The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1905-12-26
AWFUL CARNAGE
General Doubassoff Discovers Plans of
RevoIutionaries for Armed Uprising
and Takes Prompt Action-Masses
Thousands of Troops and AS
sumes offensive-Fighting General
Throughout City.
[By Associated Press]


ST. Petersburg. Dec. %. 1155 p. m.
The situation at Moscow tonight is
exceedingly critical. A regular battle
is raging in the streets of the city and
state of terror reigns.
A telephone message just received
by the Associated Press says that the
drumming machine guns, volleys by
infantry and booming of cannon can
be heard at intervals. The military
seems to- have the upper hand, al
though there are rumors that the gen
darmerie and Cossacks have revolted
and have refused to fire on the peo-
pie.
Armed Rising Ordered.
According to this telephone mes
sage, which was very confused, owing
to the excitement under which the
sender was laboring, the revolutionary
leaders had given the signal for the
armed rising of the proletariat at 6
o'clock this evening, but Governor
Doubassoff discovered their pans and
acted quickly. He massed $4,000
troops of all arms in the Red place,
under walls of the Kremlin, mount
ed machine guns in the towers OF the
old Chinese wall, posted artillery at
intervals encircling Tverskaia boule-
ward and placed a heavy detachment
of horse and light artillery at strategic
points. The first scene of butchery oc
Cured at o'clock, when the troops
and cannon, which were loaded with
grape, fired into a procession OF work
men carrying red flags and singing
revolutionary songs as they swung
into the boulevard. Since then there
has been almost continual fighting
somewhere in the city The workmen
threw up baricades at the Triumphal
arch, at two places in Doitrovsky
street and at another place, but all
were assaulted and carried by the
troops.
The principle resistance was at the
Triumphal arch, the defenders of the
barricade being armed only with re-
volvers They held their ground for
a time against the machine guns
One hundred and twenty student
militia, who were surrounded at Fid-
lers school made heculean stand, de-
Tending the place with bombs and re-
yolyers from windows. They killed
two officers and eight soldiers and
wounded many more before they sur
rendered with loss of five killed and
13 wounded.
Outlying districts are reported to be
in complete possession of the work
men, who are disarming all officers
and policemen caught beseiging resi-
dences The chief of police said that
to estimate the total number of casual
ties would be mere guesswork, but he
thinks they will probably run into the
hundreds.
st. Petersburg, 1920 a. m. Dec. "a
News of the terrible bloodshed at Mos
COW has created great sensation here
and renders the situation much .graver
1t furnishes necessary stimulus to fire
the waning passions of the proletarat
and their leaders can be relied upon to
use it to the fullest extent They
claim that their own reports show con
clusively that the troops were deliber
ately ordered to fire on. the peaceful
demonstrations in order to provoke a
general combat and that the only re
course left was to fight back in sell
defense. They also claim to have con
firmation of the reports that gendar
mes and some of the troops, including
artillery and Cossacks, have refused tc
obey the commands of their officers.
The walters union of st. Petersburg
struck yesterday and practically clos
ed all the restaurants and hotels by
forcing the walters, by threats OF vic
lence, to join the strike.