French Monastery Besieged

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume IV, Issue 1087, 7 September 1904, Page 3

French Monastery Besieged

A HBMARKABLE BCOEO OCCUHCd aV NailtCS daring the expulsion of tho Tretuontro monks from thoir monastery, Tho town is to a vory large cxtODt a Roman Catholic one, and when it was known ihnt the monks were to bo expelled feeling run high, for several days paßt carpenters and locksmiths had boon busy strengthening the doors and looks of the monastery, which is in tho St, Donatien quarter of'the town. About a hundred young men, parluans of tho monks, took up their rosidenco in iho monastery and barricadod themselves inside, Atsnnriso an imposing forco of police, gendarmeß and soldiers surrounded the building. Thou the official liquidator, accompanied by the police magistrate, appeared at the main ontranco and knocked at tho gato, aftor which, 89 a matter of form, tho judgment ,vas read out. The monks wero commanded to opon the doors,,but they were in thoir chapel at matins, and tho young mon within niiulo no response, Having boon warned of the approach of tho military they were looking ou from tho upper windows, Five minutes later a couplo of sappers began dealing tremendous blows on the heavy door, and found aftor half an hour's exhaustive labour that there weie strong barricades within, In another twenty minntes tho inner barricade was sufficiently battered down to leave a breach. Tho police megistrato ordorod the soldiers to stand aside, and the local fire brigade, which had t ikon tip thoir position a few yards off, to pour a stream of water through tho opening. The defenders found it impos-ilb to tr-sist 1 tho powerful jet; tho pi inks which tho defenders wore piling up behind the breach were hastily dropped and tho monks and their assistants jjot out of tho hue of lire ns I'iiaUs thoy could. Tho ittiic'.iing parly then advanced to Ihoinnct door, behind which the defenders wore gathered, and there n similar sceno was enacted, Tho hose was played upon tho little band unmercifully, until at length, after two hours' siege, the liquidator entered the Hooded prcmisi s, Tho superior, surrounded by his monks, received the liquidator and the police magistrate in tho roleetory, '■ Gentlemen," said the former ollioial, " I am sorry to mako such an unceremonious entrance, but you are wrong in resisting tho law, and you sco it is of no avail," With dignified mien, the superior, who was drenchod to tho skin, said, " Wo protest as. free citizens against this •"•

vasion and confiscation of our pj- \ party. Wo liaio resisted as a mal.or ' of form, mid only intended to give way to force," Then dm vet and shivering little band filed out into the street, wbeio a crowd of SOOO or 4000 people ohoercd tho monks as they moved off to tho adjoining church singing hynirw.