The silver blade. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1895-1903, 1896-03-07
Italian Defeat in Abyssinia Worst
in Modern Times.
HOME PEOPLE ARE ENRAGED
Riots and Disorders In Most Of the
Cities Against the Disgraced
Ministry.

Rome, March "details Of the defeat
Of the Italian army at AdoWa received
tonight confirm the most alarming re-
port. although the exact number Of kill
ed is not announced. General Bara-
tieri's force consisted of 16 battalions of
white troops Qtalians), six battalions Of
native troops and IL batteries Of artil
lery. Generals Albertone and Arimondi
and their brigades are also missing, and
it Is believed they have been annihil-
ated,.
1t is impossible to describe the state
OF excitement in Rome this evening.
The whole population seems to be in
the streets, and the entire police force
and troops Of the garrison are on
duty.
1t is said that the government was
aware on Tuesday of the full extent
of the defeat inflicted upon the Italians.
but 1t was judged to be dangerous to
allow the startling information to- reach
the public suddenly, and so first the re-
port of the defeat was permitted to
leak out. Then the war officials al
lowed it to be "rumored' that 500 men
were killed. After this came the report
that 5000 soldiers had fallen, and now
~ ~ dOullClcu lIldL OUUV lldlldu IIOOQS
were slain, in addition to severe loss
among the native troops serving under
the flag of Italy. Under these circum-
stances it is not astonishing that the
widest rumors are in circulation, and
Of killed and wounded is placed at 1O-
600.
All fetes have been indefinitely post
poned, masses for the repose of the
souls Of the dead have been celebrated
in every Catholic church in this city,
and crowds of weeping women and sor-
rowing men were in attendance. The
receptions, ETC., in celebration Of the cor
onation anniversary sOf the pope have
been dispensed with. Rome in a word,
is today city of mourning and of sui
len anger, ready to break out into fierce,
open resentment.
The government and military author
tiles are charged with gross misman-
agement of the Abyssinia campaign,
and great indignation is expressed
against the newspapers which have
been goading General Baratieri into ac-
ton by haunting him with inactivity.
It is also said now that the Italian
commander was led into trap skill
fully baited by the report which was
allowed to reach him that number
of important chiefs OF the Shoans at
tended by portion of the Shoan army,
were attending the coronation of King
Negus at Axun, and that hoping to sur
prise those who remained behind, Gen
eral Baratieri ordered Generals Alder
tone, Arimondi and Dabormida to at
tack the enemy.
The latter, it appears, pretended to
L.
the troops were we'll within the passes
into Adowa, the capital of Tigre. Then
the scene changed. The Shoans, armed
with the improved French military
rifles and supported by modern artill-
cry, directed by French artillerymen,
advanced upon the Italians in over
whelming strength, while the apparent
ly deserted passes became alive with ma
tives, who hurled rocks down upon the
trapped soldiers while others kept up
terrible and well directed fire upon
the troops
Ugly rumors add that the Italians
fled after making a gallant stand and
seeing thousands Of their numbers shot
down or crushed to death. Then, it is
added, began the most disastrous de-
feat in the history Of African warfare,
the triumphant Shoans pressing on af-
ter the disorganized soldiers, cutting
them down in great numbers, in spite Of
repeated formations of squares. The
troops in these stands are said to have
behaved with the greatest gallantry,
but all the reserve ammunition was
captured and all the Italian provisions
and artillery fell into the hands Of the
enemy.
The result was that number Of