Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1897-12-02
PRAGUE N A TURMOIL
Lives Of the Germans Who Live In
That Ancient City Arc
Not Happy Ones.
0zE0H xoBs RULE TIE BAIIwfoK

Everything German the Object Of Their
Rage and DesPoilment-Troops and Po-
liee Fail 70 Restore Order-One Mob At
sscks Cartridge Factory and the Troops
Kin Two Of the Assaiiants-
Ism. visleaee and Bioodshed Reign.
Prague, Bohemia, Dec. s.-There were
fresh disturbances here yesterday. The
houses Of Germans were bombarded
with stones. and a bowling mob which
gathered on Wensel-Platz had to be dis
persed 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 Judenstadt. owing to the mob
threatening TO run riot there. During
the afternoon the riots increased. The
synagogue windows were smashed and
the windows Of the houses of Jews dis
playing German trade signs in several
streets OF the Jewish quarter. After 6
O'Clock in the evening the streets were
held by twelve battalions of infantry
and a squadron of hussars. All traffic
was suspended ard the shops and busi-
ness houses were closed.
Czechs Plumber the German Quarter.
In spite Of the military a large Czech
mob made descent during the evening
upon the German quarter and plum
dered 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 prepare to fire, but at the ur-
gent request Of a police official the or
der was not carried into effect. Shortly
ALTERS o'clock mob attempted to storm
cartridge factory at Ziszhcow. a SUBJ
urb of Prague on the other side of Mol
dau. The troops stationed at the fac
| tory poured volley into the crowd.
Two Persons Killed by the volley.
1t Is known that at least two persons
were killed outright. ard it is feared
that others were killed or wounded. The
| same body of rioters set fire to a house
at Ziszhcow, but the flames We're soon
quenched. In various other parts Of the
| city and the suburbs windows were
smashed and German signboards de-
molished. 1t is said that the mob was
melted 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 a late hour threatening crowds made
repeated rushes and attempted to storm
the German newspaper offices. but by
IL o'clock the town was quiet and the
troops had been withdrawn except pa
trolls at threatened points. In Smichow,
the southwest suburb of Prague and a
thickly populated Industrial quarter. at
a late hour In the evening a riotous
mob attacked ard plundered the Ger
man rational -chool.
I Eioters s'ire ON the Police.
The rioters fired shots at the police
detachment which arrived on the scene
to disperse them, whereupon the COM
manding officer. acting with great
rromptitude. drew his revolver and fired
at one Of the ringlea6ers, the bullet
lpiercing his arm. He then arrested the
man. and the result of this energetic ac-
ton was the dispersal of the mob with
out much further difficulty. The Ger
man gymnasium in the Altstaedter-
Ring, in the center of the city. wasplun-
ldered by mob which was finally dis
persed by a combined charge of soldiers