The Cordele dispatch. (Cordele, Ga.) 19??-1971, 1918-02-10
LOOTED PALACE
IN PETROCRAD
CORRESPONDENT DESCRIBES
DAYS OF EXCITEMENT
I'M RUSSIA

NEW YORK, February o The
Petrograd correspondent OF The Mos
cow newspaper Outro Rossii Morn
Of RUSSIA who in the issue Of Nov
ember II describes the siege and cap
lure of the Winter Palace by u Pol
sheviki forces and the perlious IN sch
Of the arrested Kerensky ministers
from the palace to the Fortress OF
Peter and Paul, gives in the same
paper picture of the looted Winter
Palace and the events of the next six
days, including the attempt of the
Municipal Council CT Petrograd to
assume the reins CT power in the CAPT
tai and form a coalition ministry with
representatives OF all parties.
81 succeeded" he says, Gin walking
through the palace a few hours after
the bombardment The corpses of
the soldiers of the Women's Battalion,
killed in defense CT the palace, had
already been removed but through the
iron gate could be seen the heaps of
empty shells, torn muniton belts,
books and leaflets The whole cascade
Of the palace was riddled by shells,
the white scars standing out in strik
ing contrast to the red of the walls.
The palace guard consisted of strong
pickets of sailors and soldiers, heavi-
w armed and covered with cartridge
belts
"When | entered the first floor l
saw a picture of complete devastation
amid which moved soldiers and sal
lors searching the rooms and adding
to the confusion. All the drawers OF
the sideboards and cupboards had
been broken open, all the chairs smash
ed and the wrecked furniture thrown
together in heaps On the beds and
sofas broken boxes, lamps, chandeliers
and porcelain had been thrown. The
corridors were filled with torn papers,
fragments and scraps Of the magAl
lirent tapestries and broken furni-
ure. Everywhere absolute chaos.
"ln the rooms where the electric fit
tings had been stored the soldiers,
having carried # everything that SEEM
ed to have any value, were amusing
themselves and a crowd of applaud
ne spectators by smashing the elec-
trio bulbs. In one room | saw a sol
der hacking away the valuable tapes
try from a couch with a table knife.
On the second floor the scene was
even gloomier. Everywhere dirt in
describable, mattresses over all the
floors, soldiers squatted at their meals
on the wonderful couches of the I'M
perial furniture, spilling soup and
greasy bits of meat upon the price
less tapestries.
"The palace servants were no whit
behind the soldiers in the looting
and went around with bags collecting
what struck their fancies In the
Round Hall the soldiers had set up
an enormous kettle and were cook
ing their soup In the room of the
Press Bureau all the papers had been
torn to bits. In the Picture Gallery
many pictures had been slashed to-
strips of painted rags. In one room
heavy guns had been set up Windows
were pierced with bullets. 1t was a
nightmare OF destruction"
The eighth of November, the day
following the siege, passed quietly,
The street cars were running every
where, the number of patrols had de
creased and absolute order prevailed
The Municipal Council had passed an
resolution, instructing the population
to defend itself against looting, by use
CT arms if necessary, and though the
Bosheviki authorities opposed this
order, the formation of house commit
tees of self defense went steadily for
ward
The representatives of the Allied
Powers held long conferences but no