THE ST. PETERSBURG MASSACRE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 44, 21 February 1905, Page 5

THE ST. PETERSBURG MASSACRE.

TWO THOUSAND tctt.t.cti

FIVE THOUSAND WGTTNDED.

MAIX DETAILS OP THE

COIfFUCT,

(From Our Special Correspondent)

SAN - FRANCISCO, February 2

Details of the massacre of the strikers by the troops in St. Petersburg on Sun : day afternoon. January . 22. disclose many horrifying circumstances. After all organised attempts made by the strikers to reach the Czar at the WinterPaiace. and to present their grievances to him had failed, a, large body of Cossacks was turned loose against 50.000 people standing in the streets, with orders to kill without mercy. The murderous command was obeyed, and a fearful carnage followed. Hundreds were eat down by the sabres of the troops, those who fled were shot with revolvers and carbines.

Near the Pontiloff works the men who began the revolt assembled in the early morning around their leader, Father Ga pon. No attempt was made by the authorities to prevent the carrying out of their announced programme of marching to the city.

IMMENSE CROWD ARMED WITH RUDE WEAPONS.

A procession waa formed at ten o'clock in the morning. Father Gapon led it. accompanied by a volunteer guard of 500 men. About 12.000 strikers followed. Many of Father Gapon : s guard had - revolvers. The general crowd carried, ice picks and other rude ■weapons, but the majority was unarmed. The march began quietly, first' the 500 men keeping in military formation, the masses following without attempt at order. The troops wore drawn up to receive them in plain sight as they moved -lowly forward over the intervening mile. As the head of the procession approached, they laced 1000 levelled rifles, the Sffrgeants standing at intervals along the broad line directing the aim of the soldiers. When within easy speaking distance. Father Gapon stopped the procession by order of the Colonel. Holding in one hand an Ikon and in the other the petition, the priest said in a loud voice: ""We arc going to present a petition to the Emperor. - ' The Colonel replied: '"The road is barred."

TROOPS BEGIN THE SLAUGHTER.

Unheeding the almost certain death in the levelled rifles, before him, the brave priest gave the order to march on. Instantly there was an order to tire, but it was a blank volley, and the whole column pressed on as though there was no obstacle in the path. Quickly came a second order to fire, and this time a hail of lead poured into the people's ranks. In that instant they changed from petitioners to insurrectionists. With a shout of rage, the insurrectionists rushed forward to almost certain death. They tried to use their feeble weapons. Many revolver shots fell among the troops. In reply came a volley which swept down the majority of Father Ga.pon"s guard. Even then the crowd would not abandon the hopeless a.ttark. More volleys were mercilessly poured into them and the road became shambles. The dead lav in heap** Xlie crowd began to break."but many women from the rear rushed torward with heartbreaking cries, seeking their own among- the dead. The fighting here came to an end, and a few minutes later the regiment which did the execution was withdrawn and another was rrubstituted. The police collected the dead, and the wounded were taken to an improvised hospital at the PoutilofF Iron Works.

Another massacre' took place a little later at the Muscovski Levau crossing. where the road from Kelpinow leads to St. Petersburg. Here there was a sort of battle between the vast crowd and the troops. Tho desperate- revolteTs, even with their rude weapons, succeeded in coming to dose quarters, and inflicted some damage upon the troops. It was at terrible cost, however, for no less than 1000 were killed and l-'.OO wounded. According to police reports, some 7000 survivors, in desperation, turned toward T=arskoe-s>elo, where ths Czar had taken refuge. They declajed it was thsir purpose tn march to the Palace and see the Kmperor.

SOME TROOPS REFUSE TO FIRE.

There were serious conflicts at three or four more points before two o'clock. In one ease only, so far as known, did the hope of the revolutionists that the troops would refuse to fire upon them prove well founded. This 'was when a crowd of many thousands advanced to Nicholas bridge. They stopped by two regiment? of cavalry and infantry. "Don't fire; don't .fire on workingmen. Throw down yen- guns."' cried the crowd. About 200 soldiers threw their guns to the ground. Their officers boat the mutineers unmercifully, with the result that the regiment made a bayonet charge, killing and wounding manr. Wherever Cossacks were CTigagf.d the work was of the bloodiest description. They fired a volley into the general crowd at the Admiralty Park, three hundred yards from the Winter Palace, killing many. Twentysix children were among the dead at this point. THE riXAL CHARGE. So the -work of terror went on until 4 O'clock, -when came the crowning infamy. It was a deed which history will record as Russia's deepest disgrace. All attempt;; to resist or defy the authorities had failed.

St. Petersburg was counting- its dead and summing up the events of the bloodiest (13, yin its liistorv.

The streeta in the centre of the city were liiied with ordinary citizens, women, and children, drawn solely by curiosity. Most of the slaughter had taken place at points a considerable distance from the palace and the main avenue of the city. Tfie crowd was naturally greatest at the palace end of this great thoroughfare, which is one of the widest avenues of Europe.

WHOLESALE MURDER. Suddenly without warning another order to commit wholesale murder was given to the troops surrounding tne pala-ce. They were ordered to ch'anre upon the dense crowds at the ends of all avesues opening on the great semicircle in the froat of the palace. Cossacks and the Dowagei Empress' cavalry gnards sprang upon the people with drawn swords." It was like the spreadins: out of a great fan of steel.

The populace was so elosdy packed that they eouid not flee with any speed, and quickly the murderous horsemen were among tiicn\. slashing right and left, cutting, stabbing- and treading down all aKke, without mercy to men", ■women or children. On and on the Cossacks pursued their victims in a- carnival oi killing.

Before a half block -was passed tiuax swarda "were dripping blood iwad tie

pavements were crimson. As the circle enlarged finally the became somewhat separated and the rage of the populace found some chance of revenge. They fell upon every one wearing a uniform. Darkness was now falling; and harsher orders were given to the. troops. The Cossacks fired five volleys down the avenue from in front of the Kazan. Cathedral. The killed *ad injured were dragged into aide streets by their friends. Many to escape the galloping chargers jumped from the embankment of the canal and thence fled along the ice. Cossacks shot them as they ran. MOST HARROWING SCENES.

The most harrowing scenes of the day occurred around the Palace square. Hare crowds began, to assemble from, day-; break.

"BETTER DIE AND END ALL." "We have come to present our homage and grievances to the Emperor." "Let the Emperor come put and hear us; we do not wish to do harm." ''Long life to Nicholas 11. If he only listens to oax grievunces we are sure he will be just and merciful." "We cannot longer endnre our Better die at once and end all." Such were the cries repeatedly nea-rd from many, strikers.

CAVALRY BIDE DOWN" THE MOB.

At 1.30 p.m. orders came to clear off the crowds, and at a gallop a troop of cavalry rode into a dense mas 3of strikers, shrieks of tie injured following their passage through the mob. StilJ the strikers refused to disperse, and in twenty minutes the infantry received their orders to fire.

CORPSES COVER THE SIDEWALK.

A bugle sounded sad the men in the front rank 3 sank to their knees and both companies fired three volleys, the first two -with blank cartridges and the last with bail A hundred corpses strewed the sidewalk. Many women were pierced through the back as they were tryiag to escape. A press correspondent (standing behind the troops) saw mangled corpses of persons of all ages and both sexes strewn on the ground. One boy of 13 had bis skuli pierced ami rent by bullets.

Great splashes and streams of blood stained the snow. Only a few of the victims remained alive, for the fatal volley was fired at a distance of not more than twenty paces, and so the ambulances had litUe work to do. The police recruited a large number of droshkies (aleighs) to *" carry off. the dead.

Heartrending scenes were ■witnessed as wives, husbands and mothers came up to claim their dea.r ones and were carried off with them in the aleigKs. Meanwhile the crowd had drifted up the Xevsky Prospect, yelling, K l£urderers! Murderers'."' and the square resumed its calm aspect, the troops returning to their stations.

It was uott the turn for the crowd stationed at Morskaia entrance to the square, where the horse guards repeated the exploit with which they had cleared t,he iloika and drove the people pell me!l down the thoroughfare.

The storm gradually died away, and the looting which was expected to occur at night; did not eventuate.