The Irish standard., 1906-05-05
From Behind Barricades in the Streets of Paris
the Mob Gives Open Battle to
the Soldiers.
Thousands of Arrests and Bloody Cavalry
Charges. Served only to Delay the
Coming Crisis.

| hasty barricades. Over 1000 arrests
were made during the day.
AT no time did the demonstrations
reach the magnitude Of a revolt, bu.
was rather leaderless turlut in
which the serious labor clement strug-
Cling for !, principle was hopeless
ly confused with violent agitators,
anarchists. revolutionists, roughs and
4 large number of the curious. The
Worklnen never succeeded in forming
u procession or even in assembling
more than scattered bands. Their
chief action was q reunion OF several
thousands in the Labor exchange at
which resolution was adopted not
to return to work until the eight-hour
day shall have been accorded.
The worst hours of the day was to-
ward o'clock in the evening, when the
police practically lost control and were
compelled to rely on the mounted
twenty yards across and fifteen yards
apart. swept around the Place de Ia
Republique. driving the disorderly
crowds into the surrounding streets.
Most of the mob sought refuge in the
Boulevard de Magenta and at the Quai
de Valmy. which became centers OF
disorders.
Here trumpets sounded repeated
commands to disperse and the cavalry
galloped into the crowds. trarupling
and iDjuring many. A body of foot
guards became surrounded by mani-
festants and was rescued with difficulty
by cavalry with drawn swords. Here
considerable number were wounded.
BY o'clock calm had been measur-
ably restored and most of the troops
returned to their barracks.
Throughout the disorders the au-
thorities succeeded in executing their
original plan of holding the disturbers
strictly within the limits of the labor
press toward the wealthy commercial
and residential sections
Last night vehicular traffic was COM
pletely suspended. Cabs, omnbuses
| and street cars are not running, even
at this, hour. the result being to give
| the; usually busy boulevards a singular
| aspect Of desertion. Enormous crowds
Of curious people still fill the streets.
The opera and other state theaters
were open last night, the Opera having
/ two squadrons of cuirassiers in the
| basement while Felix Weingartner
/ was conducting Beethoven and Ber-
| lioz festival in the auditorium. Ten
OF the leading theaters closed on ac-
| count of the exceptional conditions
| The banks were closed throughout the
| day. All night dragons occupied the
streets surrounding the bourse and the
other great financial establishments
The temper of the workmen is
threatening. They claim that the police
acted brutally and cite many incidents
Of innocent people being beaten and
| arrested. They declare that yester-
day was only the beginning of the
| movement.
Reports from the provinces show
| that there We're violent demon
strations at Marseilles Brest, Bor-
deauX. st. Etienne, Lyons and .Jouer.
At Marseilles professions carrying red
flags and creating violent disorder
came in collision with the troops and
number of persons We're injured.
| At Bordeaux professions paraded the
streets singing revolutionary songs
and the cavalry charged them, wound
ing many. At Lyons Il crowd of mani
festants attacked the street cars,
breaking the glass windows. where
upon the dragons charged the rioters,
wounding large number. There were
lesser disturbances at many points.
The Labor exchange in Paris opene ]
at o'clock and the bakers and print
ers held meetings, the other trades fol-
lowing their example later. The ar
rest Of the organizers Of the proposed
demonstrations left the movement
without central direction, each trade
acting independently. The total num-
ber of strikers was variously estimated
at about $4,000, but unity of action
was considered impossible.