The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1905-09-14
KILL AND eURN AT BAKU.
Rioters In oaucnsin Bey ond Control Of
Troops.


Anarchy reignS without n rival in
the Caucasus. The troops are power
less to protect the people. who in a
mad panic have been fleeing from
Raku. Martial law has been proclaim
ed in outlying towns. but it has no
effect in curbing the rioters in their
mad lust for blood. Fire and massa-
ere have nuliified every semblance of
law.
The principal fighting is not in Baku
itself. but at Balakhan, where hun
;ireds have been shot by the infantry
ana artillery ANA where 1890 were
Killed or wounded during desperate
attack on the military camp and pro-
vision depot. The troops sustained few
casualties.
\ large number of workmen barri-
caded themselves in the Balakhan hos
pital. The soldiers began the attack
with rifle fire and then stormed the
hospital and completed their work with
the bayonet. The entire oil and COM
mercial quarters of Balakhan. Sabunto
and Nomani have been wiped out by
fire and the inhabitants remaining be-
hind We're nlassacreI and thrown on to
the flames
The c0nsulates. banks and admins
tration buildings in Baku are guarded
by troops. All of the English residents
and almost all other inhabitants of the
better class have boarded ships ana
gone to sea to escape from danger. All
available steamers have been employ
ed for this purpose. Nobody is allow
ed on the streets of Baku after 8
o'clock at night and inhabitants of
houses are held strictly responsible
for shots fired from them. Artillery
was employed against one house from
We're preached, the house was stormed
and the people inside were killed.
Following is a brief review, in Sc
quence, of the events of the last few
days as witnessed at Baku:
On the afternoon of Saturday reports
began running from mouth TO mouth
that the Tartars and Armenians were
massacring each other. Immediately
there was great alarm and a panic pre-
vailed Stores were closed and windows
and doors were barricaded. Twenty min
utes later sounds of rifle firing were
heard from the various quarters Of the
city and everybody wished to flee, but
nc one could tell whether safety lay
within or without the city.
Two hours later patrols of Cossacks
and other soldiers armed with rifles be-
gan to arrive from the barracks and
these troops Immediately engaged the
rioters. The firing between the warning
factions continued all of Saturday night.
Sunday the situation showed no improve
ment and firing was in progress all dur
ing the day, the streets being deserted
except for the combatants.
At s o'clock Sunday evening the first
reflection on the sky of fire in the back
town" quarter was noticed, and it was
learned that the Nobel oil reservoirs
were burning.
Sunday night was more fearful than
the preceding ones. Fires broke out in
several quarters and the firing of the
troops was uninterrupted.
Fires also were started in the suburbs
of Balakhan and Sabunto. Telephone
communication between Baku and these
points was destroyed and it was impossi-
BILE to ascertain what was burning Mon
day morning.
Many of the inhabitants decided TO
brave the dangers in an effort TO leave
the city. They went in cabs surrounded
by Cossacks to the railroad station, and
the fight from the city soon became gen
eral.
Monday night the burning. shooting,
killing and piiiaging continued, and a
refinery which was in flames beyond
Bibiebat lit up the sky in that dlrec-
ton. A big woodward in Baku also
caught fire and a strong wind Tanned
the flames. which soon spread to Nikitin
circus and adjacent houses.
The fire continued all of Tuesday,
breaking out in several new places, en-
bracing the railroad station and num-
her of Armenian houses in different quar-
ters of the city.
During Wednesday. fugitives from
Balakhan began TO arrive here and told
of the indescribable horrors they had
witnessed. All the oil works there. they
said, were in the hands of Tartars. who
were pillaging the houses of Russian and
Armenian workmen. carrying away ey-
erything of value and then burning the
buildings. Ten thousand workmen, they
said would be left in poverty.
At s O'clock "Wednesday afternoon the
situation was somewhat quieter. Tar
tars and Armenians were running
through the streets crying Peace. and
a little later procession made up OF
both races. with clergymen at its head
went through the town. But these ef'
forts toward a cessation of the fighting
were not effective. tOr the firing went
ON all Wednesday night. The soldiers
however. continued their efforts 10 re-