The herald., 1897-12-02
CZECH RIOTS
Call for Severe Measures
of Repression
HOUSES OF GERMANS LOOTED
TROOPS REv1LED AND PELTED
WITH STONES
HOUSES OF GERMANS LOOTED
Military Rifle Practice Subdues the
Mob and Soon Brings Order Out
of Chaos
Associated Press Special Wire.


PRAGUE, Bohemia. Dec. 1.-Ther
were fresh disturbances here today TIL
houses of Germans were bombarde'
with stones, and bowling mob whicl
gathered on Wensel Platz had to be dis
persed by infantry and cavalry. Th
university buildings are threatened b.
the rioters and will have to be protected
by large bodies of police. Troops hav'
been drafted to Judenstadt, owing to th'
mob threatening to riot there.
During the afternoon the riot in
creased. The synagogue windows were
smashed and the windows of the houses
of Jews displaying German trade sign!
in several streets Of the Jewish quarter
Since o'clock this evening the street:
have been held by twelve battalions OF
infantry and squadron of hussars. AL
traffic is suspended and business houses
are closed.
In spite of military large Czech mot
made descent during the evening upon
the German quarter and plundered
houses and shops in several of them
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 disperse the rioters the
soldiers were greeted with shower OF
stones, broken glass and other missiles.
The officer in command ordered his
troops to prepare to fire, but at the
urgent request of a police official the
order was not carried into effect.
Shortly after o'clock mob attempted
to attack a cartridge factory at Zisch-
chow a suburb of Prague, on the other
side of Moldau. The troops stationed
at the factory poured d volley into the
crowd. 1t is known that at least two
persons were killed or wounded. The
same body of rioters set fire to house
at Zischow, but the flames were soon
quenched. In various other parts Of the
city and the suburbs windows were
smashed and German signboards demol-
ished 1t is said that the mob was in
cited by articles in the Czech news
papers and by a false report that the
German students had organized an at
tack upon the Czech National theater.
At later hour threatening crowds
made repeated rushes and an attempt
to storm the German newspaper offices
We're made, but by II o'clock the town
was quiet and the troops had been with
drawn except patrols at threatening
points
In Smichow, the southwest suburb of
Prague. and a thickly populated indus
trial quarter, at late hour this even
ing, q riotous mob attacked and plum
dered the German National school. The
rioters fired shots at the police detach
ment which arrived on the scene to dis
perse them, Whereupon the commanding
officer, acting with great promptitude,
drew his revolver and fired at one of the
ringleaders, the bullet piercing his arm.
He then arrested the man, and the result
of this energetic action was the dispersal
of the mob without much further diff
Guilty.
The German gymnasium in the Alt
staedter Ring, in the center of the city,
was plundered by mob, which was
finally dispersed by a combined charge
of soldiers and police.
Damage to the amount of many thou
sand florins has been done to German
firms, clubs and other institutions hav-
ing German proprietors or patrons. No
performance was given at the German
theater tonight.
The constant cry of the rioters was:
Down with the Germans" Down with
the Jews" Ladies venturing on the
street We're obliged to wear the Slav tr-
color in order to avoid being attacked.
German signboards are being rapidly
removed by their owners and replaced
with Czech inscriptions. Nobody dares
to 0eter word in German.
The Kinsky palace was plundered of
its furniture, which was thrown through
the windows, heaped in the street and
set on fire, the mob preventing the fire
brigade from approaching.
The Wenzelsplatz, where the revolu-
ton Of 1S4S began, has been the chief
center of excitement. 1t 4B about sixty
yards in width and $50 yards in length
and will hold 900 people.
The police and military have made 200
arrests and it is reported tonight that al
together eighty persons have been in
jured.
1t is said that the riots were organized
by a secret society animated by hatred
of Germans and Jews.
Shortly before midnight there were
fresh disorders and two shops in the
pilaged. The military patrol was dis
persed by the plunderers. Disorders are
reported in various other suburbs. At
Weinberg the rioters sprinkled shop
with petroleum and set it on fire At
Lben p armed rioters were arrested.
Another gang plundered a liquor sa-
loon and shortly afterward the patrol
found twenty persons lying drunk in the
street.
GERMANS GUARDED
PILSEN, Bohemia, Dec. 1.-As a re-
suit of the threatening mob gathering
yesterday, the houses of German resi-
dents are especially guarded by the no.
lice. Today 5000 people gathered in front
of the town hall and, after singing ma
tional songs, proceeded to the German
gymnasium. where they broke windows
The police dispersed the crowd, wound
ing one. The rioters then returned to the
town hall, where. failing to obtain the
liberation of some of the ringleaders who
had been arrested, they broke the win
doWs of the hall and several buildings
adjacent.
IN THE RING