The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1897-12-03
RIOT IN PRAGUE.
The Streets Held by Twelve Batallions OF
, NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. of Jews Houses Dis
playing German Flags Demolished.

playing German Flags Demolished.
THE PRAGUE, Dec. o. Wednesday
the riots increased. The synagogue
windows were smashed and the VIM
dows of the houses of Jews displaying
German trade signs in several streets
of the Jewish quarter. Since six
o'clock Wednesday evening the streets
have been held by II batallions of in
fantry and a squadron of Hussars. All
the traffic is suspended and business
houses are closed.
In spite of the military large Czech
mob made descent during the even
ing upon the German quarter and
plundered houses and shops in several
streets. The furniture of well known
German cafe was piled up in the street
and set on fire. When detachment
of troops approached to dispense the
rioters, the soldiers were greeted with
showers OF stones, broken glass and
other missiles. The officer in COM
mand ordered his troops to prepare to
fire but at the urgent request of a po-
lice official the order was not carried
into effect. ..--
Shortly after o'clock mob
attempted to storm a cartridge factory
| at ZizhkOw, suburb of Prague on the
other side of the Moldau. The troops
stationed at the factory poured a vol
| ley into the crowd. 1t is known that
at least two persons were killed out
right, and it is feared that others were
killed or wounded. The same body of
rioters set fire to a house at ZizhkOw,
but the flames were soon quenched.
In various other parts of the city
and the suburb S windows were smashed
and German sign boards demolished.
| 1t is said that the mob was melted by
articles in the Czech newspapers, and
| by false report that the German stu
dents had organized an attack upon the
Czech national theatre.
At a late hour threatening crowds
made repeated rushes and attempts to
storm the German newspaper officers,
but by II o'clock the town was quiet;
and the troops had been withdrawn eX-
cept patrols at threatening points.
During the night the Aehrenthal
palace was boarded up, but the rioters
soon removed the planks and threw
large stones into the luxuriously fur
nished rooms, smashing valuable OBJ
jects of art and costly furniture. Dam
age to the amount of many thousands
of forms has been done to German
firms, clubs and other institutions hav-
| ing German prOprietOrs or patrons.
No performance was given at the Ger
man theater Wednesday night.
The constant cry of the rioters was
down with the Germans ''down
with the jews" Ladies venturing on
the street were obliged to wear the
Slav tri-colOr in order to avoid being
attacked. German sign boards are be-
ing hastily removed by their owners
! and replaced with Czech inscriptions.
Nobody dares to utter word in Ger
man. The Kinsky palace was plum
dered of it's furniture, which was
! thrown through the windows, heaped
in the street and set on fire, the mob
preventing the fire brigade from ap-
preaching.
The Wenzels-Platz, where the revo-
luton of 1S48 began, has been the chief
of center of excitement, It is about
! so yards in width and $50 yards in
! length and will hold hundred thou.
sand people.
The police and the military have
made 200 arrests and it was reported
Wednesday night that altogether 81
persons have been injured
At the United States consulate the
American flag was hoisted. 1t is said
that the riots were organized by a Sc
cret society animated by hatred OF
Germans and Jews.
Shortly before midnight there were
fresh disorders and two shops in the
Pingmangasse were broken open and
pillaged. The military patrol was dis
persed by the plunderers. Disorders
are reported in various other suburbs.
At Weinberg the rioters sprinkled a
shop with petroleum and set it on fire.
At Lieben 81 armed rioters were ar.
rested. Another gang plundered a
liquor saloon and shortly afterward
the patrol found 20 persons lying drunk
in the street.
JUDGE GOFF