Omaha daily bee., 1902-08-19
INHABITANTS STAY ON GUARD
Determined Resistance in villages of
Brittany to Attempt at Clos
ing the schools.

BREsT, France. Aug. 1s.-The attempt
made by the authorities today to close
the sisters schools at Ploudaniel, Folgoet
and st. Meen, the last villages in Brit
tany where unauthorized schools we're
still open, is meeting with a determined
resistance.
The inhabitants we're ep guard through
out the night and the n was sounded
when the approach of u, .darmes and
troops was signalled at "a tx in the
morning. At Ploudaniel, in B. -, heavy
fall Of rain. a crowd numbes .. -eral
thousand people replied with hoo re
summons Of the police commissaries,
the ringing OF church bells drowned
voices Of the officials.
When an attempt was made to force tho
strongly barricaded door It failed. the
defenders meanwhile crying Judas" and
singing Breton hymns. mingled with
cheers for liberty and shouts Of Down
with Combs" The oommissaries tried
to attack the school by the garden wall
which they ordered the soldiers to breach
This was done in the midst OF showers
OF filth and mud from the defenders, who
manned the breach, armed with clubs
and prevented the commissaries from pen
etrating into the garden. The soldiers
attempted to scale the wall with the aid Of
pile Of faggots. but the defenders deluged
the faggots with petroleum and set them
on fire, whereupon the commissaries and
troops drew of amidst cheers for liberty
and for the sisters.
At st. Meen the sis ters we're expelled
and the school was tlosed after a two
hours struggle, during which police
commissary was wounced.
After the repulse at the garden wall of
a NJ IL ~
deeied to await reinforcements In the
meantime Senator Pichon and Counselor
General Soubigou persuaded the defenders
Of the school to open the door. After this
had been done the Sisters walked to the
church and were given an ovation by the
crowd. The commissaries entered the
school and made an inventory Of the prop
erty. They then sealed the doors In the
course of the rioting the gendarmes were
slightly injured The leading inhabitants Of
Ploudaniel have taken the expelled Sisters
to their homes. Similar though less vio-
lent scenes attended the closing OF the
schools and the expulsion OF the Sisters at
Folgoet and st. Meen.
PARIS, Aug. 1s.-The Temps says Com
mandant Leroy Laduric Of the Nineteenth
infantry, who refused to obey an order to
aid in closing unauthorized schools, has
been placed under arrest.
The councils general throughout France
began their sittinga today. MANY Of then,
have already voted congratulations to Pres
ident Loubet and Premier Combes on
the application Of the law Of associations.
Others have adopted protests against the
closing Of unauthorized congregationist
schools. in which they ask for the return
Of the Sisters.
AT Quimper in F1nisterre, several thou
sand peasants and others from all parts
OF the department assembled today and
presented petition in favor of the re.
tention of the Sisters. The council general
adopted this petition By thirty-fve votes TO
two, counter demonstration at Qufnper
resulted in rioting, in which several per-
sons were slightly injured.
Premier Combes has been elected presi
dent Of the council general of the depart
ment of charent Inferieur by thirty-three
votes to one.