Morgan County democrat. (Versailles, Mo.) 1900-1906, 1904-12-16
RUSSIANS WAVE
BL00D-REO FLAG
Big achievement Demonstra-
tion in St. Petersburg.
POLICE CHARGE THE POPULACE
Mounted Officers Rode at EulI Gal"
IOp Into the Mnddcncd ThronY,
Leaving bruised nnd ,rOkcn
Heads In Their Wake.

st. Petersburg, Dec. ia popular
nti-gOvcrnment demonstration, tha
participants in which included the ar
gumcn,s Of students of both sexes, be-
gan Sunday in The Ncvsky prospect.
and lasted about two hours. Hundreds
of police and mounted gendarmes who
wer hidden in the court yard of the
public buildings, emerged suddenly,
and charged the crowd at full gallop.
driving the demonstrators In headlonI
confusion and screaming with terror
upon the sidewalks and into adjacent
streets. This led to serious cncOunt-
crs, so persons being more or less
severely injured. Large numbers were
arrested.
Not since the riots of 1901, when
Cossacks reached across the Ncvski
prospect, from building to building and
charged down the boulevard from the
Moscow station to the Neva, has the
Russian capital lived through such d
day of excitement as this. The author
tiles Saturday night got wind or the
big an|ti-gOVcrnmont demonstration
planned for Sunday by the social-dcm.
ocratic labor party to demand an i'm
mediate end of the war and the convo-
cation of "A national assembly, and
leading every paper, Sunday morning..
in black-faccd type, was an explicit
warning to the people. at their peril,
to dcsist from congregating in the
NcySky prospect, near the kaHan ca
thcdral. AS the Same time, extensive
preparations were mad to qucll any
disturbance. The police on the NcvAky
prospect were scxtupled. and the dvor-
niks, or house p%ortcrs. were mar
shaded in front of their respective
buildings. Half n dozen squadrons OF
mounted R%cndarmcrie were ma6scd in
the rear of the KaZan cathedral, and
batallions Of reserved police were sta
toned in several court yards out Of
sight.
Warnings Not IIccdrd
The newspaper warnings, however
by giving notice 20 those not appriSed
Of the prospect Of a demonstration, de-
fcatcd the very object for which they
were designed, attracting, seemingly,
the whole population Of this vast city
w Nv bl'tl Nv "'''' ''''p
before the hour fixed. despite the
plcadinfs OF the police. who literally
lined the sidewalks. the throngs on the
pavcments were 80 dense that move.
ment was almost impossible, while the
s~now-covcrcd boulevard was black
with a tangled mass of sleighs filled
mostly with the curious.
Towards one o'clock the workmep
and students seemed to swarm to.
ward the corner Of Hotel Europe, OPP
ponitc the KaZan cathedral. The pO-
lice, recognizing that the critical mo
mcnt was approaching, tried In vain tc
keep back the human tide. Then
when there was not n single mounted
policeman In sight, on the stroke OF
one, from the heart of the thickly-
wcdyed crowd a blood-rcd flag. like l.
jet of namc. suddenly shot up. II was
the signal. Other flags appeared In
the crowd, waving frantically over
head; and they were greeted with q
hoarse roar. Down with autocracy."
The students surgcd into the street,
singing the "Marsellalge," while in
nOcent spectators, seeking to extricate
themselves, crowded INTO dOOrways
and Rugged walls.
Heat back Police.
DismOunted police made a single at
tempt to force their way into the
crowd to wrest the flags from the
demonstrators, but the students ana
workmen, armed with sticks, stood
close, and bsat back the assailants.
Then, like a flash, from behind the
Kazan cathedral anne Il squadron OF
gendarmerie. The doors Of adjoining
court yards were thrown back. and
batallions of police came out. A d0u-
Bile squadron charged the flank Oi
demonstrators with drawn sabreB.
Five other squadrOns circled the mob.
cutting through the fringe Of specta-
tors, who gladly scurrled to cover. The
main wedge Of the demonstrators stood
fast only q moment or two. There
was a sharp rattle Of cudgels and sa-
bres, though the wounds showed the
police struck principally with tho fiat
Of their sabres. The women were
especially fierce in their resistance,
Many we're struck and %trampled. and
blood streamed down their faces.
In the meantime. those confined In
the court yards. who were recognized
es agita'ors, were arrested. but Others
were allowed to 20 quietly home. thu
wounded first having their injuries
dressed. There were probably a han
, bred broken heads, and several were