The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-08-29
Of Their Experiences in Max
ing Their Escape.
EARLY INCIDENTS OF WAR
Wild Scenes in the Streets Of
st. Petersburg.
Statues on Germany Embassy
Broken With Hammers.

New York, Aug. 29.-Among the
passengers on the Olympic which ar
rived today was Mrs. Ollie James, wife
of United States Senator James OF
Kentucky. Mrs. James said she was
in Berlin the day before war was de-
clared. Ambassador Gerard got ac-
Communications for US on the first train
leaving Berlin for the Russian from
tier" said Mrs. James. 1--WE thought
we were we'll on our way when the
train suddenly pulled into Copen-
hagen. None of the passengers on
board had been informed that the
train had been diverted. We never
were told why it had been done.
II remained in Copenhagen four
days while awaiting chance to cross
other Americans got aboard small
freight steamer and, though mines
had been strewn along the coast, we
got through without mishap."
Senator James boarded the Olympic
at Quarantine from a revenue cutter.
Senator Oliver of Pennsylvania. an
other passenger, was in Switzerland
with his wife and grandchild when
Austria declared war on Servia He
and his family hurried to Paris and
thence to London, reaching the French
COS. with some difficulty.
Theodore P. ShOnts, president OF
the marlborough Rapid Transit COM
pany of New York. was in Austria
when that country declared war on
Servia. He hurried with his daugh-
tiers to Paris. There he became
member of the committee formed to
care for Americans.
Our Opportunity.
when 1 left Paris there were be-
tween 800 and 1000 Americans who
were in Urgent need of help" Mr..
Shonts said. This is the greatest OPP
portunity the United States ever has
had. The next few months should
see the entire nation engaged in car
ing for a tremendous commerce. The
whole country should become rich"
Daniel Guggenheim was aboard. he
ran out of money while in Paris and
his son in the United States cabled
him S., 0G0.. DIR. Charles Ritter, of Pater-
son., N. j., passenger aboard the Ad-
Ratio, described the kindling of the war
fever in st. Petersburg.
when We got there" he said, 'the
city was under martial law. Cossacks
were riding up and down the streets as
our cowboys do in the dime novels.
Every train which arrived poured
hordes Of soldiers from the country. AL
though the officials theoretically paid
for everything they seized it amounted
to confiscation in practice. For in
stance. a man owned a string of race
horses valued at 100000. They were
ali tdkcH III tie dluIy IlC ICCC1NCO
about 800.
Mob in st. Petersburg
Il went out to the Winter Palace on
August 2. There must have been at
least 10000 people there. After the
proclamation had been read The car.
czarina, and other members of the royal
family stood out on the balcony over
looking the crowd for at least twenty
minutes.
Two days later a mob which must
have numbered many thousands surged
through the streets of st. Petersburg.
They finally stopped in front of the
German embassy. On the top of this
building there are two huge iron stat
ues of Uhlans. About a hundred of the
mob climbed up to the roof and broke
the statues with sledgehammers.
This was the sign for the whole mob
to get busy. They swarmed into the
building smashing everything they
could. On one of the floors they found
a Russian footman
HE had been stabbed three times
and apparently dead for several hours.
I'VE at last managed to get a train
to Wolgda on August 4. BY tipping a
railway official literally I secured a
car exclusively for our party. So great
was the mob at the station six persons
were pushed under the wheels of the
train and killed as the train pulled out