AFFAIRS IN RUSSIA.

Gisborne Times, Volume XVII, Issue 1385, 21 February 1905, Page 2

AFFAIRS IN RUSSIA.

[ASSASSINS EIXTOLLED IN. GERMANY, AS HEROES,

Bji Electric .Telegraph'—Per Press [Association—Copyright. ST. PETERSBURG, Feb. 19. Tiro concensus of opinion is that tlie Grand Duke Sergius was the Czar’s chief reactionary counsellor. A revolutionary demonstration was held outside his St., Petersburg residence. ■The ul’tingly

Marseillaise ”• was sung ex-

BERLIN, February 19, The Berlin Liberal Press attributes .the assiassiiratioji of the Grand Duke Sergius to the St. Petersburg massacre.

The Voerwarts extols the assassins as .heroes.

FUNERAL TO TAKE PLACE ON THURSDAY. VIOLENTLY WORDED PROCLAMATIONS.

By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright Received 10.20 p.m., Feb 20. London, Feb. 20.

The Gorman and British courts go into mourning for a month for the Grand Duke Sergius. The municipality of Moscow condoled with the Czar and the Grand Duke Sergius’ widow. The funeral will take place on the 23rd. The body will remain at the Chudov monastery at Moscow pending its transfer to St. Petersburg when things are quieter. The Times’ correspondent states that the Czar and family, Prince Henry of Prussia, and others' will attend a requiem to be held at Tsarskoiselo on the 23rd.

Revolutionaries at St. Petersburg have scattered violently-worded proclamations among factories and offioes, on staircases, and in the side streets, urging the workmen to make armed reprisals against their oppressors.

Received 10.26 p.m., Feb 20. London. Fob 20. Reuter’s Agency at St. Petersburg reports that it is stated that Count Soisky will be president of the projected reconstructed Council of Ministers.

Paris, Feb 20. Le Temps says that the Czar realises that the work of reform must unhesitatingly be oontinued.

Le Temps adds that it is only equitable that the crimes of some should not be visited on others.

Tokio, Feb. 20.

The newspapers at Tokio deplore the Grand Duke Sergius’ assassination. They ascribe it to tyranny, and express the hope that it will bo fruitful of good results. They emphasise that Japan is fighting the Government, not the peo .de, of Russia.

THE LATEST NEWS. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright Received 11,40 p.m., Feb 20. St. Petersburg, Feb. 20. The factory-owners at St. Petersburg informed the Minister of Finance of their inability to comply with the workmen’s demands. They added that wide reforms of a general political character alone wonld satisfy them. Owing to the attitude of the St. Petersburg strikers the Franee-Russian dockyard and the Russo-American factory and threadworks at Nevski have been dosed for two months.

The majority of the strikers at Warsaw, except the ironworkers, have resumed, obtaining shorter hours and a 10 per cent increase in wages. Three-fourths of the workers at Lodz are still out. The strike has stopped traffic on the Mosoow-Rybensk-Windan railway. The Novoo Yremya states that Russian society is shaken to the foundations and torn with dissensions, and is partially responsible for the assassination of the Grand Duke Sergius. The Grand Duke Serguis’s sister, Marie, Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Hesse, and Princess Louise of Battenburg, are proceeding to Russia. King Edward and the Prince and Princess of Wales visited Count Benckendorff yesterday afternoon.

The Daily Telegraph states that the shock to the Czar when he learned the news was crushing. On recovering he exclaimed “ How is it possible ? Every, thing is so quiet. The strikes are ceasing ; the excitement is subsiding. Whatever do they want ?” The npws was received in Russia generally with indifference, or expressions of sympathy with tho revolutionists. The Hessian, not Russian Court, has a month’s mourning. The Czar deemed a state funeral in St. Petersburg unsafe in the existing situation.

The Daily Telegraph’s St. Petersburg correspondent says that the conviction is growing amongst the highest dignitaries ;chat it is vital in the interests of the Idynasty to end the war at the earliest possible opportunity. They acknowledge that victory is beyond the army’s reach.

i- ■ DETAILS BY MAIL.

’(Per R.M.S. Sonoma,- at 'Auckland.) Sain Franoiseo Feb 2. / Even at this date it is impossible to judge accurately of the recent happenings at St. Petersburg and in other Russian cities, Official denials are vehement, but the world has at present no means of knowing whether the accounts of the massacre of citizens by the troops have been exaggerated or not. Following the startling story of shrapnel shot shattering the windows of the Winter Palace on January 19th came the statement that on January 22nd a group of workmon and others, led by Father Gapon, were fired upon by troops, as were the people gathered in the Palace Square. The following are some of the extracts from the account of the troubles at the latter point:—

I The most harrowing scenes of the day I ocourrod around the Palace Square. When I a correspondent was there early this morning a crowd of demonstrators assembled and gave the square the appear- ! ance of a military encampment. There were many troops, also soldiers wearing hoods to protect them against the cold. The field kitchens steamed merrilv ; many soldiers wrestled or joked, but a whole row of ambulances drawn up near the palace was a grim reminder of work to be done.

j ' Many strikers brought women and I children with them, and urged the soldiers I that they could not fire bn these. Every I time the troops moved the crowd hissed I them. Strikers also gathered at the I Graud Morskaia and one avenue leading Ito Moiba Canal, The crowd at the latter I point swellod to .groat proportions, blockI ing tho bridge. I Tho order was given at 1.30 p.m. to cloar them oil. The colonel commanding the Horse Guards uttored a sharp com- ! mand, and the troops drew swords and advanced at a quick trot, then broke into a gallop, heading for Makia, where they were lost in a cloud of snow. The shrieks from the wounded resounded. Then came deadly silence, broken only by the galloping of ambulance horses.

The next 20 minutes passed withoui

incident. Nothing indicated the approach of the horrible butchery that was to stain the Admiralty garden with human blood. The crowd there persisted in refusing to move on, clamouring for the Emperor. They continually hurled abuse at the troops, but attempted no violence. Two companies of Preobra Jensky Guards, of

which Emperor Nicholas was formerly oolonel, which bad been standing at ease in front of the palace, formed and marched at the double quick towards the fatal corner.

Events followed with awful swiftness. The commanding officers shouted “ Disperse.” . Many in the crowd turned to flee, but it was too,late. The bugle sounded, and the men in tho front rank sank to their knees, and both companies fired three volleys,the

first two with blank cartridges,and the last with ball. A hundred corpses strewed the side walk. Many women were pierced through

the back as they were trying to escape.

A press correspondent (standing boh, “few tho troops) saw the manglod corpse'.' persons of ail ages and both sexos st<v; on the groor.d. Groat splashes and stai ® of blood strewed the sriow. Only of tho vic!ims remained alive, for the volley was fired at n'Q£ more paces, so tho ambuionco^^^^ 6 ' 0 There was a dramatic Nuioa Ga'c, where Father GnponGljipjp&iss, aloft the ikon, wearing golden vflf§|2fcreaod Hanked hy clergymen carpMp@jTd of ligious banners, »ir’P”>'-chod at th< "loops a -procession nf 8000 workiu e ny- 'lf wore drawn up across the entrancUrlpßkPlWl Soveriil times tbo officors caii9“SH’cm" : the procession to stop, hut FatberymffKm’w did not falter. Then tho order was given to firo first with blank cartridges. Two volleys rang out, but tho lino did not waver.

Then, with seeming r6loctancy, the officers gave the command to load with ball,.i-thfl the next volley was followed by tho'sbrisks aod cries of tbo wounded.

As tho Coeßacks followed up the volloy i, with a ehurgo che workmeu fled before them. leaving about 100 dead and wounded.

The soldiers deliberately spared Father . Gapon.

With darkness it was feared tho mobs might burn and pillage, but the night was quiet. For a few days all tho world believed TV that a revolution bad arisen in Russia,and ' tho disturbance rapidly spread to other cities.

A bloody rict in Poland followed, and . St. Petersburg became an armed camp. Tho spirit of the peoplo appears, however, to have been brokon by the firm stand of the Government, U Astjnisbing reports aro now bciDg sent out from official sources, aod autocratic Russia would have it seem that the spirit of revolt has been entirely crushed and tbs reverence of the people for the Czar has *- returned. Sometimes promises are given as to reforms, bat for tbo mast part tbs' Czar and his supporters rely upon armed force to coerce the peoplo of Russia into '|£ support of autocracy. Tho following are cablegrams regarding the situation, beginning with the most recent : •’ **

London, January 21.—A correspondent at Warsaw of the Daily. Mail telegraphs as follows : The street and railway service here has been partly resumed, vrith soldiers riding beforo and bohind. Most of L the cars and a few cabs aro running in tho street. Fighting continues, and the mob . is growing in a dangetocs fashion. Thera have been frequent collisions between the,.v people and the soldiers. Revolutionists'"" . attacked the troops with revolvers and. 1 knives. The principal disturbances to-day occurred in Noviswait-stroet, a leading business thoroughfare, and at 11 o’olook . on Sunday night a regiment of infantry marched to this thoroughfare from Smolna street, when somebody fired on them, whereupon tho troops wore ordered to form 1« square and fire from four sides. Any criticism of the troops must be qualified . by Che fact that they aro fighting under trying conditions, being constantly . ex- > posed to snipers, and occasionally stabbed by passers by. Generally the troops are well behaved, but sometimes thero aro excesses by individual soldiers who have become intoxicated. One such soldier killed two children before his comrades were able to disarm him. There have been sad cases of wholly innocent people being shot accidentally as they turned Y street corners. Thero arc rumours that) hundreds have been killed in fighting in suburban towns, but 1 have personally investigated every such report, and learned . thero has been comparatively a small death roll. Fighting was renewed this morning, the people faring from houses on the troops. I cannot find a single shop unharmed. All have been plundered and sj most of them burnt. A mob of desperate and huugrv women tried to thrust the soldiers’ bayonets aside to get into a bakery. Tbo guard proved good natured and avoided hurting tho women. lam :*». accustomed to sights of misery, but tho haggard, starving wretchedness of these women will haunt me to my dying day. The troops and peoplo had a pitched Mlbattle here before military rule was established Even now the slightest weakening of the military would result in immediate re starting violence. Tho situation,on the whole, has not improved. Rioters avoid -f> open conflict, bat seizo every oppor- Y... tunily to wreak sly vengeance on* the troops. Many peoplo are afraid to vehJfY ture into the streets, but young women or the lower and middle classes court danger in tho worst disturbance, merely for the sake of exoitement.

Warsaw, January- 30.,—'A' proclamation has been issued 'declaring that (tho condition o£ tho city requires ad- \ dition&i protective measures. With- ir* out differentiating between, those who fire forced out against their ; Will,, and those who are precipitating strikes. The men, it is added, * must return to work unconditional- J* ly. fThe number of killed or wound-* ' i ed during the night here is estimated at ISO.. Out of door life in the city is at a complete standstill. r AIX re-" -■:> stauranfe, cafes,, and shops are - ciosed. • . --A. St. Petersburg, 'January 30.—Privatc advices from Warsaw says that tho authorities there have already taken over charge 0f... the waterworks, electric light, and gas plants, '4 aaa serious trouble ia anticipated.. At ICieff several big machine shops and engineering works are idle owinto the strike.. The bakeries are par- j tially closed ; as a result the price of bread has risen. The military are > patrolling the streets. At Mitau Ji ' there have been some • disorders and police superintendent was wbnn-