The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-03
The Dread Sfandrecht Proclaimed and
Backed Up by Force of Ten
Thousand Soldiers.
SITUATION IS STILL GRAVE
FOUR PERSONS KILLED AND ESQ
WOUNDED IN THE RIOTING.
Scenes During the LOoting of Jewish
and German StOres-The ParlIa-
mentary Deadlock.

PRAGUE, Dec. 2-Martial law has been
proclaimed here, as well as in judicial dis
tricts of Karolemnthal Zikow, Weinberg
and Smichow, as result of the riots. The
disorders were resumed here at o'clock
this morning, when stores and houses in
two streets of the old town were piilaged.
Several battalions of infantry and two
squadrons of cavalry were called out to dis
perse the mob. Two additional battalions
of infantry from Koenigsgratz and three
battalions of infantry from Theresienstadt
have arrived here.
The burgomaster and the municipal coun-
cilors to-day submitted to the Governor
complaints against the German students in
connection with the disturbances. The Gov
ernor replied that while he we'll understood
recent events had caused great excitement.
he was compelled to point out that there
was no justification for the excesses in this
city and he further declared that the ut
most rigor would be exercised in order to
re-establish order and protect the property
of Germans.
The Palitik, after declaring that the pres
ent agitation was started by persons to
whom the fatherland and nationality are
matters of Indifference, appeals to all par
ties to restrain a movement (which might
be fatal not only to the fatherland and to
its chief city. but to the political aspira-
ions of the Bohemian nation"
There were further excesses to-day at
Weiberg. The police were obliged to use
their revolvers. A house in Altstadterring
was wrecked and the pillagers were dis
persed by a mounted patrol.
There have been serious collisions be-
tween the police and large mobs tonight
in the Smichow and Zishow suburbs Of the
city. Two persons were wounded. The po-
lice made ninety arrests.
Some of the persons arrested will be
court martialed for having received with
jeers and groans the proclamation declar-
ing the city under martial law. The milf
tary patrol fired on a body of rioters who
were trying to demolish a Jewish syna-
gogue. Nobody was hit, and the mob fled
in confusion. During the day eighteen per-
sons have been wounded, including two sol
diers.
AT the time this dispatch was sent I'll
o'clock D. NO. the suburbs are peaceful and
the most of the troops are being withdrawn
The factory employees took no part in the
days disorders, and there have been no ar
rests in their districts.
The Ambulance Association has issued
report showing that within the last twenty
four hours four persons have been killed,
$50 dangerously wounded and 500 more or
less seriously injured. Twenty shops have
been burned out. AS further indication Of
the gravity of the situation, troops to the
number of 10000 equipped with ammunition
and other paraphernaia as for a campaign,
have been engaged in suppressing the
riots
1t is not exactly martial law that has
been proclaimed but rather the institution
of summary civil procedure, called stand
recht whereby a special tribunal of seven
Judges is empowered to impose capital and
other sentences for offenses ordinarily pun
ished mildly. There is no appeal against a
death sentence by the tribunal, which must
be put into execution within two hours by
the military If the hangman is not avail
able.
The intimate knowledge the mob has dis
played of the exact position of ali the
weathiest German houses and Of valuable
German property shows that the riots were
organized in advance. The young CezchS
have paraded the streets wearing plundered
jewery and comparatively few German
houses have escaped attack.
Further troops are being drafted into
Prague from Vienna and elsewhere and to-
morrow there will be at least 1900 soldiers
in the CITY ana lIS lIlIuSUldl6 SuDuIUos
1t is evident that the standrecht was not
proclaimed moment too soon at Prague.
Well-dressed men, it is said, rode on bicycles
through the city and the suburbs making
lists of the German places marked for at
tack; and the work of the rioters was done
in accordance with these lists, and In many
places simultaneously prevention being al
most impossible. Goldsmiths and jewelers.
show cases were emptied in few minutes.
Women carried baskets to take home the
contents of grocery and provision stores,
while furniture and other articles too heavy
to carry were wantonly destroyed. If the
troops had not used their swords and bay
onets freely, Prague might have been
burned from end to end. In several cases
Jewish shopkeepers escaped by the device
Of placing an illuminated crucifix In the
shop window. The pillaging was 80 sys-
tematic that in one street alone to-day fif'
teen Jewish shops were ransacked. An am
bulance corps was attacked savagely be-
cause the doctors were recognized as Ger
mans.