The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-12-12

St. Petersburg, December 6.-Wed-
nesday night via Eydkuhnen, East
Prussia, December Public CONT
dcnCe in the governments ability to
weather the gro wing storm is waning
fast. Premier Witte seems powerlesS
to cope with the new elements OF
danger which the revolution is rails
ing on every hand. New mutinies
among the troops are constantly re-
ported, and the lawlessness in the
J country is increasing.
Whenever the dreaded workmen's
organizations present a united front
compelled to strike his colors.
It now appears that the comrades
of Sokoloff, the railroad engineer OF
Samara, whose condemnation to death
threatened the country With a great
railroad strike, Independently organ
lied the strike on the Trans-Casplan
kend. The encouragement of Kur-
shka, who exercises plenary. powers
en- the Afghan frontier without coz
sulting with the st. Petersburg al
thorities, convened g court martial
| and sentenced SOkoloff to death. The
premier, as a result of the action OF
he executive committee of the all
road employees union in preparing
tcl a general strike uE.ess the SEN
fence was reve .sed aeforc midnight
December 5, was compelled to get M.
N~emchaieff, the minister of communi-
cations, to employ the railroad lele-
graph to forward a stay Of exec ltion
IL :. ox4 49, 49, s,0 u
| the man been not. n"tning WO I'D
n11e prevented a univ ell sal Strike.
This danger for che mom:nt has again
nassed, but the weapon always hangs
.ver the head OF th., government as
:, threat agi RS. Il rev arbitra "
| act.
The immeGlai" daT gel cOnfrOn ms
the gOvernn emf is Il CT Certed attack
on the country's credit. The public
fear that the government can be 70 C
al 70 suspend gut ra.:C.tnts increaSes
.!ai:v. This wtult to the crown.ng
achievement Of the rev%olutionists, WAC
are satisfied hat with the attending
financial crash the Wholc house woaid
come tumbiing down. The chances
| of driving IL government into bank
ruptcy they profess 10 believe would
be materially increased if the con
| fdence of the foreign holders of Rus
| sian obligations was undermined, and
the news that the French investors
who hold fouc-fifths Of Russia's in-
mense foreign Indebtedness we're IN
leading, was received with jubilation
by the revolutionists. At the same
time it created a veritable panic on
the course.
The savings bank was subjected to a
run, and at the state bank a long iine
of nervous men and women wait
ed for hours to exchange paper mon
ey for gold. The bank officials did not
attempt to dissuade them, and ex-
changed rolls of gold for bills as fasc
as the latter were presented.
The only break in the ranks OF
the telegraphers is reported from Ka"
zan, middle Russia. Elsewhere all
the governments attempts to resume
Geographic communication have been
unsuccessful. in this city there has
been a partial resumption of mail de-
livery by means of volunteers, but it
requires two policemen Or two sol
diers to escort every carrier. In the
postofice the officials who can lie
spared are working in other depart
ments with volunteers, some Of whom
are of high rank. Princess Oberlen-
sky, Princess Kofhubey, Countess
Morvinoff. and Countess Ozeroff ore
sorting letters in Ghe mailing room. At
| Moscow over twenty carloads Of let
tiers are undistributed.
At Kharkoff it is reported that 5000
soldiers have agreed not to fire on the
people, and at Rostoff the Third Gren-
adler artillery consisting of 400 men
has held a meeting and formulated
service demands. Similar action, 1t
is rumored, has been taken by the mil
itary engineers at Odessa and By
troops in several places in the Baltic
province.
The declaration of martial law in
Livonia is due principally to Agrarian
TROUBLES. Large bands of peasants are
marching and pillaging. 1t is report
ed that Dorpat is in flames.
Mrs. Il. l.. Cool Dead.