The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-11-25
RIOT IN THE REICHSRATH
SCENE MOST DIsGRACEFUL YET
ENACTED IN THE BODY.

turbulence the Result of Motion
Relating to Number of Petitions.
The President Forced to Suspend
the sitting-BedIam Breaks Loose
worse Than Ever on His Depar-
ture-Members Fight with Fists
and Chairs and One Draws
Knife.
Vienna, Nov. 2I.-The members of the
,over house of the Reichsrath to-day ex-
celled themselves in producing the most
disgraceful scene yet witnessed in that
branch of parliament.
The turbulence resulted from a motion
that only one of a number of similar pc
titions against the ordinance making the
Czech language coordinate with the Ger
man in Bohemia should be read and print
ed This has been the basis of the many
uproarious scenes which have been de-
scribed in these dispatches for a number
of weeks past, although the question of
renewing the compact between Austria
and Hungary, Professionally at least, has
been mixed up in all the bitter feeling
manifested by the German and anti-Ger-
man elements.
The members of the left party protest
ed uproariously to-day against the motion
referred to, stigmatizing it as "oppres-
sjye and Illegal Finally the members
of the lower house became so disorderly
that the president of that body, DIR. Abra-
hamovics, was once more compelled to
suspend the sitting, and he soon after
ward left the house.
The departure of President Abrahamo-
vics was the signal for scene of wild
est disorder. DR.. Wolff, the German ma
tionalist leader clambered into the presi-
dents tribune, seized a heavy bell and
swung 1t to and fro, materially increas-
ing the disorder. The bell, however, was
almost Immediately wrenched from DR..
VOLTS hands by Deputy Pollock.
While this incident was in progress
challenges to fight duels and showers of
bllingsgate and other insults were ex-
changed on all sides until the interior of
the house in every way resembled an in
ferno.
number of young Czechs and Poles
made rush for the presidents tribune
and attempted to tear DR.. Wolff down
from the position which he occupied, and
they in turn were attacked by number
of lcftists and a disgraceful scrimmage
was the result This was only the be
ginning of the fighting.
During the preliminary scuffling some of
the young Czechs struck Dr. Wolff, ana
this caused such an uproar that regular
lasting for about quarter of an hour.
Herr Schoenerer the leader of a sec
tiosf OF the German opposition, caught hold
of and brandished over his head one of
the minister's arms and was evidently
about to hurl it at the heads Of his i'm
mediate opponents when he was seized and
disarmed by Herr Hagenhofer>
BY this time the disorder was of such
a nature than even the public in the gal
leries cried "shame',A upon the fighting,
rit nd I'M 1s-1lf- Vol daOutics
A Polish member, Herr Polacz, rushed
upon another member, Herr Pfereche, and
was nearly strangling him, when Pfere-
che, on the impulse of the moment drew
a penknife from his pocket and opened
it, but he was disarmed by a colleague
before any further harm was done. Herr
Pfereche was by that time SO exhausted
by the choking he had received at the
hands of Herr Polaoz and was so over
come with excitement that he tainted, still
further adding to the sensation.
At this moment, President Abrahamo-
vics returned to the house, but after re-
peated and vain efforts to quell the dis
order, he closed the sitting of the house.
In doing so the president said: ''In view
of the acts of violence which have oc-
CURED in the house to-day 1 consider it
my duty to close the sitting. Will those
members, who are willing to give me the
names of the violent members, come to
my office?'
several members or the mouse accepted
the invita- ton of the president, and as a
result it is believed that Herren Schoen-
erer, Wolff and Pfereche will be arrested
upon the charge of fighting in public. The
house will meet again tomorrow.
President Abrahamovics was greeted
with cries of polish scoundrel," "swin-
der" 'blackguard," and "Badeni Eu-
much" One deputy was stabbed in the
hand another had his collar bone broken
and third received severe scalp wound
Count Baden the premier with a sneer
on his face, watched the combat through
out. Herr Wolff declared that he would
bring his revolver to the next sitting.
Late tonight cabinet council is dis
cussng the situation and 1t is believed
dissolution is the only practicable out
come.
London, Nov. 24-The correspondent of a
London paper, describing the scene, says:
Herr Wolff received the worst treatment
lie was struck in the head dozen times
Blows rained upon his face; the bell was
thrown at him; his clothes were torn. AS
often as he got up he was knocked off
his feet
Suddenly during the melee a fierce
Shrek was heard, and a knife was seen
flying towards the left isle. 1t fell upon
Or. Gessoann, whose hand was wounded.
IT was wrested from Herr Pfersche by
Herr LeUnisch who threw It across the
hedds of the deputies.
Another scream rang through the
house. Herr Pfersche had been seized by
the throat. Count Won Der Lille empties
glasses of water over the cOmbatants with
a view of separating them. The police
commissioner, with fifteen men, summon
eu ny the president appeared just as the
president was closing the sitting"
-s-ap-s-