Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-12-11
ANOTHER CRISIS IN RUSSIA
Arrest Of WOrkingmen's Leader Likely TO
Precipitate a General Strike,
CHARGED He CONTEMPLATED REVOLUTION
Clash Between strikers and Police.
in which Several Are KILLED.
Also Serves TO Further
Inhane the POpuIace.

DTOlOnkdllOn OF Ine SIIlke, Ine DIODdb-t
immediate precipitation of a general strike
throughout Russia, and possible inal
struggle between the government and the
proletariat.
This sudden change for the worse is the
result Of the shedding OF the first blood in
the telegraph strike this afternoon almost
simultaneously with the action OF NJ. Dur
novo, minister of the interior. in throwing
down the gauntlet to the labor organiEa-
tons by arresting NJ Krustaleff, president
Of the executive committee of, the work
mems council, without warning.
About o'clock several companies of Co.'S
| sacks clattered through the streets leading
to the headquarters Of the council in Tar
govia street. Having barred the approaches
a force of troops and police surrounded the
| building, after which secret service men
rushed in aud seized Krustaleff. The latter
made no resistance and the affair was con-
Quoted quickly. 1t was impossible for Krus-
talef to conceal the papers of the organiza-
ton. in which the police evidently expect
to find evidence proving the ultimate ef
| feet TO be an armed uprising against the
government
A disturbance in which two strikers were
killed and a policeman and several others
wounded occurred at the same hour mme
diately in front of the general postoffce.
/ The strikers for two days have been seeking
to persuade the volunteer and regular car
| riers to refuse to work. At the door OF the
building today, the strikers, enraged by the
| refusal of the volunteers to quit, drew
| knives, whereupon n carrier attempted to
defend himself with a revolver. Both the
carrier and a companion were killed on the
spot
Saved by Bogus Bomb.
! A squad Of policemen was stood off by the
| strikers and workmen who sympathized
with them. Both sides exchanged a fierce
fuslllado, during which policemen and sew
eral workmen were wounded.
| AS the strikers were Withdrawing a Cos
sack patrol came gallopng to the rescue.
One Of the strikers turned and threw an
! imitation bomb and the Cossacks wheeled
In order to avoid what they presumed to
! be a deadly missile. The crowd managed
to get in an open courtway close to the
door and to escape.
! The news of the arrest Of Krustaleff
! created an immense sensation among the
| workmen. All the socialist labor and
! kindred organizations are holding a meet
| ing tonight. at which most innammatory
| speeches are being made in denuncation of
| the government and all are talking of
general strike in order to save their leader.
Krustalef, as he is called though that is
not his maine, is regarded as the brains of
| tire Evolutionary movement. He has dis
played genius in organizing both the indus
trial and political strikes which have ter
rorized the government. His offer of fnan-
cial support to the teegraphers yesterday
prevented collapse of their strike.
! In some quarters II is believed that the
4 Ao1N i,fv,
| gle with the workmen and the socialist or
ganizations is inevitable in January ar
rested Krustaleff with the intention of de-
liberately precipitating matters by chal-
! longing the organizations before they were
! fully prepared. This show of strength also
gives color to the support that the douma
! election law, which II is now expected will
! be promulgated next week, is to be fol-
| lowed by energetic measures 10 restore or
der, even If 1t be necessary to declare mar
| tial law in various parts of the empire on
| the ground that 1t would be impossible to
! hold the elections in the present state of
! the country. At the same time 1t is un-
! derstood that 1t Is the intention of the
government to 60 step further in the di-
Erection of appeasing the peasants by pro-
viding for purchase by them on the Install
ment plan of a portion Of the crown ap-
pendages and the private estates that have
been hypothecated to the government land
banks and unredeemed.
Fear a Revolution.
While such program undoubtedly would
receive the sympathy Of that section Of the
population which desires the restoration of
order above everything, especially of the
business interests like the manufacturers
Of St. Petersburg. who yesterday passed
resolution in favor of prosecuting the agi-
tators IN the full extent of the law, 1t
would provoke the socialists and revolution
aries TO desperation The moderate liberals
also believe that such a policy would he
suicidal and would be sure to bring in its
wake repression, then an armed conflict
with the proletarat, and finally a bloody
revolution.
Many persons believe that Count Witte
will not lend himself to such program, that
his fall is imminent and that when he goes
he will leave reaction and revolution face
to face. II is again rumored that the pre-
mier already has resigned and will be sue
ceeded by General Count Alexis Ignatieff
Another rumor is 10 the effect that Lieu
tenant General Mistchenko, one of the
heroes of the war in Manchuria, who is
now on his way TO St, Petersburg, will as
sumo the dictatorship.
| The Associated Press is unable to obtain
confirmation OF any of these rumors on
the contrary IL learns from high source
that Count Whites position, so far as the
emperor is concerned. is perfectly secure
and that his majesty is giving him the wild
est cooperation. Nevertheless, the count 5
failure TO accomplish something tangible
has caused him to lose ground steadily in
public opinion.
Even the Sovo the organ of the Legal
orders" turns savagely on him. declaring
that he is a failure and urging that IL will
be impossible to restore public confidence
until power has passed 20 the hands of the
douma, when Count witte must give way
to a cabinet selected by the national as
sembly.
The editors Of the newspapers are hold
ing a meeting tonight to determine their
attitude toward the new press law. In view
Of today's events # is practically certain
that they will vote to defy he law.
Moscow Strike AbatInE
MOSCOW Dec. 10-CVi Warsaw, Dec.
lO)-The strike Of the factory employees
Is abating. The majority OF the workmen
have resumed, accepting the stand OF the
employers, that ten hours shall consti-
tute a day.
Practical Mutiny at waraaw.
WARSAW, Dec. iO.-The ferment among
the troops is increasing. hundred soldiers
| ~ the KaNhoiua raRfn,ent bo.a.a