The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1905-01-26
ST. PETERSBURG IN DREAD.
The Crisis is Near at Hand and
Revolution Iminent.

| n6VOIuIlUH tWIH6nI,
st. Petersburg, Jan. g.. I:05 a. m.-
Despite official assurances at midnight that
the situation was well in hand and that
ample steps had been taken to protect tn g
vast Industrial reaction of St. Petersburg
and Insure the safety of the city, the
greatest uneasiness for to-day pervades the
entire population.
Picked troops are stationed ct various
points in the city, and each house contains
a miniature garrison, with geadarmes in
the court yards and machine guns ready
for the first emergency. The Winter Palace
Is strongly picked, with Grand Duke
Vladimir In command. Final instructions
were issued tonight.
The plan Of The government is to prevent
the workmen from coming to the center of
the city ,to-oay by guarding gates and
bridges. A collision, therefore, Is belieyed
to be more likely to occur in the outskirts
Of St. Petersburg. Meantime the strikers
are carrying out their original programme.
The few mills and factories remaining
active In the city were closed during the
day, one Of the last of them being the
government powder mill. Strike leaders
visited every shop in the city, and all Of
them, even those OF butchers and bakers
and laundries, were closed Traffic was
stopped on the street car lines, the men
having Joined the strikers.
Preparations for big demonstration at
Winter Palace square ut 3 o'clock to-day
have not been suspended, although the
leaders have been warned that Il cannot
take place and the Emperor will not be
there. The workmen are convinced that
his majesty will appear and listen to the
grievances set forth in the petition.
The deputation which on Friday took
the invitation to Emperor Nicholas to at
tend the meeting having failed to gain
access to his majesty, Father Gsron to-day
sent it by his secretary to Interior Minister
Svistopolk-Mirsky.
During the day, Antcnius, Metropolitan
Of st. Petersburg, formally excommunicat-
ed Father Gopon, on the ground that he
was causing the people to rise against the
Emperor, the head Of the Church.
Rumors that the troops have plainly in
dicated their sympathy with the strikers,
and if it comes to onlIissioA they will re-
fuse to Are upon them, are everywhere rife
aud the workmen themselves and thorough
ly convinced that such il the case. But
the authorities maintain that the loyalty
of the troops is beyond question pointing
out that the only time the Russian regi-
ments showed treachery was in the De-
cembr!st revolution of 1921, when the
guard regiments participated, but they
say that the troops then were practically
soldiers of fortune returning after the
Napolenic wars, imbued with the rcvolu-
tionary ideas OF France. It is fnlly realized
however, that il the troops mutiny or
actually Join the workmen that the govern
ment will be faced not only with riot but
with revolution.
Father Gopon,> at the request OF Minister
of Justice Muravieff, went to the Minister
of Justice to-day and had long interview
with M. Muravieff, at which the Minister
tried to dissuade him from his programme
for Sunday.
Fatner Gopon, however, could not be
budged, and At the end Of the interview
left, saying. "We must each do our duty
according to tho light given us."