The Sun.
London, England, 1861-04-29 00:00:00

THE DIS2U.RBANCES IN WARSAW.

A letter from Posen says :—There is no doubt
that the Government was temporizing, just to
gather sufficient troops unaffected by their stay in
the Polish capital, which generally converts true-
hearted Russians into Poles. There were only
22,000 troops in Warsaw during the first manifesta-
tion, on the 25th of February; with that number
Gortschakoff durst not_ stop the famous procession ;
but now the thing is quite different.. The garrison
of Warsaw is above 56,000; with that number they
may charge, indeed, the unarmed population,
which, excluding the military and officials, amcunt
hardly to twice as many. As in that number
are at least half women and a quarter children,
the Russians had on the last occasion decidedly
one soldier to one man at Warsaw. The Czar
,publishes before Europe that he is going to
grant a Constitution, yet he dissolves even the
Agricultural Association ; he guarantees nationality,
and his Government prohibits under penalty of
death the wearing of the national costume—nay,
even mourning. Was there ever a Government so
barbarous as to resort to such a prohibition, and
this, too, in the civilised 19th century ? Indeed, if
you had lost your own child you would be punished,
perhaps shot, if you dared to wear mourning. The
last butchery was just for that crime, which hence-
forward will immortalise tha liberal and kind-
hearted Alexander 11. The people went in proces-
sion to ask Gortschakolf to allow the Agricultural
Society to remain and maintain public order, and
on this occasion they were so dispersed ; it appears
that everything was prearranged. The troops,
composed chiefly of cuirassiers and Cossacks
and some infantry (lately introduced into the
capital), were screened behind and outside the
enormous building now occupied by the Governor-
General, and as that splendid palace stands in the
centre, they were sure they could always get at the
populace as they called. Previous to the butchery
these troops were made perfectly drunk, to give
them courage to charge the unarmed crowd, and to
that state you must ascribe the number of wounded
on the part of the Russians. Positively they were
so drunk as not to know the enemy from the foe.
They were harangued to kill everybody that wore
mourning or the national dress, and that, too, with-
out distinction of age or sex, and they did charge
right and left, and often fell upon their own men,
especially when another part of the troops came
from the opposite direction. The people could not
kill any, for none had even a stick, the Governor
having formerly prohibited such a weapon under
the pretext that it might be ' loaded.' So, if there
be dead er wounded on the part of the Russians,
it must be owing to the fact alluded to, or because
they could not tell Europe that there are above
200 wounded and dead on the part of the Poles, and
not one Russian. But such really is the case as far
as the action of the crowd is concerned, the troops,
charging to the terrible shout "Hurrah, hurrah,"
blindly drunk. In such a state, or owing to their
fall, they might, indeed, kill their own or wound
themselves. 1 write it from an account of an eye-
witness, who had been dreadfully hurt by being
pressed by the crowd, in its struggle, to the wall.)
It is a positive fact that the Russian troops who
had been long in Warsaw refused to charge on the
unarmed, and the Artillery to fire, and to this fact
must be ascribed the impunity so long enjoyed by
the citizens of Warsaw ; otherwise 22,000 were
quite enough to bayonet the whole procession.
Poor Captain Popoff was shot within 24
hours for having refused to charge 'with
his troops the crowd that was at that time pass-
ing the Grand Theatre. An aide-de-camp
ordered him to do so in the name of the Czar.
'No, Sir, I do not charge the unarmed,' said be;
lam not a butcher, for he kills the beast not out
of humour, but to feed the people. A gallant offi-
cer never draws his sword against the unarmed,
women, and children. I know what waits me, so
you had better report that, having refused to charge
on the unarmed, Captain Popoff tore off his epau-
lettes and broke kis sword ;' and, poor man, he
died as a hero. Many of the officers dipped their
handkerchiefs in his blood, and carried them about
as mementos of true Russian courage and honour.
Two other officers, of lower rank, were also
thus executed; all officers present on the
ground in the citadel cried during that dreadful
ceremony ; not one had dry eyes, not even the
greatest enemies of the Pole, for they, too, under-
stood military honour. I cannot give you further
details, for, in fact, nobody knows how many have
fallen. The military carry off the dead and the
wounded, but the fact is that all the large square
before the Prince's Palace was covered with blood.
The troops, about 3,000, first discharged a bout
portant into the thick of the crowd, and then
sharged both with the bayonet and lance (for more
than two regiments of Cossacks had honourable
part in that glorious battle-field). First Alexander
IL played farce before Europe, and now he performs
tragedies with terrible effect. Yet Europe is still
his dupe. They always belieVe he is kindly and
liberally inclined.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.—(This Day.)

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

FORTUNATE ESCAPE.—SERIOUS DAMAGE THROUGH A
DRUNKEN CABMAN.—John Fitzpatrick, a cab driver, in
the employ of Mr. Nunn, cab-master,-was charged, before
Mr. Mansfield, with damaging the horse and brougham of
Mr. Evans, of 52, Lower Brook-street, Grosvenor-square.
Edwin Belton, coachman to Mr. Evans, said, that on
Saturday night he was driving the brougham through
Grosvenor-street, three ladies being in it at the time, and
who fortunately escaped, when the defendant, who was
drunk, drove his horse right into his horse and brougham.
The horse was seriously injured, had lost a great deal of
blood, and in fact was " doubled up."
Wiggins, a constable, said the defendant was drunk.
Mr. Mansfield asked the witness what he thought the
amount of damago was.

The witness said he thought about £lO to the brougham,
and £2O to the horse.

Mr. Mansfield asked to see the defendant's license, and
observed thai it was free from endorsements.
The defendant's wife said her husband had broken his
thigh twelve months ago, and that a little drink affected him.
He had met a few friends the previous day, and they had
induced him to take some drink. She hoped his worship
would deal mercifully with him.

Mr. Mansfield said, under the circumstances, he should
not feel warranted in fining him less than 405., or a monites
imprisonment ; the owner of the horse and brougham had
his remedy against the defendant's master.