The evening Republican., 1902-04-14
BELGIUA'S ROUBIES
Particulars Of the Bloody AZ
fair In Brussels.
RIOTERS SHOT DOWN. BY CENDARNES
Only One VOlley Fired at the Riot
ers, but Several Fatalities Are
Reported md Many In Hospi-
tails Dangerously Wounded.


tails Dangerously Wounded.
BRUSSELS. April liking Leopold
has returned to Brussels from Ostend
His trip was uneventful. Brussels is
quiet early this morning. The civic
guard was dismissed. and the members
went to their homes at ll5 O'Clock
The condition Of Queen Marie Henri
ette is reported to be very serious. She
is suffering from heart disease, which
Is entering upon tie dropsical Stage.
Three doctors have been summoned to
Spa. in the province of l.iege, TO hold
a consultation.
The threatening aspect of II mob near
the Maison du Penple at / o'clock last
night caused the police and gpndarmcs
to charge it. with the result that five
of the demonstrators were wounded.
One of the injured men will die. He
received a bayonet thrust in the back.
Sixteen arrests were made during the
course of the evening.
This big casualty list for n conlpara-
lively insignificant encounter is taken
as evidence that the gpndarmes. who
inflicted the injuries. are disposed to
handle the groups without mercy
The hngomas:er adopted most Wig
Orous measures during the evening
The whole civic guard was modified.
and The squares and streets in the Vi
cinity Of the Maison du Pcuple were
occupied by 2.an0 of the Corps Elite.
The disordrrly element appeared cowed
as Il result of the repression of Satur-
day evening, and there We're only a
few rrtiing dpmoIjyi rations. These were
immediatcly suppressed by charges of
the GendarmoS. None of the latter was
injured.
lale i'll the evening group of rioters
insulted and jerIrd a Gordon of the
civic guard in the Rue Rollpbeek.
whereupon u body of genda,mes was
sent our and caught The dis,urhcrs in
the rear and badly mnuled them.
The bloodv encounter of Saturday
evening has created painful impress
sion among all classes here. although
il is appreciated that the ma jOrity of
the victims of the encounters do not
belong to the hcttcr class of workmen.
This was the first time the police had
fired their rifles loaded with ball car
tlidgeS. Previously they had used their
swords and their rrvolyers. and the
latter usually We're loaded with blank
cartridges.
The mol was mainly composed of the
rough population of the quarter, who
ietred and reviied he police when they
were forced along the streets Ivy the
cOfduns Of officers. The serious trou-
hes began when number of roughs
from Il safe distance fired revolvcrs in
the direction of the cortlons. The gen
darnes then charged with drawn
swords. After firing at the crowd with
revolvcrS loaded with blank cartridges
they were greeted with hail of mis-
Silrs, such as stones, bottles and heavy
iron rvets This happened in several
streets. It was worse in the Rue
Haute, where the occupants Of the
houses rained missiles upon the heads
of ihe sendalmcs. An officer 0: the
gendarmes then shouted to the crowd
to diSperse No notice was taken of
this order. Then. for the first time in
many years, the gendarmeS fired their
Mauser carbines loaded Will. what are
called strike cartridges. which contain
IA ball. but a minor charge of powder.
The gcndarmcs fired only one volley,
but when the mob scattered several
bodies were lying on the ground. Two
of the wounded were moltally hurt
and died while being conveyed to the
hospital.
1t is impossible to ascertain the exact
number of the victims in the rioing
Many who were slightly injured had
their wounds dressed in pharmacies or
went home. The director of the Hos
pital of ST. Pierre. however, reports
that three rioters have since died in
the hospita and that another one there
was believed TO h" mortally wounded
Thirty others who We're badly hurt
were received at the hospital. Among
tHe lHltTfu are IliillN lIulHNtNlIl SI"t-
tators of the rioting who were caught
between two fires.
general strike has been proclaimed.
and on Wednesday n crisis will he
reached by the opening in the chamber
of deputies of the discussion of the
question Of the revision of the consti-
tuition, on which the Belgian people are
now divided.