Los Angeles herald., 1905-06-30
KNIAz sATTLEsHIP HELD BY REVoLUToNIsTs


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reliability of the troops are being
repeated in st. Petersburg
Doubts Sailors Loyalty
The precautions to keep the news
from becoming public have been in
vain, the revolutionaries having means
OF communication everywhere, and
within twenty-four hours It will be
known to the uttermost corners of the
empire.
When the news reaches the army in
Manchuria it is bound to create a deep
impression. The authorities, however
realizing that it will be certain to leak
out and that there would be exagger-
ations, gave biased versions of it to
pave the way for a formal announce
ment without details.
The temper of the Black sea sailors
is known to be bad and the inclination
of Krugers sailors to obey the sum-
mons to go to Odessa was by no means
general
Among others Vice Admiral Skrydloff
openly expressed the opinion that the
blue jackets of Kruger's ships would
not fire on their comrades on board the
Kniaz Potemkine, but that on the
contrary they might revolt should they
be ordered to shoot.
Fear More Mutinies
Admiral Skrydloff was of the opin-
ion that the best course would be TO
allow the crew of the Kniaz Potemkine
to remain on board until it had been
starved into submission.
In this connection the story is current
that the crew of the battleshp cap
tured two English ships loaded with
provisions and is holding them along
side
AS far as is known here Admiral
Kruger, although due at odessa early
last evening, had not arrived up to
midnight and this gave rise to rumors
that the crews had actually seized the
other ships of the squadron.
Dispatches received here from Odes.
sa do not make the situation very clear.
Millions of dollars worth of property,
otherwise destroyed. The city is ter
ror-stricken and many, probably hun
dreds, have been killed or wounded in
the street fighting. The fact that the
troops and police made no attempt TO
interfere with the burial of the mar
tyred sailor is considered to be conclus-
i've evidence that they either felt
themselves powerless or feared to make
the attempt on account of the attitude
of the populace.
Ships Commander Captured
Under cover of the darkness pro-
duced by the dense pail of smoke
hanging over the city, it is reported,
the mob has begun to sack and plum
der. Foreign property has suffered
heavily.
In naval circles the cause of the mu-
tiny on board the Kniaz Potemkine is
attributed principally to the severity
of the vice admiraps regime. He is a
martinez of a most severe type, and
several of his sailors have already
been shot for disobedience
At the time of the mutiny a court
martial was actually in progress at
Sebastopol and several of the crew of
the battleship had been sentenced by it.
The accepted version in st. Peters,
burg Is that the vessel was captured
by a ruse. When she arrived in the
offing at Odessa the Kniaz Potemkine
signaled the captain TO come on board.
When he appeared at the gangway he
was seized and the boats crew being
informed of the situation returned and
led their comrades against the other
officers, whom they placed in irons.
Submarines in Harbor
Late dispatches from Libau say that
property losses there are considerable,
and that all the workingmen have gone
out in sympathy with the action Of
the bluejackets.
Private reports are said to have been
received according to which artillery
was employed against the mutineers
but this had not been confirmed, nor
is there at hand any statement giving
the number killed or wounded.
Four submarine boats are moored at
the quays in the harbor, but a dispatch
from Simon Lake says they are under
guard and are yet undamaged."
The mutiny at Libau following on the
heels of the events at Odessa, gave rise
to the impression that it might be thu
result of a general plot among the sail
ors, but no connection between these
happenings has been established.
Up to midnight the bluejackets at
Kronstadt had made no move to indi-
cate their connection with the plot.