The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-09-20
OFFICERS
KILLED BY
SOLDIERS
Story Spread by German
Agents in Finland Resulted
in Day of Horror for
One Town.
LOYAL TROOPS ENRAGED
Threw Officers In River and Shot
Them Until They Had
Sunk Beneath
Water.
LOYAL. TROOPS ENRAGED

[By William G. Shepherd. United
Press Staff Correspondent
copyright, 1917, by the United
STOCKHOLM, Sept. 20.-German
agents made Viborg, a city OF Elm
land, not hundred miles from Pet-
rograd, a place of horror.
Loyal Russian soldiers threw ten
of their officers, including two gen
erals, into the river and then shot
at them until all but one disappeared
in the swirling waters.
This one. colonel, clamoered up
the bank. only to be Drained by one
OF his men.
Another officer was found in his
home and his head half severed.
Still another was found lynched In
la woods.
The German agents had spread ru-
mors that Premier Kerensky. then
"at bay because of Korniloffs sue
cessful rebellion" had requested
troops of General Vassiluf, command
or general of Finland, to aid in de-
fense of Petrograd, and that syassiluf
had refused his appeal and his Or
ders.
The story was absolutely untrue.
But the soldiers rose In mutiny,
demanding that the democracy be
defended.
AS the loyalty of the bulk of the
army has again been demonstrated, l
am able today to tell Of the scenes OF
terror that accompanied last weeks
crisis.
Members of the workmen's and
soldiers council claim that kornilof
executed an entire regiment of his
hn
many Of the troops turned the tables
and executed their officers.
When I went to the cable office
and filed my dispatch to the United
Press that the Korniloff revolt had
been crushed, the censor remarked:
"The lives of his officers are not
worth a cent if that is true"
The Viborg horror occurred one
week ago today. The German inspir-
ed story spread like wild fire among
the troops.\ They were moved to the
anger almost of insanity. They
mutinied and stalked forth to seize
their officers. Many were thrown In
stantly into prison.
Vassiluf himself with nine others
all high army officers, including Gen.
eral Crnofski and Colonel Karenius
were seized.
These ten the infuriated soldiers
dragged to the Port Abo bridge.
There they threw them into the wat
er. And while they swan desperately
for the shore, Russian soldiers fired
at the helpless officers.
A great crowd gathered. Women
tainted at the sickening cruelty. A
panic ensued on the packed bridge
and many were injured in frantic
ro1 TO thn Hoy,
For half an hour this target prac-
tice at the officers continued. Then
most OF them were either killed,
overcome with their wounds, or ex-
hausted by their efforts to keep
afloat.
In some incredible way Colonel
Karenius managed to reach the pier.
There he climbed up. A group of
infuriated soldiers confronted him. |
He drew his revolver and fired, kill |
ing several of his men. Then a great |
Russian soldier struck out his brains
with an iron rod.
l personally visited Vfborg on my
way to Stockholm. The details as
written above were attested by num-
erous witnesses. l saw troops dredg-
ing the river underneath the bridge,
seeking the bodies of the officers they
had murdered. They had recovered
seven bodies.
One colonel, was told, was found
at his home, dining with his family,
by group Of soldiers, half insane
with anger at the German-inspireG
report of the officers alleged refusal
to aid Kerensky. The colonel was
seized and his neck half severed as
he stood before his family.
Colonel DUNN, Of the cossacks, |
was found dead in the woods, killed
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