after :
struggle. A private was shot in the cheel
and captain in the stomach.
At Petra Perzia, ! 900 inhabitants, An an
t-tax mob, set fire to three public building
and tried to get at the rest, but were pre-
vented by troops called out to protect them
The rioters made such determined attack
on the military, in their efforts to reach tn
buildings, that eventually the order to fir
was given, and FIVE men were killed, an
many wounded ty the first volley. Tn
second volley fred over the heads of tn
rioters, and was followed quickly by tn
dissolution of the mob.
The town council in Marneo, near Paler
mo, abolished the wheat otttoi. Saturday
but the milers and bakers refused to re
duce the prices. The people rose yeste,
day and tried to destroy the town buildings
but were driven off by the troops after sew
erai stubborn fights in which three rioter
were killed and several wounded. The
troops continued to guard the houses o.
mllers and bakers and public building
throughout the night.
The communal councillors of Syracus
have taken steps to quiet the populace b.
lowering the wheat tax. The announce
ment OF this policy yesterday morning wa
received with Joy throughout the city, an'
the governor WAS received with tremendous
enthusiasm when he entered the theatr'
last evening.
Dispatches from Trapani, giving detail
OF riots in Campobello, arrived during tn,
cabinet council This morniog. All the min
listers pronounced the situation in Sicil
graver than ut any previous period Of th'
snti-tax agitation. Several ministers 'x
pressed the opinion that communal coun-
ellis, whose bad administration caused di'
order, ought to be dissolved by the govern
ment.
An appeal of the military commander OF
the island to the patriotism of the pc ople Is
considered proof of the desperate condition
Of Sicilian affairs.