The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-04-25
Nearly All the Sensational Stories
Given Currency Originated in Ber-
lin, London or Vienna.
THE COSSACKS AND THE PEOPLE
THE LATTER WERE ATTACKED
NOR HARMED By THE FORMER.
Story Of the Alleged Riot in Front Of
kasan Cathedral Told by an Amer
lean Who Witnessed 1t.

The editor of the Journal is in receipt of
a letter from Col. w. r. Holloway, United
states consul general to st. Petersburg,
dated April 8, in which these statements
are made:
Il have just finished reading the editor
ial In your issue of March "a entitled Rev
dictionary Signs in Russia / am con-
Vinced that the American papers print a
greater amount of transformation about
Russia than all the other countries of the
world put together. The stories recently
telegraphed the American press concern
ing the alleged riots in st. Petersburg are
largely fakes, and while they are published
under ST. Petersburg date lines were not
sent by the agent of the American Asso-
ciated Press at this place, but were made
up from sensational reports that reached
Berlin, Vienna and London. No intelligent
person here believes that the students are
largely Nihilists, or in sympathy with that
movement. Like most large bodies of stu
dents all over the world, they think they
have grievances, and they probably have,
but they want to do as Sherman did when
he marched to the sea-as he - pleased
especially on their anniversaries, but the
authorities DO not agree with them.
The statement that the Cossack cavalry
charged on the masses of men and women
and cut and slashed them right and left
was manufactured out Of whole cloth.
Nothing like it occurred. My office is on
part of the crowd. and 1 was standing on
the front steps of the Kasan Cathedral
when the alleged charge was reported to
have occurred. The sidewalks on both
sides of the street were for four squares
crowded with naonla attracted nv o,riocity
and all the Cossacks, who did not even
have their swords as they usually do, did
was to keep the people moving to prevent
their blocking the same. / never saw a
better natured crowd. and while there were
a number of students moving about L did
not see or hear of one creating the slight
est disturbance. L stood on the Cathedral
steps for a few moments watching the
crowd, when about twenty Cossacks came
t~rotting. company front, from the street
some 200 feet distant, toward the central
door, where they halted. 1 suppose they
were signaled for, but did not know why
they came until afterward. 1 learned that
some students went into the cathedral
smoking cigarettes, looking for a row, and
were ordered to desist, but refused, and in
the efforts of the attendants to eject them
one OF the students threw a stone dt an
icon and broke the glass front, and two or
three chairs were broken, but while /,
with others, stood within thirty or forty
feet of where the disturbance occurred, L
did not hear of it until late in the after
noon.
1.-The stories to the effect that the En-
peror's Office and living rooms are lined
with boiler iron and that he is hourly in
fear of assassination are rot. The Emperor
and Empress drive about as usual, unat-
tended by a single guard or footman, as
is their habit.
"St. Petersburg is as quiet and orderly a
city as either Washington or indianapolis,
and, while l have no means of knowing
how many Nihilists there are in this city,
l do not believe they are as numerous as
they are in Chicago, and there is nothing
ike as much lawlessness here as there is
in that city, nor as many murders as there
are in Indianapolis. The police seem to be
advised of disloyal movements and pre-
pared for any emergency that is likely to
occur. No we'll Informed person here seems
to nave the slightest fear of any serious
trouble with either the students or the
Nihilists.
AZ a place of residence st. Petersburg
will compare favorably with any of the
leading cities Of the world. Its summers
ma iority of American cities, but there is
practically no spring or fall here as it ex-
lists in the States; both are rainy and cold .