The Penn's Grove record., 1905-07-07
THE POTEMK|NE A PIRATE
M%utlneers Issued Proclamation De-
claring War on All Russian Ships.
OFFICIAL STORY OF TROUBLE

me Potempkine Issued Notice to Powers
That She Would Attack All Vessels of
the Czar-Must Join Mutineers or Risk
a Sinking - Rebel Battleship Seized
Coal From an italian Collier.
odessa, Russia.-The m~utineers OH
The battleship Kniaz Potemkine de-
clared war on the Russian marine.
with a desperation born of necessity
she seized an Italian collier and re-
plenished her empty coal bunkers; and
with a boldness that passes belief she
issued a proclamation of war on all
Russian vessels refusing to join the
cause of mutiny.
Meanwhile the spirit of mutiny
spread to the merchant marine. A
transport crew near S%ebastopol mu-
tinted and murdered its officers, and
all Russia has been fervidiy called up
on by the e~ver-active revolutionaries
to rise in a general revolution.
The Government story of the events
at Odessa, as published in the Official
Messenger, has been in great part al
ready covered in the statements made
in official quarters and cabled to the
United States since the commencement
OF the outbreak. After detailing the
activity of the Socialist Revolutionary
Committee in stirring up the strikers
ashore and the arrival of the mu-
tinous crew of the battleship Kniaz
POtemkine at Odessa on June 81, the
account proceeds:
"Mutiny of the war ships provided
he Revolutionary Committee with a
good opportunity to influence the
masses. The committee visited the
battleship and assured the mutineers
that the garrison of Odessa had laid
down its arms and that the whole
Black Sea squadron had Joined hands
with the crew of the Kniaz Potemkine.
According to eye witnesses, officers
took an active part in the councils on
board the battleship, especially two
young cadets. The result of the an
archist intrigues among the workmen
and mutinous sailors became immedi-
ltely evident. The troops were un-
able to use their arms against the
crowds of WOrkmen in the vicinity of
The harbor for fear of the possibility
Of an %enflading fire from the battle
ship. The harbor, therefore, was at
the mercy of the mob, which pillaged
warehouses and vessels. preached
casks of wine and spirits and started
a drunken orgie.
with nightfall the fires started by
thn nations caon. of&ofnal {oru{hlo 1T
mansions. Nearly everything in the
harbor was destroyed, the mob refus-
ing to allow the firenen to fight the
flames. Among the property destroyed
were the warehouses and stores of
the Russian Navigation and Commerce
Company, the agency and stores of
the Danube Navigation Company, the
Bats stores on the Platanof piers, the
Odessa Harbor railroad station, the
Harbor Masters offices, part of the
warehouses of the Russian Navigation
Trading Company, and of the Roseysky
and Roshnine companies CT the new
pier, the shipping Office on Platanoff
Pier, part of the coal depot, all of the
buildings of the Quarantine Harbor,
and twenty wagons and six steamers
belonging to various companies. The
railway freight sheds were pillaged
and many rioters and looters were
burned alive while intoxicated.
Several times during the night of
June % the mob attacked the troops
and police with revolvers. but every
time they were scattered by a volley
from the soldiers. The number of riot
ers killed or wounded is not yet known,
but mus exceed several hundreds. The
damage can only be estimated in mil
lions of roubles.
This story confirms the report that
the Kniaz Potemkine OH the evening
of June 30 fired three blank shots, as
prescribed by the Russian naval code
for the funeral of a sailor, and fol
lowed these up with two live shots.
destroying part Of a house. Otherwise
the battleship did nc damage. The
Government report then proceeds to
relate the arrival of Rear-Admiral
Kruger's squadron during the morning
of June 80, as follows:
"As the squadron approached the
Odessa pier the Kniaz Potemkine
cleared for action, advanced to meet it
and cut through it's line. AS the
Kniaz Potemkine passed the mutt
neers received an ovation from the
crew of the Georgi PobledonosetZ.
Rear-Admiral Kruger thereupon sig
nailed the squadron to swing around
and return to Se%bastopol but the crew
of the Georgi Pobledonosetz prevented
that vessel from following. and put
ashore all their officers, disarmed, with
the exception of Lieutenant Grigorieff,
who blew out his brains.
"On the advice of the revolutionists
a committee of twenty was elected to
take charge of the vessel under the
direction of a boatswain's mate and
apparently against the l%atter's will.
Dissension prevailed among the crew,
only part of which was influenced by
the revolutionists and wanted to fol-
low the Kniaz Potemkine. The latter
threatened to fire on the Georgi Po-
bledonosetz if she tried to rejoin the
squadron at ~Sebastopol. The anti
revolutionary section, however, ulti-
mately gained the upper hand, and
when in the afternoon of July 1 the
two battleships weighed anchor the
Georgi Pobledonosetz put on full
speed, entered the harbor and sent the
boatswain's mate and some sailors