The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1906-02-12
HUNTING THE BLACK BANDS
Graphic Account Of Work Falling to
Lot of the Patrol in Rus
sian City.

1 r'A~ O@NJs
A Russian correspondent writes:
''The suburbs of Moscow thin quickly
into gardens and bare spaces among
the wooden villas in which the we'll
to-do people spend the summer, and
the roads are rough and devious. No
lights guide the passenger on these
bitter nights of winter; the Black
bands have the darkness on their side.
At the back of us the city on it's hills
twinkle through the snow. The patrol
was only five strong, but the men of
it knew the ground as they knew the
palms Of their hands. They we're all
young and all civilians, informally Ell
rolled to repel the gangs of roughs
whom the police incite to riot and
murder. The men walked warily from
cross-road to cross-road, mufied in
their furs, with ample overeoats that
fell in wide folds about the loins and
legs. Under his coat each man wore
earbine, slung from his neck by a
lanyard; he had but to unbutton and
the gun was free for use. They were
of various classes in the community,
for in those days every man must take
up his own defense and lend his per-
sonal weight to the cause of order AM
security. Two were students, clean
built, keen young fellows, who had
done their share on the barricades; one
was shopman Of 20 years, almost
gleeful in the throng of events
charmed with the recurrence OF vivid
happenings, a brisk and imaginative
boy who reveled in his share in his
toric doings. The fourth was the son
of a wealthy merchant, whose sleek
furs cleaned richly in the glow of his
cigarette; and the last was a painter
whose sister had been blinded by
whip-cut from a dragooL in the street.
Once, far away, we heard two shots;
some other patrol had seen something.
For us, midnight came, and we halted
under a hedge to eat chocolate ano
drink brandy. The men of the patrol
talked briefly among themselves with
bated voices, for even on them the
night had fixed its weird, and loud
word would have made one start, The
rich mans son was of opinion that we
might as well go home to bed; but
the two students and thu shopman re-
minded him of the shots we had heard
and when the chocolate was eaten we
moved on. We were punched together
a little warmer now, and they were
telling me OF the brushes they had al
ready had with the enemy, when the
painter, who was ahead again, pulled |
out his carbine and fired. The flasR |
cut a groove in the night like a streak |
Of lightning, and from somewhere in
the darkness a few pistol shots pune
tured the murk with brief stars NY |
companions raced up, and in 3 mo-
ment the guns were out.
"The painter was pointing. and the
shopman had dropped on one knee
with his oarbine at his shoulder.
There was second Of search with
the eyes: I thought but could not be
sure. thar / saw a movement, and then
the shopman fred and the others g5i
10 work after him. Their eyes. old at
The game. saw what was invisible 10
me; almost at once a cry travelled ro
us athwart the snow and the patrol
men laughed between their shots Only
pistol FIRE answered them for tie
bands do their numbering at close
quarters as yet; but no bullets reached
Us. and the thing was over in the tins
lne would take to fill a pipe.
I'VE heard them shouting to one al
1ther as they drew off, and for min
ute or more the pistols spat futile.y
1t us. In half an hour. at the poiuI
where one turns of to get back 10
he city that cleaned over ones shoul-
ier like a feet at anchor, we met po-
ioemen, three of them They grinnei
It Us and asked for cigarettes, and
We told them of the man we mad