The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-02-21
SPAIN IN SERIOUS FERMENI
BARCELON4 THE SCENE OF 4
 FIERCE BATTLE.

Fighting stin continues-outbrea
 Reported at Various Other Cities
 Martial Law Extended-Governmen
 Menaced.
 London, Feb. 20.--A message to the
 Exchange Telegraph company from
 Barcelona, via Perpignan, France, says
 fierce battle has been fought between
 the troops and the rioters in the suburb
 of Barcelona known as Sano. Before
 the engagement the cavalry and infan
 try had been posted in the most dan
 gerous points, and a field battery had
 been located on the Plaza from which
 vantage point the guns could sweep the
 surrounding streets.
 When the final clash with the troops
 artillery was brought into action and raked street after street. The rioters engaged the batteries at close range,
 but were finally driven off. It is re- ported that five hundred persons were killed and wounded on both sides.
 The entire neighborhood was wrecked by the shells. The ruins caught fire and this completed the destruction
 Further fighting is reported at Mataro (fifteen miles from Barcelona), where a quantity of arms have been discovered. Fighting is also reported at Tortosa and Tarragona, respectively 100 and 50 miles southeast of Barcelona.
 Paris, Feb 20.-The Patrieto-day pub fishes dispatches dated at Hendaye, France, early this morning giving number of reports of the occurrences yesterday at Barcelona. The majority of these reports lack confirmation. Tn another dispatch from Mendaye, timed later in the day, the Patrie publishes as a local rumor the statement that 800 persons have been killed and wounded in the suburbs of Barcelona.
 Madrid, Feb. 20.-According to tele- grams received here late tonight from Barcelona, the street fighting there con- tinues The heavy rain which fell dur ing the day helped to disperse the riot CTS, and the authorities are taking se- were measures.
 A proclamation has been issued order ing all private individuals to surrender any weapons they may possess, under pain of severe nenalty. The sale of arms have also been prohibited.
 Forty workmen's associations have been dissolved and the members of their committees arrested The dwell ings of the strike leaders and of an- archists are being registered and put under guard.
 The battleship Pelayo has been order ed to Barcelona.
 The military engineers have assumed control of the street car service. Even the funeral coaches have to be protect ed by the police. No letters have been delivered in Barcelona in three days, and in some distant parts of the town business is completely paralyzed
 A pitched battle occurred in the out skirts of the city between the strikers and the military escort attached to sev- eral wagons that were bringing in pro- visions. The contents of the wagons 1 were dragged out and barricades were built across the road. The rails have been torn up to prevent trains from | entering the city.
 The strike movement has begun to spread seriously. At Castellon de la | PIana, the taking advantage of the l night and of the absence of the police, | the strikers set fire to two factories l with the aid of petroleum. The facto- ries were burned. At a workmen's | meeting held at Castellon de la Plana, a general strike was voted.
 At Saragossa most of the factories have already closed on the demands of the workmen and the strikers are bring ing pressure to bear to compel the fac tories still remaining open to close their doors. The captain general of Saragossa has wired for reinforce ments.
 A strike commenced at Valencia, but owing to the refusal of the dock labor CTS to participate it did not become gen. eral The polict at Valencia, assisted by the troops, have, up to the present time. been able to maintain order in that place.
 Later.-Martial law has been pro- claimed at Manresa, about thirty miles northwest of Barcelona, and at Sara gossa. At the latter place the troops have occupied a strategic position in order to check the disturbances.
 Official telegrams received here de- scribe slight improvement in the situ- ston at Barcelona and officials tonight seem more hopeful. Owing to the strict censorship over news from Barcelona it is difficult to ascertain the real state of affairs there It is quite certain, however, that all Z the efforts to persuade the labor lead i .rs into a conciliatory attitude have so far failed. and the extension of the ' strike movement is more likely than it's restriction. In addition to the labor movement the ,ver present Catalan home rule agita- $ ion is likely to prove a serious factor I n the situation. One hopeful sign is he fact that almost alone among the e ministers and the governing authorities, General Weyler is in sympathy with he Catalonian demands and is inclined | o study their grievances. He has held 2 commands in Catalonia, speaks f he Catalan language and throughly un- | ierstands the situation. | The government declines to publish igures of the casualties in the riots of and . iOfap- I