Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1897-12-04
UNDER MARTIAL Law.
Heroic Methods to Prevent Rioting
at Prague, Bohemia.
ANTI-GERMAN DEMONSTRATIONS.


Riots Almost a Rebellion.
Prague, Bohemia, Dec. 2-There were
fresh disturbances here yesterday. The
houses of Germans who bombarded
with stones, and a bowling mob which
gathered on Wenzel- Platz had to be
dispersed by infantry and cavalry. The
university buildings are threatened by
the rioters, and have to be protected
by large bodies of police.
Troops have been drafted to Juden-
stadt, owing to the mob threatening to
run riot there.
During the afternoon the riots in
creased. The synagogue windows vera
smashed and the windows of the houses
of Jews displaying German trade signs
in several streets Of the Jewish quar-
ter
Last evening the streets were held by
II battalions of infantry and q SQUAD
ron of hussars. All traffic was sus-
pended and the shops and business
houses closed. In spite of the military
large Czech mob made q descent dur
ing the evening upon the German quar-
ter and plundered houses and shops in
several streets. The furniture of a
well known German cafe was piled up
in the street and set on fire. When a
detachment of troops approached to
dispense the rioters the soldiers were
greeted with showers of stones, broken
glass and other missiles. The officer
in command ordered his troops to pre-
pare to fire, but at the urgent request
of police official the order was not
carried into effect.
Shortly after 8 o'clock a mob at
tempted to storm cartridge factory at
Zizhkow, suburb of Prague, on the
other side of the Moldau. The troops
stationed at the factory poured a vol
ley into the crowd. 1t is known that at
least two persons were killed out
right, and it is feared that others were
killed or wounded. The same body of
rioters set fire to house at Zizhkow,
but the flames were soon quenched. In
various other parts of the city and the
suburbs windows were smashed and
German signboards demolished. 1t is
said that the mob was melted by arti-
cles in the Czech newspapers. and by a
false report that the German students
had organized an attack upon the
Czech national theater.
: At a late hour threatening crowds
storm the German newspaper offices,
but by IL o'clock the town was quiet,
and the troops were withdrawn, ex-
cept patrols at threatened points.
In Smichow, the southeast suburb of
Prague, and a thickly populated in
dustrial quarter at a late hour in the
evening riotous mob attacked and
plundered the German national school.
+ .io+a CHI
tachment which arrived on the scene
to dispense them, whereupon the COM
manding officer, acting with great
promptitude, drew his revolver and
fired at one of the ringleaders, the bull
let piercing his arm. He then arrested
the man, and the result of this ener-
getic action was the dispersal of the
mob without much further difficulty.
The German gymnasium, in the center
of the city, was plundered by a mob,
which was finally dispersed by a COM
bined charge of soldiers and police.
AS result Of the riots and disorders
the authorities have proclaimed the
city under martial law. The chief of
police, who is a Czech was discovered
encouraging rioters, and has been sus-
pended from office.
injured Germans reaches 800. They are
being cared for at the various hospitals.
The disturbances yesterday amounted
almost to a rebellion. Thousands of
Czech miners streamed into Prague last
night from the surrounding villages to
assist the rioters The scientific in
struments in the German university
and high school have been destroyed.
and valuable archives, preserved for
a long time at Kinsky palace, the
largest in the AItstadt, have been burn
ed.
1t has been dangerous for Germans
to venture into the streets, as any use
of the German language meant certain
assault A meeting of the German So
ciety in honor of the S0th birthday Of
Professor Theodore Mommsen was pro-
hibited by the authorities, who feared
it might provoke a collision with the
Czechs.
The constant cry of the rioters was,
Down with the Germans" Down
with the Jews" Ladies venturing on
the street were obliged to wear the
Slav tri-color in order to avoid being
attacked. German sign boards are be-
ing hastily removed by their owners
and replaced with Czech inscriptions
Nobady dares to utter a word in Ger
man.
Two special sufferers from the riots
are Baron Won Aehrenthal, a repre-
sentative of the German land owners
in the reichsrath, and Count Won Salm.
| AT Baron Won Aehrenthals palace, on
the Wenzels-Platz, the mob smashed
the windows and tore out the window
frames on the ground floor Tuesday
night. During the night the palace was
boarded UP, but the rioters soon re-
moved the planks and threw large
stones through the luxuriously furnish
ed rooms, smashing valuable objects of
| art and costly furniture.
Damage to the amount of many
thousands of forms has been done to
| German firms, clubs and other insti-
buttons having German proprietors or
| patrons. No performance was given at
the German theater last night.
The police and the military have
| made 200 arrests and it is reported that
altogether so persons have been In
| jured.
l