The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-02-14

I Soldiers under the personal com-
 mand of Major Emil Fey, war vet eran vice chancellor, moved against the great apartment house on the Danube across the Florids- dorf bridge to attack socialists | there.
 Fighting proceeded at other | points here, at Linz, at Steyr and other industrial towns.
 In regiments, in small bands. even single handed, their women sometimes In the front ranks, the socialists fought stubbornly on, defying threats of mass hangings when and if they are captured alive.
 But they were on the defensive. The government set tomorrow night as the ultimate limit for breaking the revolution.
 The opening fight here today gave graphic insight into the movement of an organized force against defended position. Across the Danube, northeast Of the city proper, lies the industrial suburb of Floridsdorf. A bridge spans the river. Near each corner of the bridge is one of the great modernistic workers apartment houses built by a social ist city government.
 The houses command the bridge. Today the principal socialist force, | fighting for political life against a government determined on a fascist state, as it's only hope of l life against Nazi encroachment, was concentrated on one of the l two houses on the other side, the | Seitenstade.
 It had been besieged all night but was desultory. Today as it's opening move the military command severed all tele- phone communication with Florids- dorf.
 The Danube bridge was closed. Troops heavily accoutered moved across to the attack. Some used pontoon bridge thrown across by army engineers. a river gunboat lay in the narrow river. ready to support infantry or join In artil- lery fire.
 The troops were deployed. talk ing available cover, riflemen, au- tomatic riflemen, machine gun. ners, bombers. Artillery was placeu anu IHe astteeA ""o launched. Casualties in the three days fighting remained inestimable. Hundreds or thousands - 1000 seemed a most conservative mini mum they marked . turning point in the republics history.
 At Linz artillery heavily bonn barded a socialist fortress in a great factory. Fighting at Steyr and other towns was sporadic.
 The government offered rewards. ranging contemptuously only up to 1000 schillings, or $lSS each, Tor socialist leaders, dead or alive.
 A run on the municipal savings bank began today. The Arbeiter (Workers) Bank was closed. Six hundred socialists were cap- tured today at Ennsleiten, near Steyr, Forty including the vice. burgomaster were ordered court martialled. It was reported that the burgomaster was commanding the socialists who still held out there.
 Fresh firing started at midday at the Karl Marx apartment house and also at the southern suburb or Bruck, where there had been pre- vious fighting. Insurgents reoc- cupied the factory building there. | Despite official announcement
 that socialists holding the great Leopoldau gas works in the em-
 battled Florisdorf area had sur
 rendered. brisk fighting continued
 around the works. There was no indication of surrender. The so- cialists have threatened to blow up the works and with it most of | the city. although their threat was | not taken too seriously. bs | The threat of blowing up the | gas works was removed at 3:3O | D, m. when the white flag was
 hoisted on the was works proper. although severe fighting continued
 in adjacent buildings held by the socialists. The death toll was run
 Preparations were made for hanging captured socialists. At | Linz the hangman already has
 been appointed. He Is a
 house painter who during the war l was the chief executioner for an
 army division.
 Fighting increased late in the | afternoon in the Simmering and | Ottakring districts. Authorities
 halted trains from the Franz Jo- seph station within the citv limits because the defenders of the Karl
 Marx house were shooting at pass
 Ing trains.
 Passengers were catching trains at outlying suburban stations.
 Among the women victims of the
 shoctIngs was the wife of the
 prominent socialist deputy, Sever.
 Realizing the strength of the
 women. Vice Chancellor Emli Fey
 broad dcast combined warning and
 appeal to them. He urged them fo
 DerHuade the men % surrender
 land prevent the needless sacrifice of many bFsadwinnera."
 Recalling the role that French
 women played iH tho revolution, the Austrian women were taklBR
 an active part in iho ilKhlliig often aiding fhe men in loading and \ q a4.. ..I4.r. HHaM4.a