The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-07-28
Great Crowds of FreDChman and
 Women Crowd Streets
ARE ABOUT EQUALLY DIVIDED
Some Shout "Lone Live the Sisters" While Their Opponents Come Back With "Vive Le RepubIlque" and
 Down With the Priests"

Paris, July N.-The demonstration made today in connection with the decree of Premier Combes' ordering the closing of the Congregationalist schools proved to be quite as much of a manifestation in support of the government as of opposi- ton to It's anti-clerical measures. The crowd which gathered in the Place de la concorde numbered 15,oO0 persons. while as many more thronged the Champs Ely see. The clerical and anti-clerical forces about equally divided the gatherings The former were distinguished by the red, white and blue paper flowers which they were. while the latter sported red eglan- tines.
 Though many fights occurred, they never became general nor was any per- son seriously injured. An imposing force of police and mounted municipal guards had much trouble in keeping the mani- festants 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 main ly confined themselves to shouting Lib erty, liberty; Tong live the sisters, and I've want the sisters. To which the anti-clericals replied 'vive le republique' and down with the priests" The oc- easlonal appearance of a priest was signal for much hooting, and several fights were due to their presence.
 Many Women Participated.
 A striking feature of the manifestations was the large number of women, many of them well dressed, who actively partic- ipated. Nor were these all clerical in their sympathies, for the anti-clerical women were also out In strong force, and they occasionally made things lively for their clerical sisters, whom the police had some difficulty in protecting. In one instance a detachment of mounted guards had to rescue three well-dressed ladies from the hands of a group of so- cialist women, who were bent on mob birg them.
 The clericals made several attempts to reach the place Beauveau." on which the Elysee and the ministry of the in- terior are situated, but were prevented from doing so by strong cordons of police and municipal guards which were sta toned at all the approaches in order to prevent demonstrations in front of these buildings.
 The demonstration eliminated when a group of thirty ladies, some in carriages and some on foot. headed by Mesdames Reile. de Nun. Cibiel and de Pommerol, attempted to reach the ministry of the interior in order to present to Premier Combes a petition on behalf of the sis- ters. The police. however, refused to al- low them to pass.
 Made an Angry Rush.
 Subsequently the clericals made an an- gry rush on the cordon 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 be- gan throwing the small iron chairs bor- dering the sidewalks among the feet of the horses of the mounted guards. One horse fell, injuring his rider. A number of prominent nationalists, including Dep- uSies Millevoye and Auffray and several municipal councillors, were conspicuous in the crowd and were much ovated by their followers and hooted by the anti clericals. 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 ap- pearance. A light shower hastened the dispersal of the manfestatists. About 100 arrests were made.
 The fact that throughout the day ve- hicular traffic was not interrupted shows how well the police handled the great un- ruly crowd with which they had to deal.
 
 Hear MT. Charlie Bell in