The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1908-04-10
BLOODSHED AT
CHURCH PORTALS
FIVE PEOPLE KILLED AND FIFTY
WOUNDED BY TROOPS AT
LISBON.
MONAUCHISTS TRIED A TRICK
Their Attempt to Delay Counting
of The Votes Starts The
Trouble.


LISBON, April Give persons
were shot to death and fifty others
wounded by soldiers last evening. af-
ter the voting in the election in this
city had ended.
The rioting was widespread and
such was the confusion during the vio-
lent conflict between the Populace
and the Municipal Guard that the
Guardsmen, mistaking infantrymen
for members of the mob, fired volley
into their ranks, seriously wounding
three of the soldiers.
The night was one of terror for Lis
bon, which seemed suddenly afiame
with seething revolt. Bands of men
ran wildly through the streets bran
dishing weapons, while the sharp
crack of rifles was heard in various
sections of the city. Thousands OF
the most peaceable citizens fed to
their homes, just as they did on the
night after the assassination of King
Carlos and the Crown Prince.
The principal rioting was the result
of a dispute between the Republicans
and the Monarchists regarding the
counting of votes. The Republicans
had been fearing fraud at the various
Lisbon polling places and made de-
termined stand for their rights at st.
Dominque's Church, which is in the
center of the city, district that is
practically the strongest OF Repubn-
canism. Both the Republican and
Monarchists kept sharp watch
throughout the day AS the voters
were following the ancient custom OF
voting in the churches, they hled
steadily but slowly into historic st.
Dominioue's and deposited their bal
lots in the official voting boxes. When
the polls closed, the Monarchlst elec-
ton officers declared that it was too
late to count the votes and proposed
to keep the Its in the church and
count them tomorrow. The RepuDl-
can teller refused to assent to this,
insisting upon an mediate count, fol-
lowed by the sealing of the boxes.
The difference between the offlclals
spread to the crowds that filled the
church and in a moment blows were
struck and then a general fight fol-
lowed. Suddenly the Municipal Guards
arrived and cleared the edifice OF the
struggling combatants at the points
of the bayonet.
In the meantime, the crowd outside
the church had been greatly augment
ed and the appearance of the Guards
men at the doors, after they nad
forced the people into the streets, was
the signal for shower of stones, I'M
der which they were forced to retreat
to the interior of the edifice. As they
retired they fired volley from tneir
rifles bringing down several rioters.
The mob steadily increased and shouts
and imprecautions and cries OF anger
we're heard on every side, The rioters
armed themselves and soon the edifice
was literally surrounded and beseiged
by a maddened mob.
The Guardsmen fired internationally
through the doorways, but the volleys
were feeble and ineffecutal. Eventu-
ally the commanding officer placed
detail on the balcony over the main
portal From points of vantage, the
Guardsmen fired repeatedly into the
surging populace, wounding. large
number Still the mob did not give
way. but only attacked the church in
an attempt to reach the Guard the
more furiously The several Guards
men were wounded, but they were re-
placed on the balcony by Others, ana
for three hours the fight continued
Then three companies of infantry ana
troop of cavalry with the battery
anpeared. driving all before them.