Omaha daily bee., 1907-03-31
GRAPESHOT FOR THE PEASANTS
Soldiers of ROumania Are winning
Battle Against Bands of
Insurgents.


BUCHAREST, March sO.-F1eid guns
loaded with grapeshot, according to the
official reports are winning against the
revolutionary peasantry. whose arms are
mostly hay forks and scythe blades The
insurgents were able to hold their own
against the troops at close quarters and
even withstood cavalry charges, doing ter
rible execution with long pronged forks
and scythe blades strapped to long poles,
but the slaughter since the troops used ar
tillery appears to be terrifying them into
submission.
In the district of Vlashi, where the out
break was particularly serious. large num-
bers OF insurgents have surrendered and
have denounced their leaders to the au-
thoritles with. the result that many Of the
latter have been arrested The govern
ment hopes that with the leaders In jail
the undisciplined bands viii soon abandon
the field.
The self-styIed generals" usually turn
out to be country sohooImasters and village
priests. Many women are fighting In the
insurgent ranks and some Of them have
been found among the killed. side by side
with their husbands, sons and brothers.
Details OF tho attack made by the peas
ants on Galatz show that q pitched battle
was lOubhN AhG VIM HGIe
several thousand strong, carried the outer
earthworks by storm and captured a suburb
which they set on fire after plllagtnE II
Three battalions Of infantry attempted Il
stem the peasants entry into the city t.
self, but the fork and scythe-srmed rusticl
fought desperately, hand to hand, and had
almost routed the troops when the governor
ordered field guns, loaded with ETapeshot
to be fired at the insurgents who waverec
and then fed. The IRE OF the guns wrough1
great havoc on the retreating masses.
A number Of conflicts between troops anC
marauders continue to be reported. two
thousand insurgents at Gorj are said 4
have been quieted by the assurances Of
the authorities, without resort to force
One hundred and nifty more rioters hav,
been wounded at Bailesohtchi ana ssvera
OF them killed and many arrested AT
tillery was used at Cucuesti, Valoelels anC
elsewhere and in some instances whole vii
! lagos are said to have been utterly de
stroyed by the fire Of nine-inch shells.
! Although the disorders are dying dowr
in some districts, the agitation is spreading
in the provinces adjacent 10 the CarpathiaI
mountains. which hitherto have been quiet
Much plundering and inoendiarism hs.
taken place among the farms and In ESQ
. |
OF the marauders
With the object OF preventing, % far a
\ possible. the determination OF troops an
peasants belonging to the same districts
\ and also the possibility Of lighting betwee
relatives belonging TO the opposing force
/ in the revolutionary districts, the Moldsvia
troops belonging to the Fourth army corp
, have been transferred to Little Wallachll
while the Wallachian troops attached I
, the First army corps have been detaile
! for duty in Moldavia.
WASHINGTON March So.-secretary
State Root has received a number OF al
peals from Jewish organizations in tn
4 country for the exercise OF good ono,
by this country for the protection OF II
Jews In Roumania, who are suffering froi
the excuses OF the rebollious pessantry
that country. So far the SECRETARY h
= been unable 70 see how he could NAL
- any representations on the subject vii
benefit to the distressed people, IN view
J. the fact that the uprising OF the peaaanti
appears to be political and directed again
;. the throne. which is doing everything TO
Z, sIble to stop the disorder.