Russia’s Revolusion.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume VI, Issue 10, 26 January 1905, Page 1

Russia’s Revolusion.

THOUSANDS KILLED AND WOUNDED. A BRUTAL AUTOCRACY. St. Petersburg, January 23. It was a beautiful day, and small groups of all classes of persons went early towards the Palace. Few anticipated anything beyond the use of the knout. There were a few scuffles in the dispersal of unarmed crowds. Yet events, with bewildering rapidity, plunged the city within two hours into a state of open revolution. Mounted men, guarding the approaches to the Square, held the gradually assembling thousands in check, thus preventing access. The real trouble began at the bridges, the military using the knout, the flat of their sabres and blank cartridges, struggling to keep back thousands of unarmed strikers. The Putiloff men on their knees implored permission to proceed, urging that they had no hostile intent, but resolved that blank cartridges would not deter them from fulfilling a citizen’s duty. The soldiers were thereupon ordered to load with ball, and fired, exciting the fury of the mob. The. dead and dying were removed in ambulances, sledge?, and other vehicles, which were previously held in readiness. The snow on the pavements was covered with blood, heightening the indignation of the people. Ten thousand Putiloff strikers then gathered at the union beadquarter j. Revolutionary pamphlets were thrown from the windows, ind the leaders made incendiary speeches. They protested that armed force was characteristic of the Czar’s attitude towards bis people. These remarks were received with cheers and shouts of—- “ Down with Monarchy 1” Thousands of workers and vassals from Ostroy marehed to Nicholas’ Bridge, towards the Square and successfully appealed to the infantry regiment stationed there, but the Uhlans and Cossacks used their swords. A military band played during the conflict. Workmen from the Viborg side were admitted in twos and threes, not in crowds. Where this was disregarded at the various bridges, the Cossacks used heavy whips. The Imperial Bank, the factories and the chief points of the capital were guarded from Saturday night 1 by detachments of infantry and cavalry, each detachment consisting of 150 men. There were no signs of artillery. The cavalry at the Narva gates leading to the Putiloff works prej vented everybody from entering the city. When the procession headed by Fathers Gapon and Sergius approached, bearing cross and ikon with a portrait of the Czar, the military were quick in coming into conflict. They volleyed, killing and wounding many. A hail of bullets killed Father Sergius, and shattered the portrait of the Czar. A third priest, not Father Gapon, was arrested. The district here was like a shambles. The workmen, anticipating attack, threw themselves flat, the soldiers firing on them as they lay on the ground. The police and soldiers at Neva bridge used their bayonets to repel the strikers. As the latter still advanced, a bugle sounded and two volleys were fired. There were many fatalities. Imprecations and curses were hurled at the officers by the orderly crowd of workmen. The crowds on the pavements included many women and children. A crowd of strikers were ridden! down on the Schlusselburg road. The rioters in trying to force a passage across Troneki, the chief bridge, were charged and- sabred. A subsequent rush of ten thousand strikers there received three volleys and were thereafter charged. Momentarily they dispersed elsewhere. Huge gatherings resolved to flock to the Palace or perish. The strikers at Alexander Gardens fruitlessly tried to force the gate and enter the Square, which crowds from other directions entered. Two volleys were fired into the crowd, subsequent volleys killing and wounding among others twenty six children who were sliding on the ice in the gardens. After the square had been cleared the troops on the Nevesky side fired a volley among the 'fugitives. The victims included many women and children. A moderate estimate gives a total of 2000 out of 5000 killed and wounded. The mob at Nevesky being enraged tore up and hurled stones, injuring several officers and wresting their swords and epaulettes. Windows were smashed, and the mob at Moscow gate seized an oil store.

Despite repeated volleys the crowds at Vassili were not dispersed. The mob are trying to barricade Nevesky. Blue jackets have relieved some of the infantry patrols. The trains from Warsaw are working with difficulty. It was reported at midnight that 40,000 armed strikers from Kolpino are marching upon St. Petersburg.

The Cossacks in the vicinity of the Palace charged tbs lightseer# and strikers indiscriminately. Onlookers at sight of the tragedy and the women’s grief raised frantic shouts, cheering wildly for liberty, and uncovering as ' the cortege of dying passed. Thirty vehicles bore the wounded at one stage. M. Muravieff, Minister of Justice, on Saturday sent for and conferred privately, with Father Gapon. The latter afterwards informed the strikers that he despaired of the Government granting redress. The Czar was good, and they must all go to the Palace with their wives and children. He did not believe that the soldiers wonld attack their countrymen. Rewrote to the Czar at the eleventh hour :— “ I fear your Ministers have not told you the full truth. Your whole people ure trusting yoWpnd are assembling in the Square to inform you of their needs. If vacillating you will not appear. We trust in you to appear because in- ! nocent blood will flow between you and your people. I and my brave working men comrades guarantee (be inviolability of your person.” Father Gapon wrote to the workers on Sunday night that there was no Czar between him and the nation. It was high time ' to begin without him and carry on jthe struggle for national freedom. I He added : “You have my blessing in that fight. I will be among you to-morrow.” The deputation on Saturday night urged that the troops should not be summoned, and that the demonstration should be a peaceful one. M. de Witte gave a sympathetic and courteous reception, and replied that he had no hand in administration, his role being confined to repeating the ukase. He was not concerned with the events that were proceeding. That was Prince Mirsky’s province. He telephoned to Prince Mirsky to receive a deputation, but the Prince declined till noon on Sunday, which was regarded as unsatisfactory. M. de Witte asked whether it was likely he wonld be more successful if he appealed to the Czar. No consecutive record of to-day’s events is obtainable. At St. Petersburg there are many unconfirmed reports of an alarmist nature respecting the mob seizing the Putiloff ordnance factory and arming themselves with rifles, and also with regard to the seizure of a dynamite factory, and the looting of houses and shops. Russian officials dealer# that there will be as much shooting as necessary, though th# number of killed Is greatly exaggerated. The #entre of St Petersburg is quiet to-day, but the ferment continues in the suburbs. The police have warned housholders that the rioters have decided to divide into bands and sack the city. The vast Admiralty works at Sevastopol are ablaze. January 24. When Father Gapon with 15,000 pet sons left the Neva gate singing: “ God save Thy People, give tha Victory to the Orthodox," the Czar’s command to fire was given to the troops and was immediately followed by a volley. Father Gapon was thrown to the ground, and crawled to a neighbouring house, and Father Sergius was wounded. The committee of workers have discussed a proposal to appeal to the Embassies for foreign intervention on the people’s behalf. Prince Mirski intends to make the workmen close their union. Thousands of explosives were stolen from the Putiloff works. The police have closed all the gunsmiths’ premises, and military jpatrols are in every quarter. One thousand employees at the Brpmley ironworks at Moscow have struck, out of sympathy with the men of St. Petersburg, and persuaded a majority of other trades to join, also the employees of the Sytin printing works, Moscow. A general strike follows, on the lines of the St Petersburg movement. The prefectures have issued a proclamation that, in view of the strike at seme of the factories, and i in order to avert street disturbances similar to those at St. Petersburg, the public are warned to avoid assemblages and processions, otherwise the same measures will be taken. London, January 23. A Reuter message states that men, women and children fell at each volley fired across the Square, and were quickly removed in ambulances and carts, students and every class of society ming ing in Nevesky in the evening exasperated at the soldiers’ ruthless attack on an unarmed crowd. The soldiers bivouacked in the Square, where camp kitchens were installed. The working men’s forces are now separated. At Vassili the mob erected two barricades, but the soldiers destroyed them and killed thirty persons. Vassili is plunged in darkness. Shops were pillaged and a dynamite factory was seized. The workmen are arming and resume the struggle to-day. The strikers started towards the Tarskoe Selo, but were met by four

companies of infantry and two squadrons of cavalry, and a battery <>f artillery. In a bloody confliet many were shot in crossing lhe Neva. The Daily Mail says that the right of laying grievances before the sovereign has been possessed from time immemorial. Every Russian worker, instead of the Ozar, had to deal with the Grand Duke Vladimir, whose cruelty and ' violence are notorious. The Ozar, who is at Tsarkoe Selo, did not venture to face the people. The “ Daily Telegraph" states that the Czar suspected the eSec--1 tiveness of the civil law, and committed the maintttfanoe of order to the Grand Duke Vladimir. The people are now shouting, “ Red is Vladimir’s day ; ours in coming.” French advices from St Petersburg state that the strikers number 141,000. ( The stationing of the corps was i effected partly over night, and was so rapidly carried out that the workl ers were astonished at meeting i them. There is a general disappoint- ' raent and indignation in Paris. There is great excitement among the Russian Poles in Amert ica. Ths American newspapers char--1 acterise the Ozar as a pitiful weak- * ling. The belief in Berlin that Russia is on the eve of a great upheaval is growing. i The British Press is horrified! at e the official crime. [ Reuter’s Agency reports that 3 fighting has been resumed in the i Nevsky Prospect, and that the milB itary are shooting. 1 January 24. B The Americans take a grave view ot the crisis. . The French newspapers contain terrible word pictures of the cold- . blooded massacres. The “ Times” Paris corresponi dent says that the autocracy besides * exciting the scorn and execration of the civilised world has alienated B what little sympathy it retained by ‘ the only country in Europe, where r until Sunday last it still counted as . friends. The Parisian crowds manifest r horror and disgust at Sunday’s ' abomination. Paris, January 23. 1 “Le Matin” asserts that the Czar, the Czarina and their childi ten proceed to Livadia, an estate 1 belonging to the Empress of Rus- '■ sia, on the sonth coast of the Crimea, thirty miles south-east ' from Sevastopol. January 24. Tne “ Petit Journal” reports an e attempt to assassinate the Grand 1 Duke Sergius at St. Petersburg. The civil department of the court ® of justice has been closed, many e lawyers refusing to practice. A number of other departments have i closed. Magistrates have petitioned ■ the Government to protect the inhabitants from the results of the ’ workers’ agitation.