Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-07
BY RUSSIAN BLACK HUNDRED

sealed stove in the dining room. The
hoorings were next ripped up and tho
destructive hands. The plate glass WIN
dows hampered the crowd. they were
smashed to the accompaniment of shrieks
OF JOY that the property of bourgeois
was being DESTROYED. Some friends Df
the absent landlord. aghast at the ruina-
tion they saw, tried to get the police to
interfere. but the police said IL was no
business OF theirs and refused. At last
somebody who knew the inspector on
duty at the nearest police station man
aged to get him to send policeman and
some soldiers to the scene Of the orgie.
but they were soon bought over with
basins of vodka. got drunk and helped to
pull down the walls with their bayonets
The orgie terminated in the cellar,
where the mob repaired to take the watts
OF Pilsener beer up into the street; but,
finding them too heavy, they hacked then
into pieces. let the beer food the cellar.
drank il till they could drink no more and
finally lay down to sleep. On awaking
late in the evening they asked the res
taurant keeper for more drink. and as all
had been pilfered or consumed the night
before were uncommonly angry and de-
manded payment for their work" But
by this time the authorities seeing that
the remains of the restaurant were open
to the four winds of heaven. sent a strong
detachment of soldiers. who turned the
mob OF the premises. using the butts II
their rifles, and ordered the window
frames to be boarded up.
The fact that an innocent man lost
property worth two or three thousand
dollars because one OF his tenants did not
choose to pay his rent would in any otter
country be sufficient to send the guilty
ones to the nearest police station. But
under the Russian government these
things are allowed to pass UNPUBLISHED,
and, though the landlord would like to
see his old tenant in the dock, he receives
letters threatening to kill him and his
family If he dares to do so. and there
fore, satisfies himself with having his
| damaged property repaired soon as
possible. Occurrences like this one are too
frequent to surprise anybody. and the
Inhabitants think themselves lucky IL
they manage to keep their money away
from the Black Hundred and the revolu-
| tionaries. for the chances are that IL they
escape the first they will fall into the
hands OF the second.
The Black Hundred OF Warsaw have
formed Debt Collecting Society" This
consists Of n band of men who go into the
less respectable shops, ask If there are
any book debts. and when the answer is
in the affirmative offer to collect them for
certain percentage. On receiving per-
mission and a list OF the debtors they go
to their house and say that they are au-
thorized by Messrs. So-andSo to take
the money owing to them. When the
debtor makes some excuse the inevitable
revolvers are produced. with a threat to
use them II the money is not forthcom-
ing. OF course, reputable firms are above
| collecting" money in this way.
AS already stated. the most extraOrdi-
nary part of these outrages is that they
! Invariably take place in broad daylight,
in the presence OF a large number of
spectators and within a stones throw OF
patrol or a military guard. Unfortu-
nately for the peace of the empire their
numbers are increasing rather than di-
minishing, and, barbarous the Idea Is.
| many are Of the same mind as one Rus
| sian general who expressed the opinion
| that the only way of getting rid of tho
| Black Hundred Is to drive them into one
| quarter OF the towns. keep them there by
| means OF strong outposts with bayonets
nxed. and burn the whole lot by pouring
| barrels Of pitch onto the houses and
| setting fire to them.
b. c. BASKERVILLE.