The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-07-28
PARIS IN UPROAR
CLERICALS AND ANTI-CLERICALS
DEMONSTRATES.
WOMEN TOOK ACTIVE PART.
MANY FIGHTS, BUT NO SERIOUS
DISTURBANCE.

Supporters of Government and It's
Opponents Gathered in Place de
Ia COncOrde and the Champs Ely
see-1he Latter Shouted "Liberty''
and "LOng Live the Sisters" and
the Others ''Vive RepubIiuue" and
"DOyvn With the Priests"-Anti-
Clerical, as Well as Clerical WO-
men, Were conference.-the
and Municipal Guards Managed to
Keep Order.
Paris, July 27.-The demonstration
made to-day in connection with the
decree of Premier Combes ordering the
closing of the congregational schools
proved to be quite as much of man
Hesitation in support of the govern
ment as of opposition to it's anti-cler-
ical measures. The crowd which gath
cred in the Place de la Concorde num-
bered $4,000 persons, while as many
more thronged the Champs Elysee. The
Clerical and anti-Clerical forces about
equally divided the gatherings. The
former were distinguishable by the
red, white and blue paper flowers
which they wore, while the latter
sported red eglantides.
Though many fights occurred, they
never became general, nor was any
person seriously injured. An imposing
force of police and mounted municipal
guards had much trouble in keeping
the manifestants constantly moving,
and at times they were forced to
charge to prevent the crowd becoming
too dense. On the whole, the crowds
were good-natured and mainly con-
fined themselves to shouting Liberty!
Liberty" Live live the Sisters!" and
1--WE want the Sisters!" to which the
anti Clericals replied "Vive repub-
lique!" and Down with the priests!"
The occasional appearance of a priest
was the signal for much hooting. and
several fights were due to their pres
ence.
Women Actively Participate.
A striking feature of the manifes-
tations was the large number of wo-
men, many of them we'll dressed, who
actively participated. Nor were these
| all Clerical in their sympathfes, for
| the anti-Clerical women were also out
in strong force, and they occasionally
made things lively for their Clerical
| sisters, who the police had some diff
ficulty in protecting. In one instance
a detachment of mounted guards had
to rescue three well-dressed ladies
from the hands of a group of Socialist
women, who were bent on mobbing
them.
The Clercals made several attempts
to reach the Place BeaVeau, on which
the Elysee and the ministry of the in
terror are situated, but were prevented
from DOING so by strong cordons of
police and municipal guards stationed
at all the approaches in order to pre-
vent demonstrations in front of these
buildings.
Ladies' Besiege Premier.
The demonstrations culminated when
group of thirty ladies, some in car
riages and some on foot, attempted
to reach the ministry of the interior
in order to present to Premier Combes
a petiaon on behalf of the Sisters.
The police, however, refused to allow
them to pass.
Subsequently the Clericals made an
angry rush on the Gordon guarding
the Avenue Gabrielle and the soldiers
had to use the butts of their guns to
keep back the crowd.
Another violent incident occurred on
the Champs Elysee, where the crowd
began throwing the small iron chairs
bordering the sidewalks among the
feet of the horses of the mounted
guards. One horse fell, injuring his
rider
A number of prominent Nationalists,
including Deputies Milleveye and
Auffray and several municipal coun-
cillors, were conspicuous in the crowd
and were much ovated by their fol-
lowers and hooted by the anti-Cleri-
Gals.
By o'clock this evening the crowd
began to thin out and an hour later
the Place de la Concorde and the
Champs Elysee had resumed their
customary appearance. A slight show
er FASTENED the dispersal of the mani
festants. About 100 arrests We're made.
The fact that throughout the day
vehicular traffic was not interrupted
shows how we'll the police handled the
great, unruly crowd with which they
had to deal.