Los Angeles herald., 1905-01-25
ST. PETERSBURG WILL
BE DECLARED IN STATE
OF SIEGE THIS MORNING

VT ttlI0
ST. PETERSBURG, Jan. 24-St.
Petersburg will be declared in a state
of siege tomorrow. Gen. Trepoff. until
recently chief of police of Moscow, has
been appointed governor general of
st. Petersburg and has taken up quar-
ters in the winter palace. Strangely
enough, the only precedent is the case
of Gen. Trepoff's father during the
reign of nihilistic terrorism under Alex
ander H., and it is also a strange COIN
cidence that unsuccessful attempts
were made on the lives of both. Gen.
Trepoff is a man of great energy, but
the measures he adopted at Moscow
for suppressing the student demonstra-
tions in December last provoked much
resentment and the revolutionists re-
Gently condemned him to death.
The aspect of the Russian capital is
decidedly more calm. Business which
had been at a complete standstill, has
been resumed upon a limited scale. The
employees in fe wof the smaller fac
tories went back to work today and
the crowds of strikers in the streets
were diminished. The troops in evil
Monday and a more confident feeling
exists in official circles that the ener-
getic measures which have been in
augurated will insure the safety and
quiet of the city.
Beneath the surface, however, the
nd ha
vousness and apprehension as to fu-
ture developments is still unallayed.
Secret meetings of different classes
in opposition to the existing order of
things were. held in various places dur
ing the afternoon and evening, but the
divergent elements, which were sud-
denly brought together by the tragic
events of last Sunday, are advancing
on divergent plans, and no common
ground of action has yet been found.
Many Arrests Made
In the meantime the police are ac-
lively searching out the leaders. Three
we'll known Russian authors and a
prominent editor were arrested today
and the prisons are filled with agita-
tors, revolutionists and student orators.
Such measures may result in bomb
throwing and terrorism tomorrow; but
the consensus of opinion is that the
immediate future actions of the agita-
tors depend upon what occurs in
Moscow and other large cities of Rus
sia, where the workmen are beginning
to strike. over 100000 men are out in
the old capital of the empire tonight !
A telephone message from Moscow at
midnight reported that there will be a
big demonstration there tomorrow and
it is feared that it will be accom- |
panied by bloodshed
The question confronting the military
at Moscow is much more serious than
that in ST. Petersburg. Out of 1,00O, 900
inhabitants of Moscow over two-thirds |
are Workmen, including an exceeding
ly rough and turbulent element The
troops there are fewer and the city |
does not lead itself like st. Peters
burg to natural barriers to prevent the |
congregation of men. The center of |
the town has no bridges and no ca
nails, and hills and narrow streets
make it difficult for troops to act.
Only the gates piercing the walls of
the old Chinese town which surround
the Kremlim would afford the mill
tary natural places to bar demonstra-
tors.
At Kolvno and Wilma, where strikes
have also been begun, the workmen are
the st. Petersburg plan OF
about the city and inducing
or forcing other workmen to leave their
employment.
The windows and doors Of practically
every shop and residence in st. Peters
burg are boarded up. and at midnight
The streets, as on Monday night. were
deserted, except for troops.
During the day there was a great
crop Of sensational rumors, including
stories OF strikers marching on Kol-
pino TO seize the small arms factory
there. and of the assassination of Gen.
Fulton, the chief Of police OF st. Pet
ersburg. all of which on investigation
have turned out to be false. The in
habitants have again been warned TO
remain indoors.
II is not known definitely whether
Father Gopon, the leader OF the work
men, Is In Moscow or In ST. Peters