The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1904-12-12
YESTERDAYS DISTURBANCE.
There Were Hundreds of Broken Heads
After the Encounter.

After the Encounter
ST Petersburg, Dee liza poular an
ti-government demonstration, the par
ticipants III which inclnded large mum
bcrs Of students OF both sexes, began nt
midday n the NeYsky prospect and last
ed about two hours. Hundreds of po-
lice and mounted gendarmes, who were
hidden in the court yard Of the public
buildings, emerged suddenly and charged
the crowd at full gallop driving the de-
monstrators in headlong confusion and
screaming with terror upon the side
walks and into adjacent streets. This
led to serous encounters 50 persons be,
ing more or less severely injured Large
numbers we're arrested.
Not since the riots Of 1901, when Cos
sacks stretched across the Neysky pros
peet from building to building, charged
down the boulevard from the Moscow
station 10 the Neya, has the Russian
capital lived through such a day OF ex
citemeut as this. The authorities last
night got wind Of the big anti-goyern-
ment demonstration planned for today
by the social democratic labor party to
demand an immediate end OF the war
and the eonyocation of d national as
senibly, and every leading paper this
morning in blackfaced type was an ex-
plicit warning to the people at their
peril to desist from oongregatiug in the
Eersky prospect near the Kazan eathe-
dral At the same time extensive prep
arations were made to quell any dis
turbance By the passing Of police and
mounted geHdarInie, but Foult0n, chief
of police, issued explicit directions to
avoid harsh measures unless it should be
absolutely necessary. The newspaper
warnings seemed to attract the whole
population of the city to the broad thor
oughfare. In throngs on the sidewalk
were practically the whole student body
Of the capital, including many yonng
women, who have always been promi-
nent in Russia in liberal rev .lutionary
movements, and also thousands Of work
men belonging to the social labor party.
Toward one o'clock the workmen and
students seemed to swarm toward the
corner Of the Hotel Europe, opposite the
Kazan Cathedral The police tried III
vain to keep back the human tide Then,
when there was not single mounted
policeman IN sight, from the heart Of
the thickly wedged crowd a blood red
flag suddenly shot up. 1t was the sig
nal. Other flags appeared in other parts
of the crowd waving frantically over
head; and they We're greeted with a
hoarse roar, Down with autocracy." The
students surned into the street singing
the "Marseillaise1 Dismounted police
made single attempt 10 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 assail-
ants Then like a flash from behind
the cathedral came wheeling a squadron
of gendarmerie. The doors Of adjoining
court yards were thrown back and bat
talions of police came out. A double
squadron charged the flank of the demon
strators with drawn sabres. Five other
squadrons circled the mob cutting
through the fringe Of spectators The
main wedge Of the demonstrators stood
fast only moment or two. There was
a sharp rattle of cudgels and sabres,
though the wounds showed the police
struck principally with the Dat of their
sabres. The women were especially
fierce in their resistance Many were
struck and trampled and blood streamed
down their faces The police urged their
horses fiercely into the crowd driving
before them those who resisted. The in
tense excitement lasted about ten min
utes, after which mounted officers kept
the crowd moving
Considering the sharp fight the rioters
had put up, the police acted humanely
with the crowd. There were probably
a hundred broken heads, and several
were severely wounded, though none fa
tally, so far as is ascertainable. So far
there have been over 100 arrests.
The ferment continued all day and far
into the night, but only one or two other
abortive attempts were made at demon
strations
Tonight the students Of the Politechni
one and other institutions held meetings
at which fiery speeches were made in
favor ofreform and the convocation Of q
national assembly.
An official statement issued last night
with reference to the rioting yesterday,
says: During the confusion and iost.
ling the demonstrators used cudgels and
the police we're compelled to beat back
rioters with the fat OF their swords.
The rioting naturally was not suppress