The Savannah morning news., 1904-12-12
RACED IN RIOTS
IN ST. PETERSBURG
DOWN WITH AUTocRACY"
WAS THE CRY THAT BROUGHT THE
GENDARMERIE CHARGING.

hut That Only Inspired Them to
DO So-POIice and Gendarmes
Charged the Great ThrOng, slash
ing and Striking-Many Were In
jured.
st. Petersburg, Dec. ia popular
anti-government demonstration, the
participants in which included large
numbers of students of both sexes,
began at midday in the Nevsky pros
pect and lasted about two hours.
Hundreds of police and mounted
gendarmes who were hidden in the
court yard of the public buildings
emerged and suddenly charged the
crowd at full gallop, driving the
demonstrators in headlong confusion
and screaming with terror upon the
sidewalks and into adjacent streets.
This led to serious encounters, fifty
persons being more or less seriously
injured. Large numbers were arrest
ed.
Worst Since Cossacks Charged.
Not since the riots Of 1901. when
Cossacks, stretched across the Nevski
Prospect from building to building,
charged down the boulevard from the
Moscow station to the Neva. has the
Russian capital lived through such a
day of excitement as this.
The authorities last night got wind
of the big government demonstra-
ton planned for to-day by the Social
Democratic labor party to demand. an
immediate end of the war, and the
convocation of a national assembly
and heading every paper in black fac
ed type was an explicit warming to
the people to desist from congrega-
ing in the Nevsky Prospect near the
Kazan cathedral. At the same time
extensive preparations We're made to
quell any disturbance. The police on
the Nevsky Prospect were sextupled
and the dvordniks, or House porters,
were marshalled in front of their re-
| spective buildings. Half dozen
| squadrons of mounted gendarmerie
were massed in the rear of the Kazan
cathedral, and battalions of reserve
police were stationed in several court
yards out of sight.
| Minister of the Interior Sviatopolk-
| Mirsky gave strict orders, however.
| that no Cossacks should be used. and
M. Fulton, chief of police, issued ex-
| plicit directions to avoid harsh meas
ures unless it should become absolute
| ly necessary.
Warnings Only Drew Crowds.
The newspaper warnings, however,
by giving notice to those not apprised
of the prospect of a demonstration.
defeated the very object for which
they were designed, attracting SEEM
ingly the whole population of this
vast city to the broad thoroughfare;
and long before the hour fixed de-
spite the pleading of the police, who
literally lined the sidewalks, the
| throngs on the pavements were so
dense that movement was almost i'm
possible, while the snow-covered
boulevard was black with tangled
mass of sleighs, filled mostly with the
curious.
In throngs on the sidewalks were
| practically the whole student body of
the capital, including many young
women who have always been promi-
nent in Russia in liberal revolutionary
movements. and also thousands Of
workmen belonging to the Social La
Dor party.
Toward / o'clock the workmen and
students seemed to swarm toward
the corner of the Hotel Europe, oppo-
site the Kazan Cathedral. The police
recognizing that the critical moment
was approaching, tried in vain to keep
back the human tide. Then, when
there was not a single mounted po-
liceman in sight, on the stroke of l.
from the heart of the thickly wedged
crowd bloodred flag, like a jet Of
flame, suddenly shot up. 1t was the
signal. Other flags appeared in the
crowd, waving frantically overhead;
and they were greeted with a hoarse
roar, Down with autocracy!"
Sang the MarseiIIaise.
The students surged into the street
singing the ''Marseillaise," while inno-
cent spectators, seeking to extricate
themselves, crowded into doorways and
Rugged walls. Dismounted police
made a single attempt to force their
way into the crowd to wrest the flags
from the demonstrators, but the stu
dents and workmen, armed with sticks,
stood close and beat back their as
sailants. Then, like a flash, from be-
hind the Kazan Cathedral, came a
squadron of gendarmerie. The doors
of adjoining court yards were thrown
back and battalions of police came
flank of the demonstrators with drawn
sabres. Five other squadrons circled
the mob, cutting through the fringe
of spectators, who gladly scurried to
cover. The main wedge of the demon
strators stood fast only a moment or
two.
There was a sharp rattle of cudgels
and sabres. though the wounds showed
the police struck principally with the
fiat OF their sabres. The women were
especially fierce in their resistance.
Many were struck and trampled, and
blood streamed down their faces
Scattered ProcInmations.
While the mob stood. those within
managed to throw hundreds OF revolu-
tionary procamations over the heads
OF their fellows. The police urged their
horses fiereely into the crowd, driving
those who resisted into the court
yards, the Hotel Europe and the Cath
Ole church.
The intense excitement lasted about
ten minutes, after which mounted
aquadrons OF the gendarmerie patroled
the streets ana the policemen devoted
themselves 10 keeping the crowd NOV
Ing.
Considering the sharp neht the riot
era had put up, tho police acted hu-
namely with the crowd. avoiding bru-
fsilty and roughneaa Ia Keeping the
fhr0nF moving, ana showing really
more consideration than The police N
many American cities would 40 under
similar circumstance
la ths menntims those confined IN