Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-15
REVOLUTION CERTAIN


Forty-three Russian refugees were
brought to Boston yesterday by the Cunard
line steamer Ivernia, which arrived from
Liverpool Among them were included
men. women and children, and they came
from Riga. Wilma, Kieff. Odessa and Kovno
All had escaped by various methods after
having fed from their homes on account Of
disturbances there.
Two men, Ephraim Groistascher, a
butcher, and Joseph D,ibovsky, wood
carver. both of Odessa, seemed to be lead
ers Of the refugees. They had left that
city at the time of the disturbances attend
ing the PRONUNCIATION of the emperors
manifesto in October. They described the
scenes at Odessa as those Of general
butchery, in which police. Cossacks and a
rabble participated on the one hand and
Jews and Christians, who were called upon
to defend themselves. on the other.
The fury of the mob did not seem to be
directed wholly against the Jews, but many
of that faith became victims. while Chris
tians and students, who in many cases were
neighbors and friends of the Jews, assisted
In defending them and were killed. The
refugees estimate that the victims number
ed ten Thousand during the week following
the Tuesday nearest our November 1.
In the midst of the disturbances, Rus
sian gunboats fired upon the city, appar-
emily for the purpose OF illuminating the
insurrectionist, and considerable damage
resulted.
No Freedom for the Country.
One of the Russian passengers was Miss
Olga Stroutman, school teacher from
Riga This woman, who declared that she
was a socialist, said that she had come
away from Russia not so much because
of the present disturbed conditions, but
more especially because she believed that
freedom never would come to the country,
and that revolution was certain. Miss
Etroutman left Riga fourteen days ago,
when the exciting scenes which had attend
ed the strike of a month previous had In
a great measure subsidized. and when the
people had gone back to work and some
of the schools had been reopened. More
than 100 were killed during the disturb
ances and several hundred were wounded
at Riga. The students, she SAID We're the
real leaders of the disturbance. They We're
about the streets armed and disguised In
civilian clothing.
The refusal Of the governor to carry out
some of the provisions of the emperors
proclamation, the woman said, was the
primary cause OF the distur Dances. The peo~
pie held meetings on the hilltops and de-
cIoed upon the strike To offset the action
of the people. the police were ORDERED 70
put on ordinary clothing and find out the
pans of the population. This caused ire
auent clashes One incident Miss Strout-
man described as follows:
Cut the Students to Death.
"One day In front OF my house two
students were held up by the police IN
civilian clothes. There was an altercatton
The police began cutting the students with
their swords. The students drew their re-
volvers and fred upon the officials. The
police then rallied and cut the students to
death"
Continuing. she said: 1.-THE people of
Riga, as we'll as of all Russia, believe that
the car is a man OF words, but of no
deeds In fact this has become proverb
among them They have returned to work,
but it is only to prepare for greater
struggle; for a revolution which will be
successful"
Marianne Bouke, also school teacher
of Riga, accompanied Miss Stroutman. She
confirmed the story told by her companion
and referred to the frequent attacks which
the police made upon the strikers.
She told OF having seen men and women
shot down In the streets. Many OF the
refugees who arrived yesterday left Rus
STA because they knew the country was
disturbed and feared that it would become
so much so that their liberty and lives
would be sacrificed.