The Portland daily press., 1897-11-25
HOT TIME IN VIENNA.
Another Free Fight in the Austrian
Reichrath.
Pitched Battle With Fisticuffs Lasts Quar-
ter of Hour-President Finally
Closes Sitting of House.

Pitched Battle With Fisticuffs Lasts Quar-
ter of an Hour-President Finally
Closes Sitting of House.
Vienna, November 24.-The members
Of the lower house of the Reichstrath to-
day excelled themselves in producing the
most disgraceful scene yet witnessed in
that branch of parliament. The turbu-
ience resulted from q motion that only
one of the numbcr OF petitions against
the ordinance making the Czech language
opinionate with the German in Bohemia
should be read and printed. This order
of the government has been the basis OF
many uproarous scenes, although the
question of renewing the compact be-
tween Austria and Hungary, PROVISIONAL
ly, at least, has been mixed up in all the
bitter feeling manifested by the German
and anti-German elements.
The members of the Left party today
protested uproariously against the motion
referred to, stigmatizing it as 'oppres-
sive and Illegal" Finally the me m bers
OF the lower house became so disorderly
that the president of that body, DR..
Abrahamovics, was once more compelled
to suspend the sitting and he soon after
wards left the house.
| The departure of the president was the
signal for scene of the widest disorder.
DR.. Wolff, the German nationalist lead
| er, clambered up into the president S
tribune. seized a heavy bell and swung
| it to and fro, materially increasing the
disorder prevailing. The bell, however
| was almost Immediately wrenched from
DR.. VOLTS hand by Deputy Potock.
While this incident was in progress,
challenges to fight duels and showers of
biIl1ngsgate an other insults were ex-
changed on both sides until the interior
of the house in every way resembled an
inferno. A number of young Czechs and
Poles made a rush for the president S
tribune and attempted to tear DIR. Wolff
from the position which he occupied, but
they in turn were attacked by q number
of q eftists and disgraceful scrimmage
was the result. But this was only the be.
ginning. of the fighting. During he pre-
liminary heuffiing some of the young
Czechs struck DR.. Wolff and this caussd
such an uproar, that pitched battle with
fistcuffs followed. lasting for about a
quarter of an hour.
Hern Schoenerer, then leader of a section
of the German oppositiSiisS, -cSssaIsgsht hold
of and brandished over his head one 81
the minister's arm chairs anu was EVIL
IDENTIFY about to hllrl it at the head of
his immediate opponents, when he was
seized and djsarmed by Herr Hagen
hofer
By this time the disorder was of such
a nature that even the public in the
galleries cried shame upon the fighting,
swearing and insult.exchanging depu-
ties. A Polish mem Der, Herr Polacz,
rushed upon another member, Herr
Pferoche, and was nearly strangling him
moment, drew pen knife from his
pocket and opened it, but he was dis
armed by d colleague before any further
harm was done. Herr Pferoche was by
that time so exhausted by the choking he
had received at the hands of Herr Poiacz
and was SO overcome with Excitement
that he tainted, still further adding to
the sensation.
At this moment the president returned
to the house, but after repeated and vain
efforts to Quell the disorder prevailing,
he closed the sitting of the house. In so
doing the president said: In view of
the acts of violence which have occurred
in the house today, [ consider it my
duty to close this sitting. Viii those
members who are willing to give me
the names of the violent members please
come to my officer
Several members accepted the invita-
ton and as result Herreu Schoenerer,
Wolff and Pferoche will be arrested upon
the charge Of fighting IN public.
The house will meet again tomorrow.
q Late tonight the cabinet council is dis
oussing the situation, and it is believed
that dissolution is the only practicable
outcome.