Los Angeles herald., 1907-06-22
BAT TALON
Of SOLDIERS
JOINS RIO 7
MutineerS We're Once
Wine Growers
Themselves
Stack Arms and Camp in
City's Principal
Square
Later Regret Action and Promise
General BaIIIoud to Return to
Aade on, Guarantee Of
LenIency
Ey Associated Press.

Ey Associated Press.
PARIS. June IA battalion Of the
Seventeenth infantry, regularly stationed
at Agde, in the. department of Herault,
has deserted with its arms and ammuni-
ton and Joined the insurgent wine grow
ers at Beziers, the headquarters of the
regiment. The mutineers mostly were re-
cruited among the wine growers and
number about 400 men. They marched
into Beziers, which has about $4,000 in
habitants, with drums beating and colors
flying and encamped in the principal
square of that city with arms stacked.
The deserters tried to enlist the sympa-
thies of the remainder of the regiment,
stationed at Beziers, but failing to do
so they promised to eject them from their
barracks.
Early this morning the prefect of Be
ziers notified Premier Clemenceau that
the miners had agreed to return to Agde
on consideration that they were not pun
ished. little later they renewed their
demand to be allowed to reoccupy their
former barracks at Beziers.
Threaten Violence
M. Clemenceau curtly replied that he
refused to parley with deserters or con-
] slider any proposition but unconditional
! surrender, adding that he was deter
mined to utilize all the government s
forces IL necessary in order to suppress
Details of the mutiny show that bat
TALON of the Seventeenth infantry sent
soldiers sympathy with the local wine
growers mutinied there this morning,
raided the magazine, filled their pouches
with cartridges and with fixed bayonets
d. axvfxaa
and entered Beziers. When notified of
the mutiny General Croisade, command
ing the Sixty-first brigade, met the
mutineers at Villeneuve and attempted to
persuade them to return to duty.
Soldiers" he commanded, XIII me or
obey me-" -
The soldiers replied that they had no
desire to kill the general, but, were de-
termined to return to 'Beziers.
A detachment of gendarmes tried to bar
the road. but after the mutineers mad
fired a vofley in the air they were per-
mitted to pass.
Stack Their Arms
The mutineers, although without Off
GERS. marched into Beziers in perfect or
der at 6 o'clock this morning, the cheers
of the local crowds m1ngling with the
rolling of the drums and the strains OF
the bugles. After stacking arms the de-
serters announced their intention to re-
main on the square until allowed to re-
occupy their barracks from whence they
gave the mutineers a warm welcome and
furnished them with ample provisions and
supplies of straw, upon which the tired
soldiers threw themselves after stationing
their pickets and proclaiming their de-
termination to defend their Lives in the
event of being attacked.
The news Of this momentous detection
of troops, together with reports of other
mutir1ous Interruptions at various points
in the revolving provinces. reached the
government this morning and caused the
gravest concern. Premier Giemenceau
Immediately summoned a cabinet meet
noon inauirers were informed that the
reports from Narbonne and Montpelier
showed that both places were compare
1t was announced that the. govern
ment's watchwords are "the law must
Interior Minister BRAND Indignantly de-
MED the rumors that he has resigned.
He said he was not such a coward as to
desert his colleagues in the present cir
cumStanceS.