St. Paul daily globe., 1896-03-05
ITALY IN A TUMULT
SULLEN ANGER AND FIERCE RE-
SENTIMENT ALMOST BEYOND
DESCRIPTION
OVER DEFEATS IN AFRICA,
LATEST REPORTS OF WHICH
SHOW THAT HALF WAS NOT
TOLD AT FIRST.
KINGDOM RIPE FOR OUTBREAK.
Popular Demonstrations Against the
Government Unparalleled for
FerSrity.

~
ROME, March 4-The kingdom of
| Italy today is in a condition of excite
| ment, grief and anger, almost beyond
| description. Words cannot adequate
ly portray the situation, for every dis
patch received from Massowah adds to
| the gravity of the disaster to the Ital-
ian army at Adowa, Abyssinia. When
the first news of Gen. Baratieria's de-
feat reached this city, report had it
| that only 500 men were killed. then
yesterday afternoon the number ran up
to 5000 killed and sixty pieces Of artil-
lery captured, and this mornings dis
patches place the number Of italians
killed at the battle Of Adowa and in
the long, harassing retreat which fol-
lowed. at 5000, and it is believed that
not even these figures tell Of the full
extent of the disaster. In these re-
ports no mention Is made Of the
wounded, and there is good reason,
based on stories of recent italian de-
feats by the Abyssinians, to believe
those who fell wounded during the re-
treat Of over fifty miles met more hor-
rible fate than those who were killed on
the spot. Throughout the night the gar
rison here was kept under arms, and
mounted patrols trayersed the prin-
cipaf streets. The masses, however, do
not seem to have retired to rest. The
streets were filled with people until
daybreak, and after early morning
every public place was crowded with
n
disturbances which, have called for
police interference have occurred to-
day. The indications are that people
are assuming a most threatening at
titude, not only in Rome but through
out Italy. Demonstrations against the
Crispi ministry and even against the
crown are reported from number of
towns in the provinces, in spite of the
fact that the authorities are straining
every nerve to-
SUPPRESS ALARMING NEWS.
1t is said that the, government was
aware on Tuesday of the full extent Of
the defeat inflicted upon the Italians,
but it was judged to be dangerous to
allow the startling informal ton to
reach the public suddenly, and so, first
the report 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 "re-
port than 1900 soldiers had fallen, and
now it is admitted" that 5000 Italian
troops were slain, in addition to severe
loss among the native troops, serving
under the flag of Italy. Under these
circumstances, it is not astonishing
that the widest kind of rumors are in
circulation, and that in some of the
clubs the number of killed and wound
ed is placed at 10000 Exaggerated as
these figures may turn out to be they
show the state Of the public mind here.
All fetes have been Indefinitely post
poned; masses for the repose Of the
souls of the dead have been celebrated
this morning in every Catholic church
in this city and crowds Of weeping
women and sorrowing men were in at
| tendance. The receptions, etc, in cele-
bration of the coronation anniversary
of the pope, have been dispensed with.
Rome, in a words is today a city of
mourning and Sullen anger, ready to
| break out into fierce, open resentment.
| The government and the military au-
thorities are charged with gross mis-
management of the Abyssinian cam
paign, and great Indignation Is ex-
pressed against the newspapers which
have been goading Gen. Baratieria into
action by taunting him with his mac
tivity. The italian commander was
LED INTO A TRAP
skilfully baited by the report which was
allowed to reach him that number of
important chiefs of the Shoans. attend
ed by portion of the iShoan army, were
attending the coronation of King Ne
gus at AXum, and that, hoping to sur
prise those who remained behind, Gen
Barateria ordered Gems. Albertone, Ari-
mcndi and Dabormida to attack the en-
emy. The latter pretended to retreat
before the Italian army until the troops
were well into the passes of Adowa. the
capital of Tigre. Then the scene chang
ed. Phe Sheans, armed with the i'm
proved French military rifles, it is
claimed, and supported by modern ar
tillery, directed by French artilIerymen
advanced upon. the Italians in over
whelming strength, while the apparent
ly deserted passes became alive with
natives, who hurled rocks down upon
the trapped soldiers, while others kept
up terrible, well-directed fire upon the
troops. Ugly rumors add that the Ital-
ianS broke and fled, after making a gal
liant stand and seeing thousands of
| their number shot down or crushed to
death. Then, it is added, began the most
disastrous retreat in the history of At
rican warfare, the, triumphant Shoans
diers, cutting them, down in great num-
bers in spite of the repeated forma-
! tiCns of squares.
MASSES IN REVOLT.
Later in the day news from the prov
! inces became more alarming II
| was stated that in number
| of places the police have been
unable to cope with. the pepulace
and that the troops have been called
upon to restore order. The soldiers,
| however, appear to have been as help
| less as the police, and in several places
| crowds have been fired upon. At Mi
Ian the troops, after vainly trying to
disperse a mob which was making a
demonstration against the government,
were obliged to fire. One man was
killed and several were wounded Dis
patches received here from Venice say
that the most intense excitement pre-
walls there, and there were number of
riotous demonstrations during the night.
Advices received here from Padua say
that there was a fiotous demonstration
today and that the police had to in
terfere to restore order A mob march
ed through the streets hooting the gov
eminent officials and crying for the
downfall of the tCrispi ministry At
Rovigo, and in fact nearly every city
of Importance throughout Italy, the
troops are confined to the barracks to-
day and every precautiOn possible is