The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1923-04-01
French Fire
on Crowd;
81 Injured
Soldiers Turn Guns OH Mob
at krupp Works After
Troops Occupy Motor
Garage.
New Outbreaks Feared
By International News service.

Essen March 3f.-Tension in ths
Ruhr was at fever pitch tonight. fol-
lowing an attack by French soldiers
upon a group Of Krupp workers. re-
sulting in the death of 10 Germans.
the fatal wounding Of three others
and injuries Of 81 others.
There were-1o French casualties.
French troops, supported by a ma
chine gun, had occupied the Krupp
motor Iorry garage. All the workers
quit and gathered about the building.
hooting, jeering and shaking their
hses.
Twenty French soldiers sailed
forth. Angered by the threatening
attitude Of the Germans, the French
unlimbered the machine gun. W.T.
nesses claim that about five of the
soldiers opened fire with r.fles, but
International News Service WAS IN
able to confirm officially just what
weapons were employed.
As the gun fire swept the crowd tina
Germans began TO run. some Of them
dropping beneath the storm of bullets.
The French troop detail that
opened fire was commanded by d
young Commissioned officer.
Frenehnien Beaten.
IN one ward Of the KrupD plant
hospital this afternoon doctors treated
two French engineers and a French
chaffeur who had been dragged from
their motor car an hour after the
shooting and beaten BY a German
crowd. Their injuries were not seTl-
Gus, and they were able TO 20 10 Their
quarters. after getting first a.d. Al
were IN civilian clothing.
= Some Of the wounded we're bay-
onetted by the French. The Inter
national News Service correspondent
saw one man whose head lad been
completely fraHsfixed By A bayosel
blade which entered the right temple
and emerged from the right side y
the throat.
The youngest victim was boy q
10. who was shot in the stomach.
4 vas estimated that about 5000
workers quit when the French enter
ed the garage. For a time they were
orderly. Two representatives OF the
workers council repeatedly attempted
TO approach the garage. asking the
French TO take down the machine gun
which had been mounted at the main
doorway. They offered the soldiers a
safe conduct through the crowd. But
the French threatened 10 shoot tie
Germans Il they did rot fan hack.
Many Germans Trampled.
The French opened fire me;hodical-
iy. The terrific havoc wrough. hx
the bullets showed that careful aim
had been taken. a wave q panic
followed.
Many Germans fell in their tight
and were trampied under foot.
The French claimed the GermAi
directed streams Of he: water against
The French and pelied them with
priess and sticks.
This was the first tine the French
lad actually Invaded the sacred pre-
clnets. of the great krupp plant.
Hitherto they had contented them
selves with posting military quarts
AROUND the plant
~ soon as The shooting was over
Bertha krupp. chief owner of the
nlaut. hurried 20 The hospital. where
She assisted in caring for TIE
wounded.
The directorate q Krupps held
meeting this afternoon and made for
NAL protest - the French.
The Essen eemmandant made ~
pors on the ARRAY 10 headquarters II
General Deeoutte ~ Dusseldorf. VIE.
On turn communicated report -
the b'rrnch var Office in Paris.
Fears were felt that the excitement
and resentment that have followed the
attack viii give way 10 disorders efs
sunday II IS believed the French
viii send additional Troops into Essen
tonight,