New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-10-23
.STUERGKH DEATH
SIGNAL FOR RIOTS
Vienna Police Fight Mobs
After the Premier's
Assassination
By ARTHUR S. DRAPER

By ARTHUR s. DRAPER
London. Oct. 22.-Dr. Friedrich Ad-
Ter, the assassin Of Count Karl
Stuergkh, the Austrian Premier, con-
fessed last night that his act was
purely political. The persistent refusal
of the Premier to convene the Austrian
Parliament, which has not been in ses-
sion since the war began, had enraged
Adler. the latter declared. The assas-
sination was carried out after long de-
Liberation, Adler admitted, and no other
persons were connected in any way
with il.
Serious riots broke out in Vienna
following the assassination, according
TO reports reaching here tonight The
police battled with fighting MODS for
hours before they we're dispersed.
Inquiries by the Vienna police
authorities, set on foot soon after the
tragedy, have disclosed the fact that
Adler, through overwork and quarrels
with his father, DR.. Victor Adler, a
Reichsrath Deputy, had been suffering
mentally. He had always been re-
garded as extremely eccentric. Ac-
cording to Berlin newspapers, his sister
had been an inmate of an insane asy-
lum for ten years.
Adler was an aggressive advocate Of
anarchistic theories, for which he was
severely denounced by the Socialists
and other factions. Last week his
father, in the "Arbeiter Zeitung," Of
which he Is editor. condemned Adler
bitterly for his agitation.
Acting Premier Designated
Immediately after the death of Count
Stuergkh, Baron Georgi, Minister Of
National Defence, called meeting Of
the Austrian Cabinet. 1t was decided
that the Minister OF the Interior,
Prince Observation-Disclosures, should
act as Premier temporarily. All the
members of the Cabinet will offer their
designations 10 the Emperor. according
70 precedent. Il is not expected that
they will be accepted by Francis Jo-
seph.
Two men were wounded in the at
tempt 20 arrest Adler after he had shot
the Premier. Before he had been over
powered by Austrian officers the as
sassin emptied the two remaining
chambers Of his revolver at Baron
Aehrenthal. brother of the late Foreign
Minister, and at the headwaiter of the
Hotel Meissl und Schadn. in which the
shooting occurred. Neither was hurt
seriously.
Killing Reflects Discomfort
The assassination. in the opinion OF
high officials in London. furnishes
concrete illustration of the feeling Of
dissatisfaction and unrest among the
upper middle class Austrians. These
people are feeling the strain OF the
two and half years Of war far more
than the lower classes, who have been
able partly 10 meet the increased cost
Of living by their increased wages. The
professional classes, whose salaries
have remained stationary, are in most
acute distress.
During the first year of the war
these people saw large quantities OF
food leaving their country for Ger
many. They saw the cost Of keeping
family in Hungary rise 2l8 per cent,
while in Germany il rose only 80 per
cent. Germany has had good harvests;
Hungary has had scant harvests.
Count Karolyi sounded the warning
several times recently. His last impor-
tant statement was: Eve shall proba-
blv be forced TO conclude peace through
lack OF nourishment, but We ought not
20 wait till then before seeking 70 ap-
ply the remedy. II is vain TO conquer
provinces or 20 obtain advantages over
hostile armies If in our own country
we have nothing 20 eat"
Adler represented a great number
Of people dissatisfied with his govern
ment's policy. OF all the belligerents,
Austria-Hungary faces the coming win
ter with the poorest economic outlook.