The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-03-07

Berlin. March 6-An ugly fight In con-
nection with the Prussian franchise DEM
onstrations took place this afternoon IN
Treplow Park, in which many persons
were wounded and about 100 arrested,
There were demonstrations in other parts
of the city. but they did not lead to seri-
Gus trouble The chief OF police. during
the past week, forbade the use of the
streets and public places for professions
and assemblies. and included In the bar
was the municipal space Of go acres called
Treplow Park, some six miles distant
from the center OF the city.
The Socialist and Radical newspapers
after the prohibition was Issued, printed
suggestions that everybody interested in
the franchise question should take a walk
in Treplow Park Sunday afternoon, and
the suggestion was, of course. interpreted
IN Its true meaning by the public and
police alike The latter took elaborate
measures TO stop any gathering. Under
the personal direction Of Police President
Won Jagow. the approaches 10 the park
were occupied early 10 the morning by a
huge force OF mounted and foot police
men. as well as by gendarmes from the
outlying districts. while police motor
boats patrolled the river alongside the
park. There are no ratings or Enclosure
fences around the park, hence in order
10 exclude the people. numerous roads
had to be held, This absorbed practically
all the Berlin police force.
Marchers Encounter Police.
Toward noon large bodies OF demon
strators marched quietly along the diff
ferent approaches until they encountered
the police lines. when they were promptly
ordered 10 so back. The crowds did not
resist, but raised shouts of Down with
tyranny. Down with the government
''Hoch for universal suffrage" and
similar cries.
Subsequent events. however. showed
that this was a preliminary march in
tended as a feint it being part Of a
cleverly laid plan 10 outwit the police.
At the eleventh hour the Socialist and
Radical leaders sent a secret message 20
the heads of the local organizations TO
meet, not In Treplow Park, but in the
Tiergarten. in the very heart of the city
stretching from the Brandenburg gate
and Inter den Linden westward toward
the fashionable suburbs Of CharIotten-
burg. The ruse succeeded beyond the most
sanguine hopes of the organizers, and
the democratic forces held a tremendous
and powerful demonstration, OF which the
police idly awaiting developments at
Treplow Park. were for some time I'M
aware.
The demonstrators converged on the
Tiergarten by numerous circuitous routes,
so as to avoid the vigilance of the police.
They marched up and down, shouting for
direct, equal, secret, universal suffrage,
and singing socialist songs.
Soon the police commanders heard what
was happening. and mounted men were
sent in hot haste from Treplow Park "a
reinforce the handful remaining in the city
AS the police reinforcements arrived the
main section of the demonstrators moved
northward into the Koenig Platz, or
which the Reichstag faces. Here they
swarmed on the steps OF the Reichstag
hoisted red flag, and sang the 'Marseil-
laise." The men surrounding the Bis
marck Monument cheered him as the au-
thor of German suffrage,
Ferment Lasts Two Hours.
The main body of the demonstrators
went on the Won Moltke Monument and
the Column of Victory. Parts Of the
crowd overlooked into the Inter den Lin
den and reached various parts of the
inner city, where there seems TO have
been some rough encounters with the 20
lice, although no bloodshed is reported
In about two hours the feTment was over
and the disturbers scattered.
1t was about the time that the central
demonstration endeI tha- serious trouble
broke out in Treplow Park A large
number OF persons formed procession in
Schlessisches strasse. intending to force
their way into the park. The police or
dered them back, but the immense num-
? Der behind pushed forward. The imported
provincial gendarmes lost their heads. il
is said. drew their rsvolvers. and swords
and laid on the crowd. -Four persons
dropped at the first vouey, while Others
fell before the swords, and big fight
was soon on. The police came to belr
the gendarmes. and tbs struggle Was
over quickly. So far as known. five per.
sons were seriously. and several severely
wounded. Numbers were only slightly
wounded.