The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1905-02-15

| frozen river and canals on the ice by
twos and threes, hurrying to the Pal
ace Square, where they were sure the
Emperor would be present to hear
them.
But the street approaches to the
square were cleared by volleys and
Cossack charges. Men and women, in
| furiated to frenzy by the loss Of loved
| ones, cursed the soldiers while they
retreated.
Men harangued the crowds, telling
| them that the Emperor had foiled them
and that the time had come to act.
Strikers. began to build barracades in
the Nevsky Prospect. and at other
| points, using any material that came
to hand, and ven chopping down teie-
| graph poles.
Fighting meantime continued at va
| rious places, soldiers firing volleys and
| charging the mob. The whole city was
in q state of panic. Women were run
| ming through the streets seeking lost
members of their families. Several
barbados were carried by the troops.
Toward s o'clock in the evening the
| crowds, exhausted, began to disperse,
leaving the military in possession. AS
they retreated up the Nevsky Prospect
the workmen put out all the lights.
The little chapel at the Narva Gate
was wrecked.
On Kaminostoy Island all the lights
were extinguished.
J., There was 4 very dramatic scene at
| the NarTa Gate when Father Gopon,
in golden vestments and bearing aloft
an ikon, and flanked, by two clergy
men carrying religious banners, ap-
| preached at the head of a procession Of
5000 workmen.
Troops were drawn up across the en-
| trance. Several times an officer called
upon the procession to stop, but Father
| Gopon did not falter. Then an order
was given to fire, first with blank cart
ridges. Two volleys rang out, but the
line still did not wayer.
Then, with seeming reluctance, an
| officer gave the command 10 load with
ball, and the next yolley was followed
by shrieks Of the wounded.
/ As the CossackS followed up the vol
ley with a charge the workmen fed
before them, leaving about 100 dead
or wounded.
It was evident that the soldiers de-
liberately spared Father Gopon. One
Of the clergymen by his side was
wounded, but he escaped untouched
and hid behind a wall until the Cos
sacks had passed. He was then spirit
ed away by workmen.
At the Palace Square early In the
morning a considerable crowd of dem
onstrators lined the ratings of the Ad-
miralty Gardens and Boulevard. The
square itself presented the appearance
of a military encampmeIt.
Several companies of the Pay!ovsky
and Preobrajensky Guards had piled
their arms, while the men were sitting
around campfres or stamping on the
snow to keep warm. Beyond the in
fantry stood squadrons of the Chevalier
Guards and the Horse Guards, with
out their lances, cuirasses or the usual
gay trappings.
A whole row of ambulances drawn
up near the palace served as a grim
reminder of the stern business on
haEd.
The order came at $50 p. m. to clear
off the crowd. The Colonel command
ing the Horse Guards uttered 4 short.
sharp command: the troopers drew
their swords and advanced at 4 quick
trot, and then broke into q gallop,
headed straight for the Moika.
Shrieks from the wounded reSounded.
Then came silence. broken only by the
galloping of ambulance horses.
At the corner of the Admiralty Gar
dens the crowd persisted in refusing
to move on.
Two companies of the Preobrajensky
Guards, Of which Emperor Nicholas
himself was formerly Colonel, which
had been standing at ease in front of
the palace, formed up and marched at
double quick toward the fatal corner.
Events followed with awful swift
ness.
The commanding officer shouted
"Disperse! Dispense. Disperse!!'
Many in the crowd turned to flee, but
it was too late. A bugle sounded and
the men in the front ranks sank to
their knees and both companies fired
three volIeys, the first two with blank
cartridges and the last with ball.
A hundred corpseS strewed the side
walk. Many women were pierced
through the back as they were trying
to escape.
So the work Of terror went on until
4 o'clock, when came the browning