The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-03-31
PEASANTS FIGHT WITH HAY FORKS Oppose Field Guns Loaded
 With Grape Shot DO TERRIBLE EXECUTION Slaughter In Roumanla--soIdlers Gain Upper Hand-More Disorders
 Feared In Petroleum
 District.
DO TERRIBLE EXECUTION

puShoiSst hdTCI oV.-1ne peasants III the petroleum district who up to the present time have not taken part in the general disorders, now demand the an- nullment of all existing concessions to n- dividuals, or companies, and that no new contracts be made. Failing to comply with this demand, they threaten incen- diarism.
 Strong forces of soldiers have been sent to the petroleum district.
 Field guns, loaded with grapeshot, ac- cording 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 withstood cavalry charges. doing terrible execution with long pronged forks and scythe blades strapped to long poles, but the slaughter since the troops used artillery appears to be terri flying them into submission. In the dis trict of Vlashica, where the outbreak was particularly serious, large numbers of insurgents have surrendered, and have denounced their leaders to the authorities, with the result that many of the latter have been arrested. The government hopes that with the leaders in jail the undisciplined bands will soon abandon the field.
 Schoolmaster Generals.
 The self-styled "generals' usually turn out to be country schoolmasters and vll- lage priests. Many women are fighting <tne insurgent ranks. and some of them nave been found among the killed, side by side with their husbands. sons and brothers
 Details of the attack mnde by the peas- 'nts on Galatz show that pitched oat- tie vas fought. The insurgents. wiio were several thousand xtrcne, commeN ; the assault Tt midnight. carried fl..e oster earthwofiss hv storm and castsay :. su- burb, which they set on fire, Af .. Dillag- ing it. Three battalions of infantry at tempted to ste mthe peasants entry into the city itself but the fork and soytthe rustics fought desperately han dto hand, and had almost routed the troops, when the governor ordered field guns, loaded with grapeshot. to be fired at the insur- gents, who wavered and then fled. The fire of the guns wrought great havoc on the retreating masses.
 A number of conflicts between troops and maruders continus to be reported Two thousand insurgents at Gorj are said to have ben quleted by the assurance ot the authorities without resort to force A hundred and fifty more rioters have been wounded at Baleschtchi and several If them were killed and many arrested Artillery was used at Cucuesti, Valcelele and elsewhere and in some instances whole villages are said to have been ut terly destroyed by the fire of nine-inch shells.
 Agitation Spreads.
 Although the disorders are dying down In some districts the agitation is spread ing in the provinces adjacent to the Car pathlan mountains. Much plundering and incendiarism has taken place among the farms and isolated hamlets. Troops are In active pursuit of the marauders With the object of preventing so far as possible the fraternization of troops and peasants belonging to the same districts the Mol davlan troops have been transferred to Litol Wallachia, while the Walachla troops attached to the first army corps have been detailed for duty in MoldaVia The official report issued this evening shows continued improvement in the situ- ation. Slight outbreaks are still being re- ported, but the troops everywhere have the upper hand. A number of importan mt
 
 ment to postpone for one year the pay ments Of debts to the rural banks and the payment of private debts incurred through the destruction of crops The petitioners point out that this will be necessary in order to allow the land to recuperate and permit the resumption of agricultural work in the spring. They further ask the tsate to grant compensa- ton for the crops and estates destroyed by the rioters.
 Washington, March 30.--Secretary of State Root has received number of ap- peals from Jewish organizations in this country for the exercise of good offices by this government by the protection of the Jews in Roumania, who are suffering from the excesses of the rebelllous peas antry of that country. So far the Secre- tary has been unable to see how he can make any representatives on the subject for the distressed. in view of the fact that the uprising of the peasantry appears to be political and directed against the throne which is doing everything possible to stop the disorders
 Troops Get Upper Hand.
 London, March 30.-Great Britain is be- ing kept fully advised by her minister at Bucharest and her consuls through