The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1906-02-06
PARIS CATHOLICS FIGHT
Fifty Badly Wounded in Storming.
Of St, Fierre's Church.
FlREMEN FLOOD THE BUILDING

Doors Battered Down and Police Then
Enter, Using Chairs AS Shields
Defenders Arrestcd--Fierce Conflict
over the Taking Of an inventory in
one church.
Paris. France Aa a net result of a
days rioting, though the inventory was
taken in but one church, that of st,
Pierre-du- Gros-C Gallon, over fifty per-
sons were seriol sly injured and many
others were slightly hurt The latter
included a number Of police and fire.
men who were almost blinded with
cayenne pepper. Fifty arrests were
made
The Rue st. Dominique, in which the
Church Of st. Pierre-du-G eros Gallon is
situated, had the appearance OF a
street in a besieged city, in consequence
of the rigorous measures which the
authorities had adopted in order to
deal with clerical disturbances and a
threatened counter-demonstrati by
Socialists against the militant Cath
olics
All the shops in the neighborhood of
the edifice were closed, cordons of
armed Municipal Guards on foot were
stationed at intervals along the street.
and a squadron Of mounted Municipal
Guards with drawn swords patrolled
the thoughfare and kept the crowds
moving.
When the Project of Police, Louis
Lepine, arrived the bells were tolled
and the people inside the church. num-
bering about 5000, began singing
psalms, while outside the rowdy ele-
ment shouted revolutionary songs.
M. Lepine thrice summoned the. con-
gregation to open the inside gates.
which the people refused to do, and
then firemen were ordered to force an
entrance, using their hatchets. AS
they mounted ladders in order to break
in the windows of the Chapel of the
Virgin, an annex of the church, re-
volver shots rang out and the fremen
retired.
Later a fire engine arrived on the
scene, and, amid a shower of missiles,
the firemen scrambled up to the roof
with a hose, the water was turned on.
and the interior of the building was
soon flooded. In the meantime the
doors had been battered down, but the
Municipal Guards found barbados in
side and met with fierce resistance.
The storming of the building was
greatly protracted owing to the use by
the defenders of red pepper. After
repeated efforts the policemen and fire.
men succeeded in entering the church
by employing chairs as shields. The
first two who got through the doors
were knocked unconscious. Others
emerged covered with blood, with their
clothes torn, and soaked to the skin.
Finally the authorities obtained the
mastery and the demonstrators were
captured one by one and led to the
nearest station house.
Eventually the Guards cleared the
rioters away from the vicinity of the
church.
Project Lepine and other high off,
Gals and the newspapers of all shades
of opinion deprecate the violent incl
dents. 1t is said that the clergy have
done their best by advice to their con-
gregations to remain calm, but without
avail, the militant Catholics being firm
~ resolved to resist what they term
the spoilation of the many Paris
churches, containing many millions Of
francs worth of jewelry, military
medals and decorations given by deyo-
tees as thank offerings.
1t is charged that the blame for the
conflicts attaches to the Minister of
the Interior because of his order that
the inventories of the churches should
be made before the regulations under
the Separation law are definitely drawn
up This leaves the Catholics uncer-
tain regarding the eventual fate Of
church property, and their doubts on
this subject have brought about their
resistance to the order and its results.
The authorities are determined. how
ever, that the law shall take its course,
and the disorders are to be suppressed
with the utmost vigor.
Twenty-Five hundred inventories have
already been made throughout France,
many without incident