Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-01-14
400 Spartacans Captured in
Fall of Their Chief
Stronghold
TO FIX MARTIAL LAW
Liebknecht and Eichhorn Re.
ported in Hiding-Shells
Smash Rebel Fortress
(. By JOSEPH A. HERRINCS
Special Gable to Erening Public Ledger

Copyright. 1919, by the ". Y. Times Co.
Berlin Jan. IL, via Copenhagen, Jan
14.-Sooner than even the most op
timistic had expected, the power OF
the Spartacans has been broken, police
headquarters having been captured
this morning after about an hour Is
bomba-dment with heavy artillery and
Boetzow's brewery having been evac.
uated during the night.
1t is stated today that both Lieb.
knecht and Eichhorn escaped and are
hiding somewhere in the city.
Governor Noske and War Minister
Reinhardt, who share the credit for
+ the effective suppression of the sec.
ond revolution, now agree that martial
law must be declared at once and any
man caught with arms in his posses.
sion must be dealt with summarily,
because some thousands of Spartacaus
who escaped from Boetzow's brewery
are still at large and may do untold
damage.
. The bombardment OF police head.
quarters began about o'clock this
morning. sevencentimeter guns hav.
ing been placed in position on the roofs
of houses in the neighboring streets.
south Of Alexander platz, aft short.
sharp man.to-man engagement with
Syartacan outposts. Some guns were
brought in a railway car over the
stone arches of the Stadtbahn. which
runs closely past the eastern front OF
police headquarters.
Spartacans Wouldn't Surrender
Before the bombardment began the
Spartacans received an offer Of one
last chance to capitulate on terms
granted to the Mosse building occu-
pants. This was refused, and hostili.
ties were then opened.
The very first shot made an i'm.
mense hole in tho wall near the main
portal. which was widened by sue.
cessive shells, none missing the mark.
The Spartacans kept up a heavy ma.
chine-gun fire, their field guns having
been removed to Boetzow's brewery
on the nights of Thursday and Fri.
day. Within less than fifteen minutes
most of the Spartacan machine guns
placed in the windows facing south
were put out Of action by the Govern. |
ment artillery, but the Spartacans
kept up a pernicious fire from some
guns, the position Of which remained /
undetected until the battle was fin. |
ished. There was a terrific noise when /
part Of the second story crashed down ,
in the center of the large building,
Soon afterward a white flag was
hoisted. -Four hundred Spartacans
were taken prisoners. There were
some sixty dead and wounded.
The Government soldiers. who too.
had lost a considerable number, were
SO angry that they threatened to line
UP the prisoners and shoot them at
once. Governor Noske interfered. ex.
planning that the prisoners fate must /
be left to the Government.
He promised. however that In the /
future no Spartacan would be per.
mitted to walk away free after he
had been dlsarmed. The Government
has discovered at last what all other .
people have known for many days
that the Spartacans, as they We're dis. .
armed. went to secret arsenals. where .
they got new rifles and ammunition.
Brewery Evacuated Mt Night.
Boetzow's brewery, it seems, was
partly evacuated on the night of Sat- /
urday. when many furniture vans drew
up In front of it. It was then given
out that the vans contained hundreds
OIL guns 4Or lIe u"lenSe OF the brew
cry, but in reality they served for tho
removal Of whatever guns and muni-
tions there We're in the place,
This rusc was continued tip carly
Sunday morning, when a herd OF horses
and cattle which the Spartacans had
kept in the spacious gardens were
turned loose. When the Government
forces, reconnoitering, entered they
found the whole place deserted
Among the wounded in police head