The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-03-06
GREAT REVOLUTIONARY
 DEMONSTRATION OCCURS
OPENING OF RUSSIAN P4RLLA- MENT MADE THE OCCASION
 FOR TT.

Police and POpulace in Several
 Encounters - Authorities Finally
 Forced to Fill the Streets With NIili-
 tary PatrOls-Few Elements of the
 Prelude to "Red Sunday" Lacking
 Premier StOlypin Looking Out for
 His L.se.
 St. Petersburg, March 1.-The open ing to-day of the duma, or lower house of the Russian parliament, although in itself devoid of incident, was made the occasion of a great revolutionary dem onstration by the St. Petersburg prole- tariat and the students of the city, which resulted in several encounters between the police and the populace, and more or less serious injury to 9 number of the latter. The situation was such that the authorities finally were forced to fill the streets with mil itary patrols, as in the ominous days of the Trepoff regime.
 After the adjournment of the house a tumultuous crowd, by this time es- timated to number close to 40,000 per sons, with red banners flying, and iac- companied by the music of revolution ary chants, started like the followers of Father Gapon on January p, 1905, toward the central quarter of the city where the winter palace of the emperor is located. Few elements of the pre- Jude of "Red Sunday were lacking, and the command, Fire!" would have precipitated similar massacre. But the present prefect of St. Petersburg, General Dracheffski, followed another course, and dispersed the procession by charges of mounted gendarmes armed with whips, and by an imposing dis play of force he prevented the demon- strators from reforming.
 During the long hours of the morn- ing and afternoon the police guarding the Tauride palace acted with great forbearance, giving the spectators a free rein in singing and cheering, and only interfering to prevent the people from forcing their way in to the palace.
 When the deputies emerged after the adjournment the temper of the crowd was fired by speeches from social rev. olutionary members, dozen of whom
  CTS and harangued those present upon the necessity of organizing. to support parliament against the government. The general revolutionary motto, Through fight our right" was adopted as a general slogan, and simultaneous ly red handkerchiefs began to flutter above the heads of the crowd and then the crimson banners appeared like magic. The crowd, singing the Mar seillaise, battle songs of the Russian revolution, moved slowly down the broad Fourchtadskaia avenue, stopping at intervals to listen to speeches and to sing songs. It demonstrated on the way in front of the house of the chief of the secret police, where small force o gendarmes made an attempt to dis perse the people, but soon fell back in the face of the resolute bearing of the manifestants, who followed them with cries of ''hangmen, bloodhounds."
 In the meanwhile the authorities had hastily concentrated strong orce of gendarms, which charged the head of the procession when 1t reached the Litoiny Prospect, one of the main busi- ness avenues of the city. The gend- arnes plyed their whips vigorously, and in one case used the flats of their sa- bres. The crowd attempted to reas- semble in front of the detention pris- on, where hundreds of political prison CTS are confined, and again in front of the general court building, where the political trials are held, but in each instance it was dispersed.
 The gendarmes by this time had been reinforced by attachments of the crack Chevalier guards, who galloped hither and thither, clearing the road way amid curses of derision from the sidewalks. Finally a large force of Cossacks, armed with lances, arrived In sight The spiteful, red-pennoned weapons, which never before have been brought out in street denonstra- tions, tiok all the heart out of the crowd.
 Another monster demonstration was held at the university to celebrate the ''yictory of revolutionary democracy" The quay along the Neva and the streets in the neighborhood of the uni versity were densely packed, but there was no interference by troops or po- lice, who arrived on the scene in strong force only after the demonstration had come to an end.
 It was learned tonight that premier Stolypin, in order to diminish his chances of possible assassination, would spend the night in the Tauride palace, and it is understood that he has taken a suite of rooms in wing of the palace which he will occupy as long as parliament is in session.