The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1904-12-13
RIOT In ST PETERSBURG
Troops Called Out to Quell Demon
stratiOn Of Students.
MOUNTED P0LICECHARGECRoWO

-
Issued Through the Press to the Pub
lic--At Given signal Red Flags Wers
Raised BY Throng.
ST. Petersburg. Russia "A popular
anti-Government demonstration, the
participants in which included large
numbers OF students Of both sexes, be-
gan ait midday in the Nevsky Prospect
and lasted about two hours. Hundreds
Of police and mounted gendarmes, who
were hidden in the courtyard of the
public buildings, emerged suddenly and
charged the crowd at full gaiL0p, driv-
ing the denonstra tors in headlong con-
fusion and screaming with terror upc.i
the sidewalks and into adjacent
streets. This led to serious encounters,
fifty persons being more or less Sc
yerely injured. Large numbers We're
arrested.
Not since the riots of 1901, when
Cossacks stretched across the Nevsky
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 author
tiles got wind of the big anti Govern
rnent demonstration planned by the
Social Democratic Labor party to de-
mand an immediate end of the war and
the convocation of a National ASSEM-
bly,, and leading every paper in the
morning in black faced type was an ex-
plicit warning to the public at their
peril to desist from congregating in
the Nevsky Prospect near the Kazan
Cathedral. at the same time extern
sive preparations were made to quell
any disturbance.
The police on the Nevsky Prospect
were sextupled, and the dyorniks or
house porters were marshaled in front
of their respective buildings. Half q
dozen squadrons Of mounted gendar-
merle were massed in the rear of the
Kazan Cathedral, and battali0ns Of
reserve police were stationed in several
c0urtyards out of sight Minister of
the Interior Sviatopolk- Mirslzy gave
strict orders, however, that no C0ssacks
should be used, and Futon, Chief Of
Police. issued explicit directions to
avoid harsh, measures unless it should
become absolutely necessary. The
newspapers warnings, however, by
giving notice to those not appraised of
the prospect Of a demonstration, de,
feated the very object for WHICH they
were designed, attracting seemingly
the whole population of this vast city
to the broad thoroughfare. and long
before the hour fixed despite the plead
ing Of the police, who literally lined
the sidewalks, the thr0ngs on the pave.
m ay,+c vuora CO danan that x.,nraY.1 an
was almost impossible, while the snow.
covered boulevard was black with
tangled mass of sieighs filled mostly
with the curious In throngs on the
sidewalk were practically the whole
student body of the capital, including
many young women, who have always
been prominent in Russia in Liberal
revolutionary movements, and also
thousands Of workmen belonging to
the Social Labor party, which had
planned the demonstration
Toward / O'clock the workmen and
students seemed to swarm toward the
Hotel Europe, opposite the Kazan
Cathedral. che police, recognizing that
the critical moment was approaching.
tried in vain to keep back the human
tide, Then, when there was not sim
gle mounted policeman iii sight, ON the
stroke of /, from the heart Of the
thiclxly wedged crowd a blcod-red flag
like jet of fame suddenly shot up.
1t was the signal Other flags ap.
peared in other parts of the crowd.
waving franticaIly overhead. and they
were greeted with hoarse roar,
Down with autocracy 2
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 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
assailants. Then, like a fash, from be.
hind the Kazan Cathedral, came
wheeling q squadron of .gendarmerie.
The doors of adjoining courtyards were
thrown back and battalions Of police
came out. A double squadron charged
the flank of the demonstrators with
drawn sabres. Five other squadrons
circled the mob. cutting through the
fringe OF spectators, who gladly sour.
rien to cover. There was sharp rattle
of cudgels and sabres, though the
wounds showed the police struck prin-
cipally with the fat of their sabres.
Those confined in the courtyards who
were recognized as agitators were ar
rested, but others were allowed to 60
quietly home. the wounded first hav-
ing their injuries dressed
KILL HORSES 20 STOP DISEASE.