The Irish standard., 1905-02-11


officer reports having repeated the call
six times without avail, after which
one COPS fred a volley.
Speaking. with general on the staff
Of the guard whose duty it was to
give most Of the orders on the fate
full day, asked him whether it was
possible for an Officer to fire on the
people without the warnings. He
replied:
Certainly not. His career would
be ended If he did such a thing"
With this he showed me the military
articles dealing most clearly with the
subject.
"Our troops" he said, "were SUBJ
iected by the people to the worst kind
Of insult, but remained still unless
the crowd insisted on advancing"
"The Grand Duke Vladimir has
been accused Of giving special orders
concerning firing on the people.
GAS to the numbers Of killed and
wounded sent by the correspondents
Of the English and other papers from
here, I cannot understand how the
public can believe such nonsense. AS
the troops were only sent out in
squads it is impossible they could
could have done the damage stated.
Maybe there were in all one hundred
killed and four hundred wounded"
Asked how true it was that the
Grand Duke Vladimir was, as report
ed, the central figure in the affair, the
generals reply, clear and emphatic,
was:
ave did not receive a single order
from him. The Grand Duke had
nothing whatsoever to do with the
affair. 1t is quite sufficient to know
the Grand Duke Vladimir personally
to be aware that reports of delight in
the shedding of blood are unfounded
On the contrary, he is noted for his
bonhomie. He believes thoroughly
in the policy of live and let live
If there be any one responsible for
having done wrong. which 1 deny,
it is we here No special orders, how
ever We're given. They were mere
ly those which are for details"
OF the Alexander Gardens riot he
said:
According to reports before me,
six signals were given at this point.
Two volleys were fired. The crowds
were advancing by thousands and
would speedily have annihilated the
soldiers. We had to fire, otherwise
they would have seized our rifles -
He then showed me the general
order upon which the troops acted.
Accompanied by an aide-de-camp,
who bore instructions that all in
formation should be given to me, l
visited the Police Department.
There the general in charge gave me
his word of honor that the official
figures of the killed and wounded
were absolutely correct.
"There was a great deal Of shoot
ing" he said, "but half the time it
was for the purpose of frightening
the people. We have kept most
careful tally and guarantee the figures
to be correct. The whole thing was
purely socialistic-that is to say, the
workmen were led away by the re-
evolutionary element. Newspaper cor
respondents have sent in fantastic re.
ports, but have had no means Of guag.
ing the events and the casualties.
"NIost Of the reports were taken
from hearsay. All the killed and
wounded We're taken to hospitals
Every one Of these institutions made
returns to us, though there may have
, been a few scratched or bruised per.
sons who We're taken home"
| 1T will be remembered that the of.
fetal account gives 81 dead and 335
wounded. which, as an aide-de-camp
remarked. was quite enough.
Later on I had conversation with
a parsonage in an excellent position
to know concerning the outcry
against the Grand Duke Vladimir. He
| said:
"The Grand Duke had nothing tc
do whatever, directly or Indirectly
with the suppression Of the recent
RIOTS nor was he called upon nor did
he volunteer anything as to the
means to be adopted"
Prince vasiltchikoff issued the
commands. he being directly under
! the Ministers.
The only manner in which the
| Grand Duke Vladimir could have beer
connected with the military action was
in case court-martial law was pro
claimed. and only in such case could
a man Of his high rank be called or
to take part.
That he suggested to the Emperor
the adoption of severe measures ii
equally false. Since the day of the
Blessing of the Neva, he has not seer
the sovereign. Moreover, the Gear LEFT
everything to his Ministers and tool
and asked no further advice from any
one.
The story Of the combination Of thu
Grand Dukes who opposed the En-