Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-06-17
WARTIME IN MADRID.
Description of Exciting Scenes in the
Spanish Capital.


From The Century.
AS long as the popular demonstrations in
the streets of tbs, capital and other great
towns were limited to patriotic expressions
of opinion, the government looked on. and
dld not care 10 Interfere actively. 1t dawn
ed upon the authorities at last that th,s
demonstrations We're being used by wire
pullers for other than patriotic purposes.
But matters came to a climax when the
war actually broke out and the govern
ment could no longer let the capital Of
Spain be night after night under mob-law
for hours, street traffic suspended in the
main arteries of communication, shops and
cafes hurredly closed for fear of disturb
ances, ana tlieaters nearly empty. since the
patriotic mobs had got into the habit of
forcing their l,ay into them to insist upon
the bands playing the .5"Cadiz March,"
while all the audience stood and cheered in
sclf-defcIse. The mobs grew nastv one
night and IL the Sevilla and ,Alcala streets,
the Madrid Broadway, demanded that
all American cmblcms be torn down
Their cries were complied with Every
thing American was taken away, and
a notice put up warning all trespassers
that the land and buildings were mortga sed
as guaranty specially for Spaniards,
whose lives were insured by this foreign
company. The rioters then smashed the
windows Of the former offices Of the late
American dentist. Tinker, whose SUCCESSOR
by the by. IS an out-and-out Castilian
VINO will not get therefor a cent OF dam
ages. The New York insurance office in the
Pu"rta del Sol Jared no better, and all out
ward signs of nationality had to be re-
moved instantly. Tn papers. far from con-
demnng these excess IS, coolly said that the
ire OF the mnbs ought not to be spent on
American Offices, but would far better be
aimed at the well-known residences and
persons of representatives of the American
press in Madrid.
The government at last thought that the
demonstrations might become very trouble
sCme for the regency and for it's minister's
1t elected to put stop to them one evening
when, Singuarly enough. the mobs rad not
been so violent as usual only they had
thought fit to cheer themselves hoarse IN
deg the windows of Gen. Weyler, the a.lvo-
cate of war to the knife, who boosted of
having asked Canovas del Castillo to let
him renlsin in office long enough to exter-
inmate the rebel Cubans and then invade
the United States with fifty thousand vet
Grams. From Weyler's home they attempt
ed to go to the corner house of the Carrera
de San Geronimo, opposite the cortes.
where Sagasta had been living for some
time. They Kissed and yelled to their
hearts content al some distance kept back
by the police and the civil guards. who
charged them with drawn swords. The
mob made by side streets for the Gale de
Sevilla, whore they hooted Senior Agutlera
He had Just left Sagasta, after obtaining
the assent of the cabinet council to sur
render mis- powers into the hands OF the
military authorities. as he confessed that
he could no longer control the turbulent
elements of the capital.
l went to the Puerta del Sol some min
utes after the governor had been so rough
ly welcomed by the crowd in the Carrera Go
San Geronimo. Right across the Sevilla
street were fifty mounted civil guards like
motionless statues, fanked by companies
of foot police, and beyond l could see the
mob surgins about the Cuatro Gales
VIII re four streets meet Kisses whistles
and hooting rosa on the night air Every
balcony was full of people. Ny tramway
car soon pulled up opposite the Casino be-
hind seven others, all whstling vaIniy for
free way. The crowd of well dressed peo-
pie and better-caass workmen would not
disperse, and suIkily exclaimed: Get out
of the cars and Join JUS in showing your
patriotic feelings AGAINST these govern
ments" At last, when many of the occu-
pants of the cars9 were looking nervous a
tramway conductor HAPPILY cried out. '.The
patriots.