THE BARCELONA OUTRAGE.

Otago Witness, 14 December 1893, Page 18

THE BARCELONA OUTRAGE.

A dynamite bomb thrown by Anarchists into the middle of a crowded theatre is the lateßt outrage and disaster in Spain. A Barcelona despatch of November 8 gives the following account of the affair :—": — " Liceo Theatre, a magnificent building, the largest of the kind in Europe, was filled last night with a distinguished audience, estimated to number 4000. The opera of ' William Tell ' was being given, and while the performance was in progress two dynamite bombs were hurled from the topmost gallery into the midst of the stalls. One exploded with a detonation which ehook the building to its foundations and scattered death and destruction on every side. The second bomb fell into the lap of a lady, and was propelled thence harmlessly to the floor. A scene of confusion and terror followed. The audience rose to their feet in a panic, scarcely realising what had taken place, while the building rang with cries of pain, shrieks of fear, and exclamations of vengeance. The terror and panic increased as the audience room filled with smoke and dust from the falling plaster, with broken glass falling on the audience, adding to the number of wounded. After a moment of paralysing terror, the fears of other bombs being thrown overcame all reason, and the audience made a mad rush for the exit. Women and children received no consideration in the fierce struggle, and were trampled beneath the feet and crushed and left with other wounded and dying behind the fleeing people as they sought the open air. Only a few of the braver ones remained behind to care for those lying helpless and bleeding on the floor. When the gorged exits were cleared, a horrible sight was presented to those who mustered courage to return to the rescue of those unable to help themselves. The stalls where the bomb exploded were a mass of splintered wreckage, amid which lay a large number of dead bodies, some terribly mangled. The wreck was finally cleared away and 15 bodies were revealed — six men and nine women, all frightfully torn and disfigured. Most of them were members of one family, who, it is supposed, formod a gay theatre party in honour of the birthday of one of their number. In the stalls adjoining, groaning with pain, lay many ladies and gentlemen wounded by fragments of the bomb, splinters of wood, pieces of glass, and bits of iron. Several were so severely hurt that they cannot recover." A despatch from Madrid of the same date as the above gives the following additional details:—" The second act of the opera had just commenced when the bomb was thrown either from the fourth or fifth gallery. Fifteen persons were killed instantly, and 15 others have since died. Eighty psrson3 are in a serious condition. Several were trampled to death, and scores were injured during the panic after the explosion. The killed include a German named Roggenbercd, an Englishman named Ramm, and a Frenchman named Verdoini. Among the injured is a German named Wicke, who was the representative of a North American firm. An Italian named Saldani has been arrested on suspicion of beipg responsible for the outrage. He asserts his innocence, but his statements are contradictory. When lie was taken before the judge he gave no replies to questions put to him, and the only definite bit of information that could be got from him was that he was the leader ot the recent strike of marble workers. A search was made of his house, but nothing inerimiuating was found. It was learned later that Saldaui had confessed to the crime. His full name is Maurice SaldaDi. Dsspatches of the 15th November from Barcelona state that the culprits are already in custody. The plan was one which, if successfully carried out, would have involved wholesale destruction. The plotters were each to carry a bomb iuto the theatre, and station themselves in different parts of the gallery. Ono of the number was to turn off the gas, and at a pigiml tho bombs were to be thrown. The man who was to put out tho lights failed to find the motor, suul ono of his companions growing impatient for darkness threw a bomb. It has boon dooiilod l>y tho I'ronch authorities to jinviodnto tho I 'nris Anarchist paper for extolling this bomb outrage."