Mutiny in Russia.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 3700, 4 August 1906, Page 3

Mutiny in Russia.

EXCITEMENT IN 'THE GUt,F OF FINE AND. St. Petersburg, August 2. There is great excitement at Kronstadt owing to the rumoured approach of mutinous ships from Reval and Helsiugfors. Revolutionary emissaries are endeavouring to persuade other crews to revolt. Hasty precautions are being, taken against an outbreak. The breechblocks of the guns on some of the warships have been renoved and troops placed aboard )ther warships. SAIEORS FEY THE RED FEAG. FIVE HUNDRED CASUALTIES REPORTED. The mutinous outbreak at Sveaborg (near Helsiugfors) originated through an incident at a sailor's funeral, the deceased's comrades in the torpedo service declaring that he died from overwork and ualtreatment. Seeing that the mutinous comolaints were spreading over the garrison, the naval commandant ordered the men attending the 'uneral to be disarmed, and two hundred to be arrested. But the attempt to arrest them failed. The mutineers seized the place and captured the officers. Soon the mutineers—being joined by the.bulk of the navy service, by two companies of infantry, and by two battalions from Abo, an important town on the south-east :oast of Finland—seized the majority of the forts. In this they net with little resistance, as the artillery-men were also mutinous. When the red flag was hoisted the loyal batteries and loyal ships bombarded the mutineers. The. latter responded with artillery and rifles, but suffered under heavy fire from infantry and Cossack' oosted on the rocky mainland across the narrow channel separating the island of Sveaborg from the city of Helsingfors. The total casualties were about five hunIred. The Finnish Red Guard destroyed a section of the railway track, but the two loyal battalions at Helsingfors were reinforced by a battalion from Viborg. STONED TO DEATH IN THE SEA. CANNONADING ALE DAY ON WEDNESDAY. St. Petersburg, August 2. At the outset of the outbreak at Sveaborg the commander of the ■,apyers was wounded by a shot, ind then thrown into the sea and stoned to death. General Agieff, commander of the fortress artillery, was wounded and made prisoner. The mutineers possess forty quickfirers and much ammunition. k cannonade was kept up throughout yesterday. The watships Slava and Czarevitch arrived and joined the loyal troops in bombarding the Sveaborg fortress, which the mutineers vere still hold'ng at night. ' The mutineers' chief powder magazine blew up. Prior to the commander ordering the arrest of the men attending the funeral, the torpedo boat Skatudden torpedoed the naval repairing works. A hundred and ten of the Skatudden's mutineers and eleven civilians have been captured and disarmed. The white flag is now visible on one of the rebel forts. The latest report is that three cruisers and several hundred armed civilians have joined the mutineers.