The Washington herald., 1907-03-29
REBELS KILL TROOPS
Roumanian Government May
Declare a State of Siege.
PEASANT RAIDS ARE BRUTAL
Bloody Fight Takes Place at Bai-
ieshti, where 10000 Revolution
aries Set Fire 10 Prince stikbey's
FaIaee-seveRty Are Killed and 200
WOuRded-No Mercy 10 Be shown.

Bucharest, March 2s.-Both houses. OF
Parliament have unanimously passed d
bill empowering the government to sum
marily declare a state of siege whenever
II considers such action necessary. The
session was unusually prolonged. The
demeanor Of the members gave evidence
or their realization Of the seriousness of
the state Of the country. The peasant
raids continue in several districts, ac-
eompanied by incendiarism and savage
brutahties. There are many clashes be-
tween the troops and marauders, and a
large number have been killed or
wounded.
There are no authentic figures, but the
fact that eleven officers have been killed
or wounded is indicative of the severity
Of the fighting. especially in view Of the
inferiOrity Of GIe rebels armament. II
must not be imagined, however, that the
rebels are a mere rabbie armed with i'm
provised weapons. They have modern
firearms, ana some organization.
one of the bloodiest fights took place
at Baileshti, where 10C00 rebels set fire
70 Prince Stikbeys palace The troops
engaged the rebels. killing. 1t is reported,
about five hundred of them and sustaining
serious losses themselves.
Ordered by Troops to Disperse.
There was another engagement at
Vlashika, where the rioters were rounded
up by troops and ordered 10 disperse.
They replied with voIley. The sol
diers thereupon fired three rounds Of
shrapnel, killing 20 and wounding 200.
The government has abandoned all in
ciination for leniency and has ordered the
commanders to fire without mercy when
ever the rebels refuse 10 dlsperse and
offer resistance.
These orders are being carried out Wig
0Tousiy artillery being sent to all the
disaffected districts. II will be used re-
lentlessly.
Censorship Is Strict.
Vienna, March 2S.-The Roumanian gov
ernment, having imposed a strict censor
snip on telegraph and telephone messages.
the spondents of Viennese news /
papers are sending their dispatches by /
TO the frontier. whence they
are transmitted here. These represent |
the country as being in a condition OF /
civil war, the rebels being well Organized /
with definite anarchistic aims.
Many well-known Russian and other
foreign revoIutonists are among the lead
ers. The war is blazing with unabated
fury. Southern Roumania has been the
scene Of scores Of skirmishes In vghlch
the troops generally have been the VIC
ors, although they have suffered several /
icfeats. One OF these was at Giurgua. /
where a force of weli-armef rebels re-
isted for several hours. Taey finally
compelled q battalion Of infantry to re-
reat with severe losses.
1000 Rebels Attack Cavalry.
At Bragadia thousand rebels attacked
regiment of infantry commanded by Col.
Nearly half the regiment re-
used TO obey the order to FIRE on the
ebels, and when the order was repeated
he mutineers killed their colonel and
oined the insurgents. a fierce battle fol-
owed between the loyal soldiers and the (
e-enforced enemy. Two hundred on both
ides were killed. The rebels were ulti- ,
lateiy defeated.
There has been another street fight at
ialatz in which IL is said a hundred
ebels were killed.
The Hungarian and Austrian authorities
sar an extension of the rising TO Austria
nd Hungary, and especially to the prov
ice of Bukovina, which is largely in S
abited by Roumanians.