The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1904-12-13
RIorlNe IN ST. PETERSBURG
100 Injured and Many Arrested In
AntiGovernnent Demonstration.

100 Injured and Many Arrested In
Anti-Government Demonstration.
ST. Petersburg Dec ia popular
anti-government demonstration. the
participants in which included large
numbers Of students Of both sexes. be-
gan at 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 gallop,
driving the demonstrators in headlong
confusion and screaming with terror
upon the sidewalks and into adjacent
streets. This led to serious encounters,
100 persons being more or less Sc
verely injured Many We're arrested
In anticipation OF the demonstration
an immense thrown was attracted TO
the broad thOroughfare, and long be-
fore the hour fixed despite the plead
ings of the police. who literally lined
the sidewalks. the throngs on the
pavements were so dense that move
ment was almost impossible, while
the snow-covered boulevard was black
with a tangled mass of sleghs filled
mostly with the curious. In throngs
on the sidewalk were practically the
whole student body of the capital. in
Guiding 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.
Toward l o'clock the workmen and
students seemed to swarm toward the
corner of the Hotel Europe, opposite
the Kazan Cathedral Then. when there
was not a single mounted policeman
in sight. on the stroke Of /. from the
heart of the thickly wedged crowd
blood-red flag, like a sheet of flame
suddenly shot up. It was the signal
Other flags appeared in the crowd
waving frantically overhead; and they
were greeted with hoarse roar Down
with autocracy." The students surged
into the street. singing the "Marsel-
laise." while innocent spectators,
seeking to extricate themselves
crowded into dOorways and Rugged the
walls. Dismounted police made a sin
Gle attempt to force their way into the
crowd to wrest the flags from the
demonstrators. but the students and
vorkmen. armed with sticks, stood
close and beat back the assailants
Then. like a fash, from behind the
Kazan Cathedral, came a squadron or
gendarmerie The doors OF adjoining
courtyards were thrown back, and bat
talions of police came out. A double
squadron charged the flank OF the
demonstrators with drawn sabres. Five
other squadrons circled the mob, cut
ting through the fringe of spectators,
who gladly scurried to cover. The main
wedge of the demonstrators stood last
only a moment or two. There was a
sharp rattle of cudgels and sabres,
though the wounds showed that the
police struck principally with the fiat
OF InelI SdDIeS' hO "OhiCH "NiN w
ciaIly fierce in their resistance. Many
were struck and tramped, and blood
streamed down their faces.
While the mob stood, those within
managed to throw hundreds of revolu-
tionary proclamations over the heads
of their fellows. The police urged their
horses fercely into the crowd, driving
those who resisted into the court
yards. the Hotel Europe and the Cath
Ollie church. The intense excitement
lasted about 10 minutes, after which
mounted squads Of the gendarmerie
patrolled the streets and the policemen
devoted themselves to keeping the
crowd moving.