Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1905-03-17
The Massacre In st. Petersburg-by an
Eye. Witness.

The fateful Sunday dawned bright and
frosty From the outskirts of ST. Peters,
burg came the workingmen in units, tens,
hundreds, thousands, unarmed and
hopeful. But all the bridges and other
avenues to the city had been occupied
overnight by Cossacks, guards, soldiers Of
the line, policemen. Bivouac fires burned
brightly in the snow covered streets,
rifles were stacked, troops were dancing,
playing. laughing. Artillery was osten-
tatiously wheeled over to the Basil island
St. Petersburg, in a word, wore the
vader. But the workingmen had no
misgivings. God might still be in heaven,
but the Car, to whom they had given
due notice OF their peaceful intention,
was no longer far away; he would surely
come from Tsarshoe- Selo to st. Peters,
burg and hear the hearts desire of these
the least OF his children Had he done
so he would have succeeded in accom-
plishing what neither Grand Duke
Vladimir, with his -Nihilistic league
nor Grand Duke Sergius with his Loyal
Workmen's democratic association, had
effected; he would have carried the lower
classes with him almost to a man and
deprived the Liberals of the support both
of the peasantry and of the workmen,
without whom no revolution is possible in
Russia. 1t was rare opportunity
worthy of a great or a good monarch.
Many of the extreme revolutionists
trembled lest the Car would go, as
Nicholas had gone, to his rebellious sub
jects fearlessly and bravely. But he
stayed in the apartments OF his palace
instead. He had put the Grand Duke
Vladimir in command and this parsonage
is reported to have exclaimed. IF l am
not Nicholas the Second, shall be a sec
ond Methodist" And he was He gave
his orders to PRINCE Vassilchikoff who
carried them out to the letter.
A general stan was got together; the
city of st. Petersburg was divided into
sections, of which each one was assigned
to a body of the troops; officers gathered
around a green table on which lay an
outspread map; adjutants came and went
continually; in word the game of war
was being played deliberately. Then the
invading army" was attacked in sections
and driven back with great Slaughter
individuals of both sexes and all ages
The man who carried the Cars portrait
was shot Dead the likeness pierced; tn.
priest Gapon, arrayed in his vestments
was borne down by his falling comrades;
men, women, children, were shot not like
the Japanese who are made prisoners If
unarmed, but like wild beasts. Boys
perched on the boughs OF leafless trees.
women clinging to the iron ratings of
public gardens, babies in their mothers
arms, passers-by who ran into adjacent
houses for shelter, were slain deliberately.
merciessly, gleefully. I saw Cossacks
grinning as they began their bloody work;
saw others Joke when the dead were
carried past them; and heard OF others
who boasted of inhuman deeds. God was
still in heaven, but the Car far away.
Aye, further than he has ever been since
Russia became an empire. An abyss now
separates him from his people And II
the Grand Duke Vladimir was not Mich
olas the Second he was in many respects
a second Nicholas-[E. ]. Dillon In the
Review of Reviews for March.