THE BABCELONA OUTRAGE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2598, 26 December 1893, Page 3

THE BABCELONA OUTRAGE.

A dynamite bomb thrown by Anarchists into the middle of a crowded theatre is the latest outrage and disaster in Spain. A Barcelona despatch of November Bth 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 andience, estimated to number 4000. The opera of William Tell was being given, and while the performance waß in progress two dynamite bombs were hurled from the topmost gallery into the midst of the stalls. One exploded with a detonartion 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 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 fear 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 wer3 trampled beneath the feet and 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 lying helplesß 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, 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 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 persona were killed instantly, and 15 others have since died. Eighty persons 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 Roggenberod, an Englishman named Ramm, and a Frenchman named Verdomi. 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 being responsible for the outrage. He asserts his innocence, but his statements are contradictory. When he 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 of the jreoent strike of marble workers. A search was made of his house, but nothing inoriminating was found. It was learned later that Saldani had confessed to the crime. His full name is Maurice Saldani. Despatches of the 15th November from Barcelona state that the culprits are already in custody. The plan was one which, if successfully carried ou.t, wp,uld have involved wholesale, destrviGtioh. The plotters were e,acfy to carry a bomb into the theatre, and station themselves in different parts of the gallery. One of the number wag to turn off the' gas, and at a signal the bombs were to. he "thrown. The man who was to put out the lightß failed to find the meter, and one of his companions, growing impatient for darkness, threw a bomb. It haß been decided by the French authorities to prosecute the Paris Anarchist paper for extolling thiß bomb outrage."