The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1905-12-22
CAPTAIN FORGOT
ForgetfuIness of Army Officer to In
form Soldiers of Promise Given to
Municipality Responsible For Fear
full Carnage and CrueIties-Peas-
ants Continue Their Campaign of
Destruction and Robbery.
[By Associated Press]


Refugee land owners are arriving
here. 1t is reported that there was
bloodshed at Talsen yesterday. Rev
olutionary peasants entrenched them
selves in their houses, from the
windows of which they fired on the
patrolling soldiers. 1t is estimated
that 40 infantrymen and cavalrymen
were killed or wounded.
Additional details OF the revolt at
Tukum, Courland, have been received
The revolt began December 12, when
the revolutionary municipality re-
quested Captain Won Mueller, who was
stationed there with SO infantrymen
and dragons, to withdraw the mill
tary patrol from the streets because
the inhabitants wished to establish a
civil guard. The captain agreed to
this, but forgot to inform his soldiers,
who upon resuming guard duty were
encountered by armed agitators. The
leaders of the latter shouted that they
had received from Won Mueller per-
mission to carry arms, but the soldiers
fired on the agitators and a fight en-
sued in which Is persons were killed.
December 13 the soldiers buried
their comrades, but the people fired on
the funeral procession from the
windows of their homes.
Second Fight Takes Place.
More dragons arrived and another
fight occurred The soldiers finally
were compelled to retire with 10
wounded, leaving Tukum in the hands
of 5000 armed revolutionaries.
The same evening a disguised
dragoon succeeded in bringing re-
port of the affairs to the governor gen
eral, who was asked to send reinforce
ments. Meanwhile the revolution
aries barred the streets with entangle-
mentS.
Next morning the revolutionaries set
fire to the building in which the Off
GERS and 40 dragons were housed.
The officers and men tried to escape,
but were prevented by the entangle-
ments and were fired on by the revolu-
tionaries from the windows of houses,
resulting in the killing of Captain Won
Mueller and "a dragons and the
wounding of an officer and 13 privates.
Only three escaped. The revolution
aries then frightfully mutilated the
dead soldiers.
The next day five companies of re-
Inducements, with three guns, arrived,
but the revolutionaries compelled
them to retire by fullisade from the
windows.
General Chorounchenko then order
ed the artillery to lombard the town.
Many of the inhabitants, who had not
learned of the arrival of reinforce
ments, thought that terrorists were
throwing bombs and they fled panic
stricken in all directions. The troops
surrounding the town fired on the peo-
pie and killed, according to refugees,
400 of them. The bloodshed lasted
from 8 o'clock in the evening until
o'clock in the morning, when the
toWnsmen surrendered. The leaders
of the revolutionaries, however, es-
capped. TWo-thirds of the inhabitants
fled the town. A sanitary train start
ed from Riga yesterday for Tukum.
Similar occurrences are reported
from Goldingen and Talsen, to which
places reinforcements have been sent.
No details of these disturbances are
yet available.
Many Estates Destroyed.
Meanwhile peasants continue to
destroy the estates of the nobility and
a total of so estates are reported to
have been burned down
Baron Won Wolf was pulled out OF
his bed by peasants, but succeeded in
escaping. He reached Riga without
clothing and is now seriously i'll
Baroness Won Wolf, who was the we'll
known Italian actress, Alice Barri, ar
rived here in a sledge. The baroness
has cared for, fed, clothed and taught
hundred peasant children in their es-
tate at Stomersee. The peasants
burned their castle and robbed it of
valuables, which they are now selling
at ridiculous prices. For instance,
four horses were offered for $40.