Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-28

carried on throughout Poland during the
months Of June and July, the authorities
gave guards of Cossacks for the postal
wagons. So the socialists gave up this
means Of getting their funds enlarged and
turned their attention to the banks In the
large towns. The Imperial Bank in Peters
burg used to send money to the Warsaw
branch once week. The official in charge
was accompanied by a couple Of policemen
in plain clothes. One morning as they were
taking a large sum of money landau de-
posted at the doorway of the building they
were to call at four well-dressed men, who
lounged about the staircase smoking
cigarettes.
When the official appeared in the pas
sage with his escort he was attacked by the
we'll dressed strangers, deprived Of his life
and his bag, and before passing patrol
could be summoned it was all over and
nothing remained of the incident but a pile
of silver which the raiders had considered
too heavy to carry, and the bodies of the
official, the policeman and sentry who
had tried to rescue the money.
The raid took place in broad daylight, IN
q busy street out Of which bazaar opens.
and in the presence of some twenty spec
tators who were too frightened to do any
thing. Since this incident the money for
the banks is conveyed daily in closed car
riage guarded by six mounted Cossacks,
who ride with their rifles in their hands
and their fingers on the triggers, ready to
shoot at a seconds notice; but the social
lists were the richer by few thousand
Only once have the socialists attempted
to raid the Imperial Bank in Warsaw. One
day, during the dinner hour, band OF
men entered the vestibule and, making TO
the head cashiers office, presented their re-
volvers and demanded the keys of GER
tain safe in which large sums of money
were placed. But instead of holding up his
hands the cashier touched an electric bell
which communicated with room In which
some half dozen soldiers were placed ready
for such emergencies. Before the dtscom-
flied assailants had time to make their
escape they were captured and taken off to
the citadel. Since this attempt great pre-
cautions are taken, and the man who has
business in the bank must pass an army OF
sentries and be searched three times before
entering the premises.
The Polish socialists next turned their at
tention to the trains which were not so
well guarded. The Vistula railway which
runs from the Prussian frontier to War
saw, was chosen first. On Friday after
noon as a train containing the weeks TAX
ings from the principal stations was pass
ing by forest, the brake was applied in
one of the carriages, the train stopped, and
some five men boarded the engine and let
off the steam. Others made for the car
where a gendarme was in charge of the
| money and ordered him to give it up. He
answered by shooting at them, but was
| killed himself a second later. Having OBJ
| tanned the money, the raiders satisfied them
| selves that it would take the driver some
| time to get up steam again and made off
| into the forest with their booty coolly
| as possible. The train was fairly crowded
| with passengers, but nobody attempted re-
| sistance and when they told their story at
| the next station an hour later the soldiers
sent TO search the forest found nothing but
a receipt for the sum stolen.
The next day. emboldened by their sue
cess the socialists planned a double raid
| on a bigger line-known as the Warsaw
Vienna railway. In the morning train go
ing to LODI was stopped by the brake and
! the car entered, in which some officers were
taking government money from the bank to
pay regimental expenses. The two generals
and some privates made desperate resist
| ance and paid for it with their lives. The
| money was taken, the steam let out Of the
during a search made later in the day in
| the forest which bordered the line just
| where the outrage was perDetrated.
While special editions containing an ac-
count of the outrage and the names Of the
ten victims were being sold in the streets
of Warsaw. another raid was carried out on
| the same line. AS the train from the from
tier was within twelve versts of War
saw. the driver noticed that a group Of
people standing near the line were making
signs with red lantern. and JUST at the
same time he felt the automatic brake at
work in one of the carriages and the train
stopped. Some fifteen people jumped onto
the train: five of them kept guard over the
driver and stoker, while the others began