RED TERROR IN RUSSIA.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 57, 8 March 1907, Page 4

RED TERROR IN RUSSIA.

DKAIIAIiC SCENES. ST. m'EIISJJL'Uti, Jan. 9. 1 The threat of the terrorists to murder every highly p.aced ollicial in the i empire is being carried out will relentless determination. The highly placed officers of the State and their ; lamilies are terror stricken, and their lives are in greater danger than at any period wf the last two storm yyoars General Pavlolf, the Chief .Military Public I'roseeutor, was assassinate I in front of his official residence this morning by a revolutionary disguised as a soldier, who fled, and' lived seventeen shots beiore he was arrested. General Pavlolf S name was in the list of twcnty-acven officials who were specially proscribed by the revolution ar.c» a few weeks ago. He is tlie third victim. The murder of General Pavloll was committed with an effrontery and daring that has not been cc.ipscd even bv the previous record of the terrorists. He had his residence in the C'h of Military Tribunal on the Moika C.uial, midwav between the Upera House and the Post Office. About nine o'clock he was taking his morning stroll with his dogs in the garden of the courtyard, when a young man in the uniform of the Army Service Corps approached, saluted correctly, and passed on. The General hud scarcely taken a step forward when the man turned, took deliberate aim, aud i fired six shots at h'm. General Pavloll fell, and was dead within a few minutes.

ASSASSjN'S FLIGHT. The porter at tlie gates, who had allowed the assassin to pass, rushed to General Pavloif's assistance when lie heard the shots. The murderer flrcil at him, but missed, and then lied in the direction of the Opera House, holding a revolver in each hand.

Several people attempted to seize him, but he shook them off, and when they fought him he iired at them, reloading his revolvers as he ran. He fired two shots at a policeman who clung to him. The policeman was wounded dangerously, and alao a boy who was standing near. Two policemen fired at the murderer but both missed.

A crowd of people waiting to obtain seats at the Opera House gave chase, but the terrorist had gone nearly a quarter of a mile from the seem of the crime before he was overpowered in Offizerskaya street. When he was taken to the police head-quarters he was smiling and entirely cool. He remarked to the police half jocularly:— "There is no need to search me. I

have nothing against you, and I w.l give up all 1 have. The work i was appointed to do i have done.' Three revolvers and a large stock of cartridges were found on him, as well as several packages addressed to ad- • ministrative officers.

LIVING m TERROIt. The murder of General l'avloff lias accentuated a condition of affairs in the Russian capital for which it would be hard to find a parallel. To the casual observer the social l.fe of the | city is the same as at any time during the last two years. The same atmosphere of gaiety still prevails, and behind the affectation of indifferencv there is a haunting dread of sudden and violent death felt by every man and woman in the capital who is ill any way identified with the bureaucratic party. The of several highly pliicc! officers of the Czar are not worth an hour's purchase. They know thai their death warrants have been signed by the revolutionary organisation, and they know equally well that so farreaching is the strength of the terrorists that they cannot eveu trust their oldest servants. The entire bureaucracy is living in fear. Officers of the Czar are Ix/in;.' begged by their wives to resign ami leave the country rather than remain with the ghastly shadow over them. [The change >n the methods of tic terrorists within the la-t few months >s profoundly significant. The strikes and the passionate outbursts in the streets have ceased, and their places has been taken by far more sinister ami more dangerous tactics.

RELENTLKSS METHODS. The revolutionaries arc determined to exterminate the bureaucrats one by one, to strike terror into the Government by relentless a««issinations. The extent of their knowledge is amazing. They have their spies in every L'reat house in .St. Petersburg, iii every iurrack*; aud in every >hij> in the. fleet. Their ramifications are more extended than those of the secret police, and they have accurate knowledge of all the movements of every man whom they have marked. The official world is dumfounded by {heir resource. No one can understand to-dav how the murderer gained acces3 to General Pavloffs garden without hindrance, or how he left without being touched by the guards. The circumstances of the murder of the prefect last week are still more inexplicable. General von der Laun\tz was present at the ceremony of concrating a church, to which less than 150 people of the highest rank had been invited. His murderer was among those present, and the ticket of ndinisfcion which he presented was genuine.