Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-09-20
TEUTON LIES STIR
RUSSIAN MUTINY
Loyal Soldiers at Viborg
lnfuriated by False Re-
ports, Slay Officers
CITY A PLACE OF HORROR
Victims Thrown Into River and
Shot Down Without
Mercy
BY WILLIAM G.. SHEPHERD
Copyright 1917. Jy the United Press
S,TnIkIInI Al Cant %

STOCKHOLM. Sept 20
German agents made Viborg. a city Of
Finland, not a hundred miles from Petro-
grad, place of horror
Loyal Russian soldiers threw ten Of their
otncers' including two generals, into the
river and then shot at them until all but
one disappeared in the swirling waters
This one, colonel. clambered up the bank
only TO be Drained by one Of his men.
Another officer was found in his home
ana his head was half severed Stil
another was found lynched in a woods.
The German agents had spread rumors
that Premier .Kerensky. then "at bay be-
caus- Of Korniloff's successful rebellion" q"
haC requested troops of General Vassiluf
commander-general Of Finland, to aid in
the defense Of Petrograd, and that Vassi-
luf had refused his appeal and his orders
The story was absolutely untrue But
the soldiers rose In mutiny, demanding that
the democracy be defended.
SCENES OF TERROR
As the loyalty Of the bulk OF the army
has again been demonstrated I am able
today TO tell of the scenes Of terror that
accompanied last weeks crisis.
Members of the workmen's and Soldiers
Council assert that Korniloff executed an
entire regiment Of his men at Tarnopol
During the revolt many of the troops turned
the tables and executed their officers.
When went to the cable office and filed
my dispatch that the Kornilof 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.insp!red story spread
like wildnre among the troops They were
moved to the anger almost OF insanity.
They mutinied and stalked forth to seize
their officers. Many were thrown Instantly
into prison.
Vassiluf himself. with nine others-alI
high army officers. including General
Ornofski and Colonel Karenius-were
seized.
These ten the infuriated soldiers dragged
to the Port Abo bridge. There they threw
them into the water. And while they swan
desperately for the shore Russian soldiers
fired at the helpless officers.
MANY HURT IN PANIC
A great crowd gathered. Women tainted
at the sickening cruelty. \ panic ensued
on the packed bridge. and many were in
jured in frantic struggles to reach the
banks again.
For half an hour this target practice at
| the officers continued. Then most of them
were either killed. overcome with their
wounds or exhausted by their efforts to
| keep afioat.
In some incredible way Colonel karenlus
managed 20 reach the pier There he
| climbed up. a group Of infuriated soldiers
| confronted him. lie drew his revolver and
| fired, killing, several of his men. Then a
| great Russian soldier struck out his brains
| with an iron rod.
| | personally visited Viborg on my way
| to Stockholm. The details as written abov,
| were attcsted by numerous witnesses.
saw troops dredging the river underneath
| ,,fl Iii hp1f 90
| they had murdered, They had recovered
| seven bodies
One colonel was told was found at hi
| home dining with his family, by a grouI
of soldiers half insane with anger at thi
German-inspired report of the officers al
| legged refusal to aid Kerensky. The Colone
was seized and his neck half severed as h
| stood before his family.
Colonel Djunin. of the Cossacks, wa
found dead in the woods. killed by soldiers
| another victim Of German agents preyinl
on the Russian troops loyalty to KerenslSy