Evening star., 1923-04-20
8 SLAIN IN FIGHTING
To TAKE MUELHE|M
FROM COMMUNISTS
800 Police Recapture City in
Sortie From Fortress on
Rear of Reds.
ARMED BANDS CAUSING
TROUBLE IN OUTSKIRTS
Defenders Seize Youthful Revolt
ers, Spank Them-Thirty
Leaders Arrested.
Ry the Associated Press.

nv the Associated Press.
MUELHEIM, April 20.-After being
terrorized for three days by the COM
muntst mobs which held It. Muelheim
Today Is again under control OF the
constituted German authorities. The
force Of 300 police and city officials
which had been besieged in the
Rathaus made a sortie from this great
fortress-like building this morning,
cut through the lines of the besiegers,
caught them in the rear, arrested
many and again took control of the
city.
Thirty leaders of the besiegers were
arrested. one of them. a man named
kurten, is said to have been the
leader OF the Kiel revolution in 1918.
He resisted arrest and was wounded.
probably fatally.
Sixty to Seventy Wounded.
The casualty list for the period Of
q dsorders. so far, a made up this
morning, showed six dead and from
sixty to seventy wounded. some of
whom may die.
The French troops remained
throughout the trouble in or near
tho security police barracks, which
they arc occupying. They took 10
part in tho affair, which they re-
Earded as purely local.
Burgomastcr Lempke. with 500
city employees. and detachment OF
have been summoned from Duisburg
AMI elsewhere in anticipation of trou-
ble. had been bcsteged since WeGnes-
day. Ihey had an ample supply of
food and ammunition. and were easily
able to hold the building which is
surmounted by a 25O-foot tower. the
highest point in the city. On this
lofty perch the burgomaster sta
iloned sharpShooters. who were thus
able to pick off members OF attack
ing parties rrr
Besiegers Number 1000.
The besieging forces, who called
themselves the "unemploy yed." num-
oered about 1000. but the burgomas-
ter declares there are only 500 un-
employed men in Muelhefm. Many of
the besiegers were merely trouble
makers, led by communists, he de-
clared. This encircling army, among
which were many youths armed with
"bbit iiiitS, DuIll ana tore
UP tn" paving to obtain missiles.
They broke several hundred windows
III the great RathauS
inc burgomaster sent out his lit
tie force a mixture of security police
and clerks. early this morning. They
broke through the barricades, rushed
III" bcsiegcrs and quickly routed
them. gathering in only the leaders
The tight WAS short and sharp, and
N" success was followed UP quickly
h% III" city forces. who spread out
and rcgaincd control of the town.
spank Youthful Ones,
The victorious defenders tempora-
rily detained numbers of the youthful
adventurers. whom they spanked with
extreme vigor and then ordered them
tp go home TO bed.
On exploring the city streets after
the dispersal of the besiegers the
authorities found many of the stores
looted, chiefly of firearms and cloth
ing. None Of the dealers in foods had
been molested.
me DurgomaSter pointed to this as
evidence that the besiegers were only
trouble makers. who were we'll fed
and took only things of value or such
tS they could use. The SHINES steel
plant, employing 10000 men, was
running on full time. the official said,
The Rathaus. although relieved
from siege, looks as If a storm had
struck 1t. The security police were
still guarding it this afternoon.
camping on the marble floors and
Keeping their rifles close beside them
while they ate. On the tower aioft
the sharpshooters still were main
tanning their lookout, ready for anv
possible trouble '
DEnNnrr-