The herald., 1897-11-25
Marks Meeting of Austrian
Lawmakers
GROSS INSULTS EXCHANGED
CLUBS ARE USED AND KNIVES
DRAWN
Nobody Killed, But Several Members
Are Disabled by Flesh Wounds
or Broken Bones

Associated Press Special Wire.
VIENNA. Nov. 24.-The members of
the lower house of the reichsrath today
excelled themselves in producing the
most disgraceful scene yet witnessed In
that branch of parliament. The turbu-
lence resulted from motion that only
one of number of similar petitions
against the ordinance making the Czech
language coordinate with the German
in Bohemia should be read and printed.
This order of the government has been
the basis of many uproarious scenes
which have been described in these dis
patches for q number of weeks past, al
though 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-German elements.
The members of tn Left party protested
uproariously today against the motion
referred to. stigmatizing it as 'oppress-
i've and illegal"
Finally the members of the lower
house became so disorderly that the
president of that body, DR.. Abrahamo-
vich was once more compelled to sus-
pend the sitting and he soon afterward
left the house. The departure of Presi-
dent Abrahamovich was the signal for
scene Of the widest disorder. DR.. Wolff,
the German Nationalist leader, clam
bered up into the presidents tribune,
seized a heavy bell and swung it to and
fro, materially increasing the disorder
ha hal al
most Immediately wrenched from DR..
Wolffs hands by DR.. Pollock. While
this incident was in progress challenges
to fight duels and showers of billingsgate
and other insults were exchanged on all
sides until the interior of the house in
every way resembld an inferno.
A 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 We're attacked by number
of Leftists and disgraceful scrimmage
was the result. This was only the begin
| ming of the fighting. During the prelim-
| mary scufIiing some of the young Czechs
struck DIR. Wolff and this caused such an
uproar that regular pitched battle with
fsticuffs followed, lasting for about a
quarter Of an hour.
! Herr Schoenerer, the leader of a Sec
ton of the German opposition, caught
hold of and brandished over his head
one of the minister's arm chairs and was
evidently about to hurl 1t at the heads
of his immediate opponents, when he
was seized and dsarmed by Herr Ha-
| genhofer.
President Abrahamovich was greeted
with cries of polish scoundrel, "Swind-
ler," "Blackguard'' and "Badini eu-
much"
One deputy was stabbed in the hand,
another had his collar bone broken and
third received a severe scalp wound.
Count Badini, the premier, with sneer
on his face, watched the combat
throughout. Herr Wolff declared that
he would bring his revolver to the next
sitting.
BY this time the disorder was of such
a nature that even the public in the gal
leries cried shame upon the fighting,
swearing and Notwithstanding depu-
ties. A Polish member, Herr Polacz,
rushed upon another member, Herr
Pferche, and was nearly strangling him
when Herr Pferche on the impulse of the
moment drew a penknife from his pocket
and opened it, but was disarmed by
colleague before any further harm was
done. Herr Pferche was by this time so
exhausted by the choking he had re-
ceived at the hands of Herr Polaczs and
so overcome with excitement that he
tainted, still further adding to the sensa-
ton.
At this moment President Abrahamo-
vich returned to the house, but after re-
peated and vain efforts to quell the dis
order prevailing he closed the sitting of
the house. In doing so the president
said: I'm view of the acts of violence
which have occurred in the house today
| consider it my duty to close this sitting.
Will those members who are willing to
give me the names of the violent men,
bers please come to my Officer"
Several members Of the house accepted
the invitation of the president, and as q
result it is believed that Herren Schoen-
erer, Wolff and Pferche will be arrestd
upon the charge of fighting in public.
Late tonight the cabinet council is
discussing the situation. and it is be-
lieved that dissolution is the only prac-
ticable outcome.
The house VIII meet again tomorrow.
THE WEAPONS USED
LONDON, Nov. 25.-The correspond
ent of London paper describing the
scene says:
Herr Wolff received the worst treat
ment He was truck on the head dozen
times. Blows rained upon his face, the
bell was thrown at him, his clothes We're
torn. AS often az he got UP he was
knocked off his feet.
Suddenly during the melee a fierce
shrek was heard and a knife was seen
flying toward the Leftists. 1t was
wrested from Herr Pferche by Herr Le
mische, who threr it across the heads
of the deputies.
Another scream rang through the
house. Herr Pferche had been seized by
the throat. Count Vonderlne emptied
glasses of water over the combatants
with a view of separating them. The
police commissioner with FIFTEEN men,
summoned by the president, appeared
lust as the president was closing the sit