The Recent Anarchist Outrage in Spain

Feilding Star, Volume XV, Issue 191, 14 December 1893, Page 2

The Recent Anarchist Outrage in Spain

BOMBS EXPLODED IN A THEATRE MEN AND WOMEN TRAMPLED TO DEATH The subjoined details of this dastardly outrage have come to hand • The Liceo Theatre, in Barcelona, a magnificent building, the largest of the kind in Europe, was filled with a distinguished audience, estimated to. number 4000. The opera of "jWilliam Tell " was being given. While the performance waff in progress;' two dynamite bombs were hurled from % the topmost gallery into the midst of the stalls. One exploded with a detonation which shook the building to its foundations and scattered death and destruction on every side. The second bomb fell into the lap of a lady and rolled thence harmlessly to the floor. A scene of confusion and terror followed. The audience arose to their teet m panic, scarcely realising what had happened, while the building rang with cries of pain, shrieks of fear, and exclamations of vengeance. The terror and panic increased a»the audiences room filled with smoke and dust from falling plaster, with broken glass falling on the audience, adding to the number of the wounded. After a moment of paralysing terror, the fears of other bombs being thrown overcome all reason, and the audience made a mad .rush: for the exits. Women and children received no consideration ffftne fierce struggle, and were trampled beneath feetand crushed, and left with the 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 lyiue helpless and bleeding on the floor. Whan the gorged exits were cleared a horrible sight was presented to those who mustered enough courage to return to the rescue of those traable to help themselves. The stalls where the bomb exploded were a mass of splinlered -wreckage, amid which lay a ' large number.of dead bodies, some mingled beyond recognition. When the wreckage was finally cleared away fifteen bodies were revealed— six men and nine women— all frightfully torn and disfigured. The most of them were members of one family, who, it is supposed, formed a gay theatre party in honor of the birthday of one of their number. In the stalls adjoining, groaning with pain, lay many ladies and gentlemen, wounded by the fragments of the bomb, splinters of wood, pieces of glass, and bits of iron. Several were so severely hurt that they cannot rei cover. Attention was next turned to the exits and stairways, where a terrible crush following the explosion occurred. Here three dead bodies and a large number of seriously wounded were picked up. . Physicians were hastily summoned to care for the wounded, while the bodies of the dead were tenderly raised and removed from the building. Among the dead was an American named Figueras, his wif« was wounded. Great crowds surrounded the Theatre all night. The utmost consternation prevails over the evident inability of the Government to cope with the situation. ; Tbe bomb-throwers escaped, but the police are making a general round-up of the anarchists in the hope of/getting some clue to the dastard who threw the bomb. The missile which did not explode is an exact counterpart of those used by Pallas, tbe anarchist who tried to assassinate General Martinez Oampos. 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 fifteen others have since diefL Eighty persons are in a serious condition, several were trampled to death, and scores were injured during the panic after the explosion. The interior of the opera bo\ise was badly wrecked. \ The killed include a German named Rogqenbrod, an Englishman named Bamm, and a Frenchman named Verdon. Among the injured is a German named Wicke, who was the representative of a North American firm. An Italian, Saldini, has been arrested on suspicionof being responsible for the outrage. He asserts his innocence, but his statements are contradictory. When he was taken before the jndge he gave no replies to questions put to him, aud the only definite bit of information that could be got from him was that be was the leader of tbe recent strike of marble workers. A search was madeofhiß house, but nothing of a criminating nature was found. At a council of the Ministry special powers were granted the police to pursue all persons connected. with last night's crime. The new powers conferred are equivalent to a suspension ' of the writ of habeas corpus. The authorities of Barcelona were censured for permitting the perpetration of frequent outrages by anarchists and other lawless persons, and several well-known Spanish anarchists have been arrested on suspicion that they have knowledge of the crime. Marieda Merini, sister of the prima donna of the opera, is reported to have been killed by the explosion. « Saldini has since confessed. Hjjs . full name is Maurice Saldini. i '*r