The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1905-07-06
WILL TORPEDO
BATTLESHIP
A VOLUNTEER CREW IS SENT
AGAINST KNIAG POTEMKINE.
AFRAID TO RISK A BATTLE
Russian Naval Authorities Doubtful
if Men of Black Sea Fleet Can Be
Depended Upon. Fired On By
Romanians.

ST. Petersburg. According to a dis
patch received by an official agency
the torpedo boat destroyer Snesilvy
with volunteer crew has sailed from
Odessa with the intention of captur-
ing the Kniaz Potemkine.
Odessa.-It is reported on good au-
thority that the Kniaz Potemkine will
be sunk as soon as good opportunity
offers.
The naval authorities here. are OF
the opinion that the best way to deal
with the mutinous battleship would
be to send a torpedo boat against her.
It should be remembered that the
Kniaz Potemkine is a very powerful
vessel and that if fought by cruisers
or battleships she would be more than
a match for any two or three Of the
Black sea ships.
BY sending torpedo vessels against
the vessel the authorities feel that as
the crews on the torpedo boats are
small compared with those Of the bat
tleships small number Of men could
probably better be relied on to exc
cute orders to sink a vessel containing
their countrymen and comrades than
could the crews of the larger vessels.
The situation is complicated by the
fact that the spirit of insubordina-
ton is by no means lacking on board
other of the Black sea fleet. 1t is re-
ported, and the report is credited
that the crews Of other warships de-
cline to fire on the Kniaz Potmkine
when she steamed out of Odessa.
Reports from Sebastopol were 70
the effect that the crew of the Eka-
terina II were paid off and sent ashore
to barracks there because they could
no longer be trusted.
The situation of the men on the
Kniaz Potemkine must be desperate.
If they do not surrender it is believed
they will 90 to some Black sea port,
not in Russia, leave the ship and take
their chances Of getting away over
land.
The Kniaz Potmkine was reported
to be at Kustenji, Roumania, demand
ing supplies. 1t is reported also that
several Jewish agitators went on
board the Kniaz Potmekine while she
was here and that they are the NOV
ing spirits Of the mutiny, that the
mutineers found about $4,000 in the
ships strong box and that they are
fighting among themselves, many be-
ing killed or wounded. 1t is impossi-
BILE, however, to verify these state
ments.
Recent developments concerning the
mutiny on the Georgi Pobeidonosetz
seem to show that the men on board
the battleship were coerced by those
Of the Kniaz Potemkine. In any event
they ceased their mutinous conduct at
the first opportunity which probably
accounts for the fact that the ma jor-
1ty OF the crew were pardoned on
again swearing allegiance to the en-
peror. Sixty-seven of them have been
imprisoned as ringleaders. The Geor-
81 Pobeidonostez will probably go to
Sebastopol. Those who brought about
the disorders and the strikers general
lv have had fearful lesson, but it is
an open question as to whether they
would not do the same thing over
again on provocation.
The soldiers are camped in the city
squares and some in the boulevards
The artillery, which was posted on
the coast close to Odessa, with the
guns trained toward the Kniaz Potem-
kline was removed. The city is being
constantly patrolled and detachments
are traversing the streets all the time.
The general situation in Odessa has
much improved but there is still a
feeling of nervousness. Those best
knowing the conditions are of the
opinion that the grayest danger now
lies in anti-Jewish risings. The Jews
here number about $4,000 to 100000
and they are deeply hated in Odessa.
The fact that they are credited with
bomb throwing during the recent dis
turbances, coupled with the fact the
police found large quantities of
bombs in the houses of two prominent
and wealthy Jews, has served to in
flame minds against them.
Cubans Fight Duel.