Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 20, Number 100, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 August 1899 — REDS RIOT IN PARIS. [ARTICLE]

REDS RIOT IN PARIS.

SUNDAY AFFRAY RECALLS DAYS OF THE COMMUNE. Anarchists Attack Anti-Semites and Then Fight with the Police—Many Are Wounded—Red Flag la Flaunted and Churches Are : acked. Serious riots occurred in Paris Sunday afternoon. The trouble originated in an attack made by anarchists on antiSemites. A thousand anarchists under Sebastian Faure assembled in the Place de la Republique and resisted the police who attempted to disperse them. The latter fought bravely, but were finally overpowered. A police commissary and an inspector attempted to arrest some rioters who were carrying a red flag, but they were trampled upon and beaten with bludgeons. A number of shots were fired by the mob. The inspector was mortally injured by the clubs, and the commissary was hit by a bullet, receiving a serious wound. Four other policemen were stabbed. Notwithstanding their defeat, the police made number of arrests, among their prisoners being Faure. Subsequent to the rioting in the Place de la Republiqne the mob marched to the Rue Sfc Maur, where they stormed the churches of St. Maur and St. Joseph. They entered the buildings and while some of them tore down the altars and pulpits, others seized'the sacred pictures, holy vessels, and the monstrances containing consecrated wafers, all of which were thrown into the street. The altars and pulpits furnished wood for a bonfire, and all the seized church property was burned. A similar disgraceful scene was enacted at St. Nicholas’ Church. The mob tried to burn the churches, but in this dastardly attempt they failed. While the rioters were storming St. Nicholas’ Church they were charged by police and cavalry, but they succeeded in carrying out their plan despite the efforts to disperse them.

On Saturday night a number of revolutionary socialists, angered by Guerin’s continued defiance of the Government, held a meeting and resolved to make a demonstration against the anti-Semites Sunday. Copies of the resolution were circulated by the revolutionary organ, the Journal du Peuple, the populace being called upon to move against the priests and Jesuits. It was a fine afternoon, and the demonstration attracted thousands of Sunday idlers. Soon the crowds were carried away by the harangues of the leaders, and many and frequent were the cries of “Down with Rochefort, Drumont and Guerin.” It was at this point that the police interfered, whereupon the crowd turned upon them. During the fighting that has occurred fifty police were wounded. There were fifty arrests. What promised at first to be only an ordinary street demonstration developed Into a disturbance that verged on revolution. The sacking of St. Joseph's Church was a scene recalling the days of the commune. Not a portable, inflammable or breakable article was left in the sacred building by the mob, and the destruction of the structure itself at one time seemed imminent. Oil was poured over the choir loft and the woodwork was ablaze when help came and the flames were extinguished. ’ The police, aided by the military, had all they could do to prevent even more serious trouble. Pitched battles in the streets were waged during the afternoon and late into the night. Several times it seemed that the officers were on the point of utter rout. Hundreds of persons were wounded and suspects by the score were placed under arrest.

The prefecture of police at 4 a. m. Monday gave out the following statistics of Sunday’s riots: “Three hundred and eighty persons were injured. Three hundred and sixty were taken' to the hospitals. Fifty-nine police agents wer* wounded besides Commissaries Goutier and Dolsmine. One hundred and fifty persons were arrested, of whom eighty were detained in custory. The Dreyfus court martial reconvened in Rennes Monday morning at the usual hour. Attorney Labor! was not presents His doctors considered that it would be inadvisable for him to take part in the day’s proceedings, in view of the danger of a relapse. The first witness was CoL Fabre, who deposed that he had discovered a similarity between the handwritings of the accused and that of the bordereau. He reiterated his conviction of the guilt of Dreyfus, saying: “I am sure that he wrote the bordereau.” • /