RIOTS IN PARIS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume LIX, Issue 9933, 1 August 1908, Page 5

RIOTS IN PARIS.

SERIOUS CONFLICTS WITH

TROOPS

Press Association—Electric Telegraph-Copyright, (Received This Morning, at 12.20 a.m.) PARIS, Last Night.

Ow.ing to allegations tlmfc tlio municipalaufchurities had troatecl strikers in the sand-pits at Draveil and Vip;neuux harshly, workmen employed in the building and allied trades in Paris scruck for a day, ami orgauised a monster demonstration, which procooded to Visrnennx

The chief organiser, a man named GrofT'uelhes, a loading oilioial of the General Confederation of Ltiboiu , , had issued ii manifesto frankly describiug the demonstration as a preparatory skirmish iv the coming war between the workor and fclie pantsite—luoaiiiug tlin ciipitalisfc. Anticipating an Anarchial oufcbroak, two'cavalry divisions wore sent to assist the gendarmerie aud polico in tJie Vigneaux district. Four thousand Parisian strikers trudged thither, aud after listening to speeches a largo group, preceded by a red fiag, started towards Meluu, twonty-seven miles south-east of Paris, and came iv contact with a detauhnieut of cavalry.

The latter wero greeted with cries of "Down with the Army!" stones wore thrown, and sticks brandished to frightou the soldiers' horses. After a fruitless purloy, and following ou several pistol shots from tho rioters, the soldiers struck fclioui with tho flats of their sabres., aud tho crowd dispersed. Simultaneously, another body prevented, by using a bameado, dragoons and cuirassiers from pursuing tho mob, aud tho troops, dismounting, fought their way up a railway embankment after a haud-to-haurl oucouutor. Here the rioters had improvised a, barricade of trucks

Tho most sorious conflict, occurred later iv tho main street of Yilleueuve-Saint-Georges, a village about vino miles south-east of Paris, aud three or four from Draveil.

Here a barricade consisting of timber aud chains had been orectod across the street.

Shots were iired from the barricade aud from the windows and roofs of adjacent houses. Besides those, showers of stones aud bottles fell upou tho soldiers.

The Prefect of the Department telegraphed for reiuforcemouts, declaring that tho strikers were masters of tho situation.

After making vain appeals to the rioters aud firing four times iv the air, the troops iired a volley, won tiding several of the rioters, and killiug two outright, while three succumbed later.

About twenty wero injured during sabre charges by tho mounted troops. A bullet grazed a General's foot aud another hit a Colonel in the shoulder.

Stones aud shots caused injuries to twenty soldiers.

The' Premier, M. Clemeuceau, announces that a judicial inquiry will be held concerning the conduct of those guilty of rebellion against the forces of the State aud tho instigators of the trouble.