The Watertown news. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1917-1919, 1917-11-09
Terrific Night Battle in Petr0grad
Brings Victory to the
Radicals.
ALL MINISTER'S ARE ARRESTED
pei Woman Defenders to Surren.
der-Deposed Premier Flees
From the capitaI-Armis-
tice to Be Requested
of Enemy.

Petrograd, Nov. 9.-Russia is In the
thrOes of civil war.
Following the action of the Maxi
maliSt armed naval detachment in TAX
ing possession of the Marie palace,
where the preliminary parliament had
been sitting, and the telegraph agen-
cies, the anti-Kerensky factions, head
ed by Nikolai Lenine, Radical Social
lst leader, and Leon TrotsZky, presi-
tee of the Petrograd council of work
mems and soldiers delegates (the Sow
iet) seized the reins of power at the
capital.
The overthrow of Premier Kerensky
was proclaimed and the government
troops forced to surrender after a
battle In the streets of the city.
kerensky in Flight.
Premier Kerensky has fled the cap
ital. Reports as to his whereabouts
conflict. Some say he has sought
safety in Moscow, while others assert
he has gone to the front In an en-
deavor to obtain the backing of the
troops to forestall a debacle of his
government. Cossack regiments are
declared already to have announced
their readiness TO support the govern
ment on condition that no compromise
with the reyOmtionists is made On
the other hand it is asserted that dele
gates from the Black and Baltic sea
fleets have declared themselves in ia
vor Of the radicals.
Five Under Arrest
Five members of the Kerensky gov
ernment are under arrest. They are !:
A l. Konovaloff. minister of trade
and industry; MH Kishkin, minister of
public welfare; NJ. /. Terestchenko,
minister of foreign affairs; NJ. Malyan-
tovitch, minister of justice; NJ. Mkt
tin, minister of the interior.
Win by Bloodshed.
The revolution was not peaceful,
Details of what happened are meager,
the new rulers having the telegraph Of
fees in their control.
Government forces holding the Win
ter Palace were forced to capitulate
early Thursday morning under the fire
Of the cruiser Aurora and the cannon
of the SIS. Peter and Paul fortress
across the Neva river. At a. m. the
wOman's battalion, which had been de-
Tending the Winter Palace, grounded
arms.
The workmen's and soldiers dele
gates are in complete control Of the
city.
Cruiser Opens Fire.
Late in the evening after the gov
ernrnent forces had been driven into
the Winter palace, the palace was be-
sieged and lively fight of machine
guns and rifles began.
The cruiser Aurora which was
moOred at the Niecolai bridge, moved
up within range, firing shrapnel. Mean
while the guns of SIS. Peter and Paul
fortress opened fire.
The palace stood out under the glare
of the searchlights of the cruiser and
offered good target for the guns. The
defenders held out for four hours, re-
guns and rifles.
The battle at the palace, which be-
gan shortly after six o'clock, was q
spectacular one, armed cars of the rev
olutionaries swinging into action In
front of the gates, while flashes from
the Neya were followed by the eXplO.
sion of shells from the guns of the Au.
rOra
Great Soviet Meets.
The general congress of Workmen's
and soldiers delegates of all Russia
(the great Soviet was convened here
with 500 delegates in attendance. The
chairman declared that the time was
not propitious for political speeches
and the order of business of the con
gress approved was as follows:
/. Organization of power.
2. Peace and war.
3 A constituent assembly
The officers elected comprise II Max
Imalists, including Radical Socialist
Leader Lenine III. Zinovieff, an asso
ciate of Lenine, and Leon Trotzky
president of the central executive com
mittee of the Petrograd council OF
workmen's and soldiers delegates. Ir
addition, seven revolutionary socialist:
were appointed.
A delegation was named TO initiate
peace negotiations with the other revo
lutionary and democratic organization.
with a view to taking steps TO stoI
bloodshed."