The Bridgeport times and evening farmer. (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1918-1924, 1918-02-16


street corners disappeared, and those
in the doorways drew IN closer. The
unrnistakable whistling Of bullets
was heard in the streets, and along
the one in which 1 stood about a doz-
en- men came running at, top speed
They wore the uniform of the Rus
sian regular army, and were I'M
doubtedly men of the garrison OF
Petrograd.
Behind them came a mob OF men
of military discipline. These men
were stopping at intervals to fire at-
ter the flying soldiers, who dashed
along a narrow passage by my right
and took shelter in a block of small
houses.
There a bay they tried to hold on
against the ever-increasing swarm OF
lenemies. They fought until their last
cartridge was spent, By then the
house in which they sheltered was IN
flames and there was nothing for it
but to sally forth and meet death IN
the open. AS the men emerged from
, the doorway, one by one rifles cracked
in quick succession, and with each
crack a man fell dead, across the
doorway. When the last man went
down to weller in his own blood, the
crowd broke into loud cheering.
Battles in the Streets
That was the beginning of the lat
est or L,eninite revolution in Petrograd
as I saw when taking that fateful
morning stroll.
Marching through the streets, and
1gine evolutionary songs, the crowd
oeQ body of soldiers COM
opposite direction.
Z 4 exciting moment
% parties stood gazing a
Ach | Aer as though uncertain VIVA
TODD.
Then one of the workmen, bolde
than his fellows, stepped forward ant
spoke something in low tones to tn
soldiers in the front rank. An office
came forward with uplifted sword.
rifle shot rang out, and he fell dead
The soldiers rushed towards the work
men, not to attack them, but to joil
them, and the procession thus aug
mented, passed on, singing more loud
ly than ever.
At the next turning we met anothe
body of soldiers. This time there wa
no fraternizing. A sharp volley fol
were made in the ranks of the pro
cessionists.
Bloody Battles
A fight of the widest descriptio
followed.
N Sheltering in .doorways, perched o
window lodges, and on roofs, the revc
lutionists kept up heavy rifle fire
the Kerensky troops, and this was re
turned by the troops, who went fol
ward under cover of the houses. Blu
let's whistled and ratified along tn
street, and from time to time hi
were followed by the topping of hi
man beings from the neighbour
roofs and the window lodges.
Very soon the streets were littere
with dead and wounded, but the col
flict showed no sign of slackening i
fury. I began to realize that this W;
no place for me, but did not dare vel
ture forth for fear worse should b
fall me.
Rescue Scottish Doctor.
While undecided I heard some oil
speak in the broadest of broad Scotc
and 1 turned to find myself best
an open door, in which an elder
man of well-to-do appearance W
standing. He pulled me inside al
shut the door. We went down in
the cellar to await the termination
the fighting, and there learned tn
the gentleman who had come to +
aid so opportunity was a DR.. Fras
from the Forfar district, who h
been practicing his profession in F
trograd for many years.
found he anyiOIIS 7hOut
daughter who had left the house tn
morning on business, little dreami
that she was to be caught in t
midst of the fighting.
Later, during a lull in the fight
there was a knock at the door, a
the doctors daughter appeared.
was a girl of about is, should jud
and strikingly beautiful She looE
perfectly self possessed, as though s
had just returned from an ordin;
round of visits, and did not seem
least put out when bullets flatteI
against the wall beside her.
Warning Kerenslxy
1t was not until afterwards tina
learned the real business that
taken this young girl from the shel
Of her own room.
Her father had learned on the 2
vious night through a confession mi
to him by dying patient to whom
had been summoned, that an after
on the life of NJ. Kerensky was pl
ned for the following day. He had
turned home at once, with the int
ton of having a warning conve
to NJ. Kerensky, with whom he
personally acquainted, but found
was impossible to telephone or m
the journey in person owing to
gent professional duties. His dau
ter undertook to deliver the mess;
and, setting out in the early morn
she got to Kerensky in time to
the warning.
NJ. Kerensky managed to elude
assassins by a few minutes, tina
to the timely warning given by
brave Scottish girl, who was on
way back home when she met
bands of armed men parading
streets. Fortunately little notice