Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1904-12-15

press tt Caused Excitement Un-
couated Since the Riots Of 1901
Previous Warnings in the News
papers Only Served to Swell the
Crowd Of Students, Workmen and
Toung Woren.
St. Petersburg, BY Cable.-A popular
anti-government demonstration, the
participants in which included large
numbers Of students of both sexes, be-
gan at midday Sunday in the Nevsky
prospect ana lasted about two hours.
Hundreds OF police and mounted gen
darmes, who were hidden in the court
yard of the public buildings, emerged
and suddenly charged the crowd at full
gallop, driving the demonstrators IL
headlong confusion and screaming with
terror upon the sidewalks and into q
jacent streets. This led to serious en-
counters, so persons being more or less
severely injured. Large numbers were
arrested.
Not since the -3ods of 1901, when Cos
sacks, stretched across the Navaki pros
pect from building to building, charged
down the boulevard from the Moscow
station to The Eeva, has the Russian
capital lived through such a day Of
excitement as this. The authorities last
night got wind of the big anti-govern-
ment demonstration planned for today
by the Social Democratic party to de
mand an immediate end Of the war anG
the ~colvCeatiGl Of a national assem-
bly, ana this evening in every paper
In black-face type was an explicit
warning to the people. at their peril
to deslse from cc~ngregating in The New
ski prospect near the Kasean Cattle
dral. At the same time eXtesiVe prepar-
atoms were made to quell any disturb
ance. b police on the NeVski pros
pect were increased six times over and
the d~evorniEs. or house porterS, were
n1arsha1ed in front Of their respective
buildings. Half e. dozen s~quadrons OF
mounted geDdagmes were maSsed in
the rear Of the Gasean Cathedral, and
battallops Of reserve police were sta
toned in several court yards out OF
sight. Minister of the Interior Sviato-
polk-Mirsky gave strict orders, how
ever, that no Cossacks should be used
and the chief of police issued explicit
directions to avoid harsh measures IN
less it should become absolutely neces-
sary.
The newspaper warning, however.
by giving notice to those not apprised
Of the prospect OF a demonstration. de
feated the very object Of which they
were designed, attracting seemingly the
whole population of this vast city TO
the broad throughfare; and long be
fore theh hour fixed, despite the plead
ting of the police, who literally lined the
sidewalks, the throngs on the pave
rnents were so dense that movement
was almost impossible, while the snow
covered boulevard was black with q
tangled mass Of sleighs, filed mostly
with the curious. In tnrongs on the
sidewalks, were practically the whole
student body Of the capital, including
many young women, who have always
been prominent in Russia in revolt
tionary movements, and also thousands
Of workmen belonging to- the Social
Labor party. Towards j O'Clock the
workmen and students seemed to
swarm toward the ORR Of tho Hotel
Europe, opposite the Gasean Cathedral.
The police, recognizing that the critical
moment was approaching, tried i'll vain
to keep back the human tide. Then,
when there was moi a single mounted
policeman in sight, on the strike OF /
o'clock, from the heart OF the thfekly
wedged crowd a blood red tag, Like &
Jet Of fame, suddenly shot up. 1t was
the signal. Other flags appeared in the
crowd, waving franticalzy overhead;
and they were greeted with a hoarse
road, Down with a~utCCcaGy." The stu
dents surged into the street, singing the
"Marseillaise," while innocent specta-
tors, seeking to extllCate themselves
crowded into doorwayS and Rugged
walls. Dismounted police made a SIN
gle aftemnt to force their 7@av into tn
| crowd " wresL the nags nom the de-
| monstrators, but the students and
workmen, armed with sticks. stood
| close and beat back their assailants.
Then, like a fash, from behind the
Kasean Cathedral, came Il squadron Of
ge~ndarnaie. The doors Of adjoining
court yards were thrown back, and
battalions Of police cane out. 4 dou-
BILE squadron charged the flank Of the
demonstrators with drawn sabres. Five
other squadrons circled the mob, cut
ting through the frings Of spectators.
who gladly scurried to cover. The main
wedge of the demonstrators stood fast
only a moment or two.
There was q sharp rattle OK cudgels
and sabres, though the wounds showed
that the police struck principally with
the fiat of their sabres, The women
were especially fierce IN their resis-
lance. Many we're struck and tram
pied, and blood streamed down their
faces.
While the mob stood. those within
managed to throw hundreds of revo
lutionary proclamations over the
heads of their fellows. The police
urged their horses fiercely into the
crowd, driving those who resisted into
the court yards, the Hotel Europe and
the Catholic Church. TIE intense ex-
element lasted about ten minutes, at
ter which mounted s~quadrons of the
~onda rmaxie aotrnlIa5 tho rfraa1e
and the policemen devoted themselves
to keeping the crowd moving.
Considering the sharp fight the riot
ers had up, the police acted hui
namely with the crowd, ayoiding bru-
tally and roughness in keeping the