The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1905-05-14
Agitators Are Urging the
WOrkmen to Celebrate May
Day With Demonstrations
and to Resist the Police
BOMBS AND PISTOLS
IN HANDS OF MANY
Garrison at st. Petersburg
Is Reinforced and. Thou
sands of COssacks Are on
Duty Throughout City

ST. PETERSBURG, May 13.-To-
morrow, the Russian May day. Is
awaited with nervousness both by the
public and the authorities. The revo-
lutionary agitators would like to make
it another red Sunday in every city
of the empire and everywhere are urg-
ing workmen to celebrate the fete with
Enforcement demonstrations and
to resist with arms if the police and
troops interfere.
The agitators are covertly aided by
Radicals, who have not the courage to
come out in the open and who are try
ing to pave the way to set up the cry
of shooting down of innocents in the
event of bloodshed by warning the au-
thorities that the meetings are intend
ed to be pacific; but a perusal of the
countless proclamations with which
the St Petersburg streets are flooded
proves conclusively that it is really in
tended to percipitate collisions. Many
workmen are said to be armed with
bombs and revolvers and a large stock
of pistols of an automatic repeating
type, smmugled in for the revolution
lists, are being offered for sale to the
initiated at cost price.
even those of radical views, realizing
the futility of bloodshed, are counsel
ing the workmen not to jeopardize
their lives uselessly. The police also
have issued systematic warnings.
Nevertheless, disdaining the advice of
we'll wishers and defying the warn
ings of the police, the Social Demo-
Gratis and Social Revolutionists have
hi he
Smolensk Field on Vassili Island, at
the Preobrajnsk Cemetery on the
Schusselburg Chausee, where some of
the victims of January % are buried;
at the Petropavslov Park in the VII
borg quarter; at several places in the
Putiloff district and at other indus
trial centers. 1t is almost too much
to hope the day will pass in Russia
without collisions or bloodshed.
Governor General Trepoff and Di-
rector Of Police Kovalensky, while ex-
pressing the hope that all will be quiet
tomorrow, as far as st. Petersburg is
concerned, admit the possibility of
disorders At the same time they in
sisted that if blood is spilled the re-
sponsibility must rest on those who de-
liberately provoke it.
Elaborate precautions have been
taken. The garrison of the city was
further reinforced during the week
and a large detachment of Don Cos
sacks arrived tonight. They stared
open-eyed at their view of the st.
Isaac's Cathedral and other sights of
the big city as they rode to their quar-
ters. Twenty-Five thousand Cossacks
were stationed tonight in various
quarters of the city, principally in the
outskirts, and all of the guard regi-
ments are under arms. but specific
written orders issued by Prince Vas
silchikoff, Grand Duke Vladimtr's aid,
who will be in active command, with
orders that they must not fire unless
actually attacked. Special orders
have been given to the Cossacks, who,
with the gendarmerie, will be used
to dispense the crowds, to not even
draw their cutlasses unless in the event
of a Cossack being killed or wounded,
but to employ their whips freely If
necessary to scatter demonstrators.
QUIET BEFORE STORM.
Peaceful crowds, if not organized
for demonstrating, will be permitted
to assemble. To-day there was no
sign of approaching trouble. The
workmen paid their accustomed Satur-
day visits to the lighthouses and went
shopping in the town and otherwise en-
joyed the half holiday. There was no
indication of the tension apparent on
the eve of the trouble of January %.
At Goulyance Park. beyond the Putt
loft industrial quarter, there was a ira
diional promenade Of girls Of the
poorer classes before prospective
benedicts and the merry-making was
as noisy and hearty as ever.
The peasants Of the district Of Ser
gatel. Government Of Nizhni Novgorod,
have risen and set fire to several prop
critics. They are preventing all work
in the fields.
ODESSA. May IA bomb factory
has been discovered in the sailors
quarter Of Odessa. Six bombs ready
for use were found on the premises.