Republican farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1810-1920, 1918-02-15


correspondent of the Moscow newspa-
per Outro Rossii Morn of Russia)
who in the issue of November 81 de-
scribed the siege and capture of the
Winter Palace by the Bolsheviki
forces and the perilous march Of the
arrested Kerensky ministers from the
palace to the Fortress of Peter and
Paul, gives in the same paper pic
ture of the looted Winter Palace and
of the events of the next six days, in
Guiding the attempt of the Municipal
Council of Petrograd to assume the
reins of power in the capital and form
coalition ministry with representa-
tives of all parties.
II succeeded" he says, ''in walk
| ing through the palace few hours af-
ter the bombardment. The corpses of
the soldiers of the Women's Battalion
| killed in defense of the palace, had
already been removed but through the
| iron gate could be seen the heaps of
empty shells, torn munition belts,
books and leaflets. The whole facade
of the palace was riddled by shells, the
white scars standing out in striking
contrast to the red of the walls. The
palace guard consisted of strong pic
kets of sailors and soldiers, heavily
armed covered with cartridge belts.
when I entered the first floor 1
saw picture of complete devastation
amid which moved soldiers and sailors
searching the rooms and adding to
the confusion. All the drawers of the
sideboards and cupboards had been
broken open, all the chairs smashed
and the wrecked furniture thrown to-
gether in heaps On the beds and
sofas broken boxes, lamps, chande-
Tiers and porcelain had been thrown
The corridors were filled with torn
papers, fragments and scraps off the
magnificent tapestries and broken fur
niture. Everywhere absolute chaos.
I'm the rooms where the electric
fittings had been stored the soldiers,
having carried off everything that
seemed to have any value, were
amusing themselves and a crowd OF
applauding spectators by smashing
the electric bulbs. In one room I saw
a soldier hacking away the valuable
tapestry from a couch with table
knife. On the second floor the scene
was even gloomier. Everywhere dirt
indescribable, mattresses over all the
floors, soldiers squatted at their meals
on the wonderful tapestries of the i'm
perial furniture, splitting soup and
greasy bits of meat upon the priceless
tapestries.
| 1.-THE palace servants were no whit
behind the soldiers at the looting and
went around with bags collecting what
struck their fancies. In the Round
Hall the soldiers had set up an enor-
nous kettle and were cooking their
soup. In the room of the Press Blu
reau all the papers had been torn to
bits. In the Picture Gallery many
pictures had been slashed to strips OF
painted rags. It was nightmare Of
destruction"
The eighth of November, the day
following the siege, passed quietly, the
street cars were running everywhere
the number of patrols had decreased
land absolute order prevailed. The
Municipal Council had passed a raso
Tuition. instructing the population to
defend itself against looting, by USE
of arms if necessary, and though the
Bolsheviki authorities opposed this or
der. the formation of house commit
tees of self-defense went steadily for
ward.
The representatives of the Allied
Powers held long conferences but nc
decision regarding recognition of the
new regime was taken and it was stat
ed that special instructions from the
respective governments would be ne
cessary, as there was now no one es
tablished government in the country
Leon Trotsky had visited the foreign
office, announced himself as the For
eisn Minister of the new government
and asked for the Secret Treaties o.
. the Allies" He was told, to hi!
amazement, that documents relating tt
arrangements made during the wal
were incorporated in the protocols O.