The Bridgeport times and evening farmer. (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1918-1924, 1918-02-09

the Interallied Conferences and were
not available in Petrograd.
In view of the overthrow of the
Provisional government and the dis
solution of the temporary Council of
the Russian Republic, the Municipal
Council became a centre of political
life. By noon of November the lob
bies of the Municipal Council building
were filled with representatives of all
democratic organizations, united to
protest against the seizure of power
by the Bolsheviki leaders. Demands
were made for guarantees for the
safety and if possible the release of
the members of the Women's Batta-
lion.
On November 10 the extraordinary
session of the Municipal Council was
most stormy, owing to a proposal to
expel the BolsheViki members of the
Council.
Great excitement was caused by re-
ports of the arrest of five members
of the Council, sent as emissaries to
the army in an attempt to prevent
bloodshed, and by street-fighting
started near the building of the Coun-
ell. A Bolsheviki woman representa-
tive tried to explain the irritation of
the soldiers and sailors against the
Council, which had become the centre
of the struggle against the Bolshevikf
authority. A tremendous uproar be-
gan when reports came in that a lit
tie girl had been killed and women
| injured in the fighting, in the midst
of which the Cadet A. L. Shringar-
off (since killed in the January trou-
bles) arose and demanded the imme-
| date release off the arrested minis
| ters and declared that the chiefs of
the Bolshevilli are responsible for this
fratricidaI war.
! '.Out of here.S cried Shringaroff to
the BOlsheViki representatives in the
council, you are murderers and trail
tors to the country" Representatives
of the public Joined in the tumult with
shouts of "Out of here, looters, muir
derers!"
With great difficulty a riot was
avoided, the council finally adopting
a resolution demanding the release of
the ministers.
The following day, November II,
was also day of complete uncertain
ty. The telephone system was still
working, thanks to the self-sacrificing
work of the telephone girls, some of
whom had been on duty "a hours
without relief in spite of the lombard
ment of the exchange building, but
! communications were very poor, CIV
| ing an opening for the most sensa-
tional rumors to circulate among the
population. Kerensky with an army
was reported approaching the War
saw railway station and about to bonn
bard that building with heavy guns.
Another set of rumors had the des-
troyers in the river at the point of
opening fire across the city against
the Kerenslly forces. Municipal hos
pitfalls were reported full of wounded
from street combats. Such rumors
drove the population from the streets,
which were entirely deserted. Ennis
saries of the council were sent to the
powder mills to prevent expected dis
orders in that part of town, which
would have caused a colossal disaster.
Amid these conditions of anxiety and
uncertainty leaders of the anti
Bolsheviki parties were indulging in
discussions as to the possibility of or
ganiinzg a coalition government with
out participation of the Bolsheviki re-
personalities the Cadet leader Shing-
aroff fighting with tremendous audac-
ity for the isolation and exclusion of
the Bolsheviki from political life.
/ By the morning of the twelfth it
had become apparent that the sensa-
tional rumors of fighting were without
foundations, civilians again appeared
in the streets, stores in the Nevsky
.reopened for business and the street
cars were again crowded. Normal
life in the city had, however, suffered
a most severe blow from the entire
. suspension of the telephone scrvice,
the manager and entire personnel
walking out upon the refusal of the
Bolsheviki leaders to remove the
guards from the central Station.