The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-01-24
ATTEMPT To 0VERAWE
ST. PETERSBURG STRIKERS

once he mas heard or their grievances
they will receive justice. They said that
what was wanted were shorter hours
and more pay and also political liberty:
but the ideas of most Of the men on
the latter subject are rudimentary and
they could not exactly explain them,
the only concrete conception being that
they wanted a condition such as exists
in Germany.
It is not that they did not want any
Emperor at all. They declared their
peaceful intentions and said they did
not want to fight. They seemed to en-
tertadn little fear of being shot down.
1.-THE soldiers are on our side" sad
one of the leaders. They may fire on
the palace but not on u.s."
Not one of the Gyorkmen raised a voice
against the Emperor though they did
not spare some of the imperial family,
especially Grand Duke Alexis, who with
others, they charged with being respon-
sible for Russia's defeat in the war in
the far east, saying that they kept The
Emperor in ignorance of the true situ2-
ton. Some of them repeated current
gossip about Granke Duke Alexis and
the Russian fleet.
We know what happened in a thea
tre some time ago when his mistress
came On the stage covered with Jewels,
said one of the men. '"The galleries
Kissed her and the people cried out
| Take them off, they are not diamonds,
but drops Of Russian blood"
! Late tonight it was reported that q
strike had been declared in the paper
mills in Finland and rumors are that
| if blood is spilled here today there will
be many serious risings throughout the
land. The run1ors, however probably
belong to the crop of sensational sto-
ries with which the city is filled. Pri-
vate letters from Helsingfors received
by the Associated Press tonight do not
give the slightest dntimat ton of the i'm
minence of a movement among the
Firms.
. Father Gopon has sent a letter to
Minister of the interior Prince Sviato-
! polklMirsky begging that Emperor
! Nicholas appear at the winter palace
| Sunday. The text of the letter follows:
! Your excellency: Workmen Of all
in st. Petersburg wish to see the En-
| peror at o'clock p. m, January z2no
in the square at the winter palace in or
| der to personally express to him the
| needs of all the Russian people. I am
| assured by all workmen, my co-labor-
| ers and comrades, and even by alleged
| revolutionaries, that his majesty has
nothing to fear. His personal safety is
| assured. Let him come as the true en-
| peror, with courageous heart, to his
people to receive the petition from oul
hands that is demanded by regard fol
his own welfare, as we'll as for that OF
| tn einhabitants of st. Petersburg anC
Russia. Otherwise the moral bond hith-
| erto existing between the emperor anc
the people will be broken.
| ''It is your excellency's high duty te
| the emperor and to the entire people ol
| Russia to communicate the foregoing te
his majesty the emperor today without
| delay and also the contents OF our petl-
ton attached hereto. Say to the en-
peror that l. together with many work
| men and thousands of people Of Russia
| am irrevocably resolved with my faith
| in him to proceed to the winter palace
in order that he may show his faith by
deeds and not by manifestos.'
The document is signed by Father
GopOn and eleven representatives OF
sections of the workmens union.
Father Gopon had long interview
with Minister of Justice Muravieff to-
| day and the minister took formal cognl-
| zance of the demands of the strikers
He said that every one must do his
| duty and act in accordance with his
| convictions.