Evening star., 1917-11-17

PETROGRAD, Friday, November 16.-
Deserted by most of his officers and
virtually ordered to surrender to the
bolsheviki. Premier Kerensky evaded
the guards sent for him and has disap-
peared. Gen. Dukhonin has resumed
temporarily the post of commander
in chief Of the Kerensky forces, re-
Gently defeated at Tsarskoe Selo.
Seven thousand military cadets and
three thousand troops are besieged in
the Kremlin at Moscow by $4,000 boil
sheviki. who are battering the ancient
walls and buildings with heavy artil-
lsfy. according to well authenticated
report received this afterncon. The
government troops are said to have .
fairly plentiful supply of food and ann
munition and to be capable of holding
out for some days. The loss Of life
since the beginning of the insurrection
is estimated at from 1000 to 5000.
Gen Kaledfnes, upon whose help the
defenders of tho Kremlin are counting,
is reported to have cut the railway
southwark to prevent provisions arriv-
ing while he IS moving toward Mos
COW.
Flees Under Disguise.
Gen. Krasnoff, former commander
under Kerensky, and who was arrest
ed with, other members of the pre-
mier's staff. has been released on the
ground that he was only ooeying the
orders of his superior. Gen. Krasnof's
report concerning the disappearance OF
Kerensky confirms the belief that he
fed under disguise.
Premier Kerensky. when told that
at h nd
his men were on the point of desert
ing, agreed to come to Petrograd. but
while q guard was being arranged ne
dropped out Of sight.
"At 3 o'clock on the afternoon OF NO
vember (old style-November IA, new
style), 1 called the quarters of the COM
mander in chief" said Gen. Krasnof.
"He appeared nervous and excited.
vsd genera ms salu Your &c cossseIs I say say they
viii arrest me and give me up to the
sailors
Asks if He Shall Kill Self.
"-Yes.. answered. such a discussion
is now going on. There appears to be
little symathy for you
"Do the officers feel the same way!
he asked. !
"sWhat shall I do? VIII have to
commit suicider
"If you are an honest man you Win
go to Hetrograd under a white nag
nd appear before the revolutionary
COMMITTEES, where you will negotiate
as head of the government
'Kerensky agreed to this; and ne was
promised a guard, he tee op1eGand eronnd H that
some enemies were among them; He
wanted to wait until night, but finally
agreed to make the trip by daylight. II
went and called Col. ksnRon pi pi e4e ne
annoint a guard of eight men, half
an hour later the Cossacks told me
that Kerensky could not be found. II
raised the alarm, thinking that ne
could not have left Gatchfna
CARRIED as Sailor.
NJ. Bibenko, member of the commit
tee on war and marine. has reported to
the workmen's and soldiers congress
that Kerensky fed garbed as sailor
BEFORE Kerensky's flight Btbenko SAID
he talked with the Cossacks IS ana % ,ouno
ment with the maximalists, only the
officers being opposed. He said that he
had promised the Cossacks that they
would be released and possibly be al
lowed to retain their mounts and arms
and return to the Don region.
Ribenko denied that Michael Roman
off. the former Grand Duke Michael Al
was with kerensky He
denied also that Gen. horniion hao es-
capped from prison.
Retreat to Gatchina.
Premier Kerensky's forces. which ad- |
from Gatchina to Tsarskoe Selo. |
were defeated by the workmen's and |
soldiers forces between Tsarskoe Selo |
and Pulkova, twelve miles from Petro- |
grad. The Kerensky contingents have |
retreated to Gatchina.
The battle in which Premier Keren- |
sIey was defeated began last Saturday |
and continued until Monday night, ac-
cording to the commander in CHIEF Of /
Ave thousand Cossacks and several |
hundred military cadets. with consid-
erabIe artillery. The maximalist force
included four guard regiments, several
battaiions of sailors and numerous de-
tachments of the Red Guard.
Many OF the bolsheviki soldiers were
far l.f1 al