The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-05-01
READY TO HANDLE SITUATION
Government Expects Nav Day to
Pass Without Great Disorder
THE PUBLIC SHOWS uNEasINEss
Apprehension Increased by Activity OF
Poiice-sensationai Press Increases
the Unre>t-Ofhcials Give Positive
Assurance That Order VIII be Main
taincd.

Paris, April 2s-The government has
completed final preparations for dsa..
Ing with the May Day situation and Ia
confident that the day will pass WI h
out serious disorder. but At the same
time the public. which is not in the
least treasured by the elaborate mill
tary concentration, is showing grea; uu
easiness.
Ihis has been accentuated by tie
explosion of bomb Friday night un-
der the railroad bridge al ArsenteuIl
in the suburbs Of Paris. which liaks
the capital with Havre, and by an al
tempt this evening OF band OF a hun
dred striking jewellers to penetrate 10
populous center OF the Place de LOper,
for the purpose of making a demon
stration before the great establish
ments in the Rue de La Paix. The ac-
tivlty of the police in making more
searches and seizures although design
ed TO insure the public safety also las
had efect OF increasing public appre-
hension, many persons believing that
such extraordinary efforts indicate tn
seriousness OF the situation. Govern
ment, military and police officials give
the most positive assurances that orde'
Will be maintained and .he calmer
heads accept these statements; but the
nervous element of the city Is hastily
preparing for eventualities, some per-
sons leaving town and taking their val
uables with them and others laying in
stores for an emergency The scenes
at the great supply stores are unprece-
dented, hundreds of persons invading
them and clamoring for emergency
supplies.
The sensational press increases the
unrest by publishing alarming reports
Of ANARCHIST designs, while the serious
press gives prominence to the military
concentration and public plans, all Of
which leads the public to apprehead
that something is about TO happen.
The explosion of the bombs under
the Argenteuil bridge is the first overt
"direc- action The bridge Il q mas
act in what the revolutionaries term
sive structure crossing the Seine six
miles outside the st. Lazare stations
and hundreds Of trains cross IL daily
The military reinforcements that have
been brought TO Paris crossed the river
on this bridge. The bomb used was
cylindrical in shape with a slow euse
The deafening explosion was heard for
five miles. 1t shattered windows n
Argenteuil and awakened the sleeping
town. The railroad was torn up and
the signal on the bridge was smashed
but the solidity of the structure re-
sisted the force of the explosion. There
is no clue TO the perpetrator Of the ex-
plosion.
The appearance of the striking jew
elers in the fashionable shopping CEN
ter this evening caused considerable ex-
citement. The strikers proceeded In
body from the labor exchange TO th~
Rue de LaPaix, the richest short stree
in the world, the windows of the stores
being literally lined with diamonds.
They reached the Place de L'Opera.
where a band of republican guards and
police barred their advance, and live
ly scuffle ensued in which the strikers
were separated, turned back and dis
persed, though a number of them were
arrested
In the meantime. the police had made
searches of the domiciles OF six persons
suspected Of having anarchist conuec-
tions and of the officers OF several in
fiammatory newspapers.