It was half past ten at night. The day of the opening of the Italian law school in Siebenengasse had ended quietly, and some might have thought that the unrest had been settled once and for all. Then a warning cry rang out through the quiet night-time streets. Who was shouting it? Who knows? But it soon turned out that the Italians had gathered at the "White Cross" inn and that demonstrations were not over. And soon a crowd of German students had gathered in front of the inn, but at the same time a large contingent of police appeared on the scene.

The Italians shoot with revolvers.

When representatives of the local force had come to the scene, disarming them in vain, it seemed at first as if the Italians would have to leave without objection. But it soon came to light that the Italians gathered in the "Weißes Kreuz" inn suddenly fired a volley of insults, which was soon followed by an immediate scuffle. The police did all they could to separate the quarrelling parties, but force had to be used, and an event developed that ended in bloodshed. A bloody catastrophe occurred in the open alley. Italians shot wildly and one of the German students was left bleeding on the ground. Two bullets hit him in the arm, one in the neck. Blood flowed. Shots rang out. More Germans were seriously injured, shot in both arms. Railway official Gruber injured, shot in the lower region. Physicist, German student from Vienna, injured in the head. A German railway official also suffered a graze shot to the face.

The revolt could only be suppressed by force by the police. Soon 300 Italians had gathered, and the wounded formed their own medical detachment, as a seriously wounded man fell on the German side.

Declaration of the "Weißes Kreuz" inn.

On the German side, a tremendous rage erupted against those who committed the acts of violence and, under the protection of the Italian demonstrators, the police against their brothers, covering the Italians with weapons. And this slogan, which fortunately prevailed during the last night of terror, led to the terrible catastrophe.

Immediately the German gunfire increased. In every corner, in every alley, the most terrible threats. Italians and German students were clashing weapons. What a terrible night! A sea of blood, of revolver shots through the streets, and the terrible experience of several German students falling to the ground in the street, covered in blood. One was grazed in the face, another shot in the chest, a third shot in the arm.

Finally, the police intervened. The Italians were forced back into the alleyways at point-blank bayonets. With terrible noise, wild shouting, insults and threats on their lips. Shots rang out once more and an Italian fell, badly hit. Finally the crowd dispersed.

Still on Friday morning.

On Friday morning the streets were still full of pools of blood, the blood of the wounded was still pouring out of the pavement joints and could not be stopped.

It became more and more obvious that the Italians, mindful of the police, were shooting at them and thus taking all the blame. It is indisputable that the crowd only had to defend itself, and that such a terrible event arose from the behaviour of the Italian students.

The opportunity was taken to close the "White Cross" because of its German blood and undeniable illegality. On Friday, remodelling work again. Soon the building was in flames. It was a new "liberation attempt".

The crowd demanded this so that the name "White Cross" would disappear from the city forever.