The San Francisco call., 1897-10-12
TAX RIOT
DISPURBS
THE CITY
Thousands of Trades
men Gather to Make
a Protest.
ARE JOINED BY THE
LAWLESS.
March in Procession to the
Ministry and Rudini
Speaks to Them.
| OFFICERS ATTEMPT TO Dis
PERSE THE MOB.
! Citizens Show Fight and There Is
One Man Killed and Several
Are Badly Hurt.
March in Procession to the
Ministry and Rudini
Speaks to Them.
OFFICERS ATTEMPT TO DIS
PERSE THE MOB.
Citizens Show Fight and There Is
One Man Killed and Several
Are Badly Hurt.
Special Dispatch to The CALL.

ROME, ITALY. Oct. 11.-One citizen was
killed, about forty hurt and several police
men badly in jured in riot in the streets
of the Eternal City to-day.
A large procession of tradesmen, headed
by the Pro-syndic o. Rome and the presi-
dent OF the Chamber of Commerce,
marched TO the office OF the Minister of
the Interior this morning to confer with
the Government regarding the increased
taxation and to protest against it,
Premier Rudini, who is also Minister of
the Interior, received a com mlttee repre-
senting the tradesmen, and promised that
everything possible would be done TO pro-
mote friendly relations and greater equity
between the tax collectors and the tax
payers.
In the meantime a large crowd of
people had collected around the Ministry,
angry shouts were heard and some of
those present tore up raving-stones and
otherwise assumed threatening attitude.
This caused the police 10 attempt to dis
perse the violent portion of the crowd,
and in the conflict which followed SIX
policemen were injured and one rioter
was killed.
The mob raised revolutionary cries
volvers were freely used, many persons in
the crowd injured and twenty leaders
of the disturbance were arrested. The
condition of three of the wounded police
men is serious.
1t is estimated that there were at least
10000 people in the procession that es-
corted the deputation to the Minister of
the Interior. The authorities, it was evil
dent, had failed 70 make adequate provi-
sion for maintaining order in such vast
assem- bly,.
The people were irritated at being ex.
cluded from the building by the car.
bineers, and presently second detach-
ment issued with fixed bayonets and tried
to clear the piazza. The crowd then re-.
sisted, the stone-throwing began and the
conflict speedily became general, until an
Infantry detachment appeared on the
scene and by repeated charges drove the
crowd into the adjoining streets, the mob
still showering stones.
Some of the soldiers became infuriated.
fired in the direction of the crowd, and
the streets were only cleared after a
desperate struggle, second resort to fire.
arms becoming necessary TO disIodge a
particularly deter mined group. 1t is be-
lieved that nearly forty were more or less
severely injured. Hints are thrown out
in some quarters that the disord ers were
fomented by agents provocateurs, as,
until the sudden outbreak, the crowd had
been quite peaceable.
Placards were posted on the walls
throughout the city this morning inviting
all tradesmen to close their shops in the
afternoon from o'clock until in order
to lend imposing character to the demon
stration.
The suggestion was almost universally
adopted. and the result was a spectacle
unprecedented since the death OF Victor
Emmanuel, except that each closed door
bore in stead of the legend "CIosed for
National Mourning" the Inscription.
s'Closed for Fiscal Reasons" The griev.
ance is that this year the assessment of
incomes by the Government agents for
income tax has been doubled throughout
the country. At maeting held yesterday
it was decided to make to-day's demon
stratiou.
1t is said that many anarchists and pro-
fessional rioters mingled with the crowd
and started cries of Down with the
taxes? and Down with the Ministry r.
and greeted the soldiers with the cry,
I'VE are all brothers; down with taxesr'
The streets rave been quiet this even
ing. Aspecial detail of police is patroIling
the district that was the scene of the dis
turbance. In all there have been twenty
nine arrests.
The rioter who was killed has not yet
been identified, but appears to have been
a workingman. The Prefect of Police has
ordered the dissolution of the Roman So.
ciaiist Union.
Tomorrow the Pro-Syndic of Rome and
the president OF the Chamber of Com
merce, who headed the procession, will be
received by the Marquis di Rudini, who
will discuss the application cf the income
tax.
Secretary Gage hefUrns.
WASHINGTON, D. c., Oct 1-Secre-
tary Gage returned to Washington to-day