Evening star., 1922-12-01
IS SK|LLED,21 HURT
AS MEXICAN MOB
ANDPOL|CE BATTLE
Municipal Building Nearly
Wrecked in Water Short
age Protest.
Bv the Associated Press.

.
MEXICO CITY, December Fed
municipal building today while the
city counted the casualties of pitch
ed battle between the police and
mob which attempted to storm the
building last night. The death list as
a result of the fighting stood at sew
enteen early today. while eighteen
persons are known to have been seri-
ously injured and three slightly hurt
The list of those less seriously in
jured was augmented early this morn
ing when a group of manifestants. at
tempting a demonstration before the
residence of Alfonso Romero. presi-
dent Of the city council. clashed with
mounted police, who fired several
taken into the Romero nome Tor
treatment.
The city, after a night of wild ex-
citement. found it's main plaza before
the municipal building a shambies OF
broken glass, timbers and stone, evi-
dence of the anger Of the mob. which
forced it's way into the building half
an hour after the police rifles had
taken their toll.
The trouble, which lasted for more
Than six hours, started when a crowd
marched to the city hall to protest
against the aldermen. who are held
responsible for conditions leading to
the water famine. The demonstration
was intended by the labor unions that
organized it as peaceful protest. and
several hundred persons paraded the
downtown streets before proceeding
to the hall to voice their adverse SEN
timents against the city government.
These protestants were reinforced
along the route. and when the mu-
nicipal building was reached the
crowd numbered more than 1000 per-
sons.
dermen. the mob gave emphasis to
its words by hurting stones and other
that the hall be entered, the demon
strators made concerted rush for
ward. The police guards met their
advance by firing their rifles over
the heads of the crowd. which, how
ever. did not check it's course. When
1t became apparent that the mob
would enter the building despite the
police the latter aimed their rifles
point blank and fired, with deadly eff
feet.
Staggered by the bullets. the dem
onstrators retired carrying with them
their dead and injured:
valuable Records Lost.
But in half an hour they returned,
and several of their number. break
ing windows. entered the hall and be-
gan to set fire to its contents.
Valuable documents. some of which
dated back several centuries. were
tossed into the streets and the city
records were given to the winds.
By this time the federal troops had
arrived. but the intruders were not
fired in many places and the furniture
wrecked. A line of hose. which the
fire department was able to bring into
play despite the water shortage. was
successful in holding back the crowds
outside.
Several sporadic attempts to con-
tinue the demonstration were made In
the succeeding hours, but when the
demonstrants returned to the attack
they found a Gordon of several hum
dred soldiers about the building, and
contented themselves with jeering
and hooting officials in general, in
Guiding some of the members of the
federal government.
Thus bafhed in their attempts to re-
enter the hall, several small groups
Of citizens marched, through the
streets committing minor depreda-
tions. They called on all the news
paper Offices and hooted and yelled
before the residences Of the city off,
cials.
Deputies Adjourn.
The chamber of deputies adjourned
when 1t received news of the sanguin-
ary encounter in the main plaza, and
a heavy guard was thrown around
the building. The residences Of all
aldermen were alto under the pro-
lection Of federal troops throughout
the night