The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-08-24
TERRORISM IN POLAND.

TERRORISM IN POLAND. ,ff.
WARSAW, Poland, Aug. THE present
generation has never soon o time when the
people Of Russia were 90 racked az they
are to-day by private financial difficulties,
intense anxiety and even terrorism. The
overwhelming misfortunes Of the war eeem
to have paralyzed the Cars Government.
Law and order have ceased to exist In large
districts Thousands OF the landed gentry
who have never known what privation
meant find II difficult TO raise ruble to
pay their ordinary expenses. Money can be
borrowed only at ruinous rates. The
prevailing Indebtedness II intensified here
In Poland by the fact that armed bands
Of robbers are travelling here and there
levylng forced tribute Upon estates on the
pretsuse that they are agents Of the revo-
lutionary propaganda which purposes to
reestablish tho Independence Of Russian
Poland
The newspapers arc printing stories Of
these outrages, and many facts illustrating
the intense fear, anxiety and distrust which
two years ago would have been thought
to be impossible. The Sun correspondent
WhA hbonuOu HOI0 tWV "CkuOuto ulu0N0VhA8
the present state Of lawlessnees and terror
Ism. He selects these two because he ID
able TO supplement- one OF them by facts
that are known TO all tho residents OF
Bielostok; whore he has spent several
days; In the other affair q family with
which he is intimate are the Victims.
Bielostok; on the railroad from Warsaw
to st. Petersburg, 10 one Of tho larger towns
OF Poland, being surpassed only by . few
other cities In population and commercial
importance. Tho state Of terrorism to
which II has been reduced BY tho events
Of the last few months IL illustrated BY the
following curious incident which corre-
spondent OF the Varshapskt Dnievnik
(VVarsav Daily sends from Bielostok. I
translate IL literally:
y was passenger In . street car this morning.
Men wore going 70 business and the car was
crowded. ~ one OF The oorness police commits.
sioner entered the car. About half The passengers
left tho car a. tho next corner. BY the time We
had gone three blocks she only persons lef ON the
car were the police commissioner. the driver. con.
ductor and myself asked tho conductor what
was the matter.
"oh." no replied. "the police commissioner 10
on the prescribed list. Hes had his notice that he
Will soon 90 on a journey 10 the other world.
Everybody In Bielossok knows II and everybody
tuihhe nS may u0 pioWu UP ~ any HlOfncut IL nc
happens 10 DO near the commissioner
No one who has recently been in Bielostok
has any doubt Of the accuracy of this state
ment The prescribed list numbers several
scores Of persons. and the dastards behind
the movement have taken the trouble to
make the list public. Their desire to create
a state Of complete terrorism has fully
succeeded.
These threats we're not empty-there
was grim business behind them. TIE Sun
printed about two weeks ago the news that
the new chief OF police Of Bielostok had been
MORALLY wounded by bomb. About twenty
other unfortunates who were not prescribed
but happened to be near the marked man
were killed or wounded by the explosion.
Several other police officials and a number
Of ordinary policemen had been previously
murdered and ell were on the prescribed list.
II the unfortunate man who emptied the
street car 30 speedily is having the expert
enoe Of his fellow sufferers he 10 Stunned
by the entire populaoe. II he enters
q barber chop no one will shave him until
q police guard is placed at the door. Cab
men fee from him. His friends dare not
talk with him In the street. Ono Of the
prescribed living in the suburbs has fine
we'll In his yard from which the neighbon
have long been permitted to draw water
for table use. The well Ia no longer pat
ronised, for every ono fears 1t may be
poisoned.
Observers at distance may wonder why
the police do not root out the criminals
and put an end to them. They do not
understand tho conditions. Terrorism y In
the air; the law IL paralyned. It Il the
Criminals and not the sworn defenders Of
the law who arc boldfaoed and stout
kneed. Why do they proclaim the crimes
they intend to commit It IL because they
invite conflict with the authorities; thsy
wish to DO hunted; they depend upon oppo- |
sition to swell their ranks and TO bring on |
the full tide Of outlawry, communism and |
revolution they are trying e .pra@pitatssl
-FAe -ettAheF 4AeadeRe Is eRlJ-ohe- -la1Ro
number Of the kind. Four weeks ago |
several armed men presented themselves |
at small country estate little south Of |
Wilma and demanded 100 rublss. They !
said they wore agents for the revolutionary |
at Wilma and were raising |
funds for the cause. Their written message
was carried to the proprietor, who said he
would give them shot instead Of rubles. |
He was 80 excited that the family feared |
they would all DO murdered II he were per-
mitted to deal with the fellows. His wife
finally went out TO see them.
She asked them on what authority they
demanded the money. They said on the
authority Of the revolutionary committee.
But, she protested, the paper they pro-
sented bore no seal or other mark Of leeiti-
macy. No. unfortunately, there had been
30 many documents TO stamp and this one
had somehow been overlooked. But they
wanted the money and intended to get II
pne way or another. What guarantee was
there that no further demand upon the
family would be madei Their word Of
honori She would receive a receipt for the
money tomorrow.
Well, the men had guns and threatened
murder. Tho lady paid the money. It
vas a case Of plain holdup. but there was
no redress. The facts were reported to the
police, but nothing was done. This 90
,urred In one Of tho most densely peopled