The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1907-07-24
MUT|NEERS SURRENDER
TO FRENCH ARTILLERY
Whole Army Poured Into Disaf.
fected WinegroWing District
PREMIER CLEMENCEAU UPHELD
Chamber Cheers as Civil War Cloud
Blows Over-Battalion Marched
Into Beziers, Where the Inhab.
itants Gave Them Food. =

itants Gave Them Food.
Paris, France.-SiX hundred and
seven men of the Seventeenth In.
fantry Regiment deserted with arms
and ammunition near Beziers, in the
Department of Herault, and Joined
the insurgent winegrowers.
On receipt of the news General
Bailloud entrained for Beziers with
artillery and other troops.
This display Of force cowed the
mutineers and the battalion agreed
to return to the regiment.
After the terroristic events of the
day before the aspect Of Narbonne
next day was comparatively calm.
Soldiers were everywhere in such
great force that the inhabitants were
At least temporarily coerced into in.
activity. The wreckage resulting
from the riots still filters the streets
and all the stores and banks are
closed and barred.
Two additional regiments of infan-
try and two of cavalry arrived at
Narbonne during the morning and
detachments Of artillery are on their
way there. pes
The authorities of Narbonne have
issued orders that specific routes
must be. followed by those attending
the funerals of the riot victims in the
afternoon. The routes will be en-
tirely isolated by troops in the hope
Ct thus preventing dangerous demon
STATIONS.
The grave view the French capital
takes Of the revolutionary events in
the south Of France and the tragic
outcome was evidenced by the scene
in the Chamber Of Deputies when the
Government vas interpellated on the
measures it proposed to take 70 re-
establish order. ~ ~
Premier Clemenceau lost no time
in imparting to the Deputies the news
from Narbonne, adding to the in
formation already published heSfact
that over a hundred soldiers were
wounded in the fighting with the
rioters The peasants from the sur
rounding villages, terrified at the
shooting, took the first trains for
their homes.
, Then, amid impressive silence, the
Premier gave the official version OF
the mutiny of the. battalion Of the
Seventeenth Infantry and its march
to Beziers, and concluded by demand
ing a vote of confidence in the Gov
eminent, so that the Ministers could
carry out the work Of repression on
which in the future so much de-
pended. |- .
The Opposition Deputies fercely
attacked the Government, accusing
the Ministers Of sending agents to
stir up the populace in the South.
asserting that the Cuirassiers acted
like Cossacks, that the troops fired
without p~rovocation and without no
LITIGATION, and that women and chill
dren had been slaughtered, and in
sisted that the release of M. Fer
roul, ex-Mayor of Narbonne, would
alone restore calm.
Otherwise, one Of the speakers as
serted, "the bloody rioting OF to-day
will be the revolution Of tomorrow"
Ex-Minister. of Commerce Miller
and's denunciation of M. Clemenceau
was particularly violent, but fell nat,
as he is strongly suspected OF a de-
sire to succeed to the Premiership.
After six hours debate the Cham
Der decided by 327 to 223 votes to
support the Cabinet. .
Details of the mutiny in Herault
show that q battalion of the Seven
teenth Infantry Regiment sent from
Beziers to Agde on account OF the
soldiers sympathy with the local
winegrowers, mutjnied there, raided
the magazine, filled their pouches
with cartridges, and with fixed Dayo.
nets and flags flying marched out OF
Agde and entered Beziers. When
notified of the mutiny General Croi-
SADIE. commanding the ~'Sixty-frst Bri-
yade, met the mutineers at VilleneuVe
and attempted to persuade them to
return to duty. ,r,
Soldiers" he commanded, kill
me or obey mel -,
The soldiers replied that they had
no desire to kill the General, bur
were determined to return TO BE-
tiers. ~,
A detachment Of gendarmes tried
to bar the road, but after the mutt
neers had fired a volley in the all
they were permitted to pass.
The mutineers, although without
officers, marched into Beziers in per
feet order at 6 o'clock a. m, the
cheers of the local crowds mingline
with the rolling Of the drums and
the strains Of the bugles. The PEG.
pie gave. the mutineers the Warmes1
welcome and furnished them WIFI
ample provisions and supplies OF
straw, upon which the tired soldiers
threw themselves, after statlonlne
pickets and proclaiming their deter
mination to defend their lives IN the
event of being attacked.