The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1918-02-10
BROTHER OFFICERS KILLED

bRO III Eh OF L lCERS hILLED
/ lived to see my brother officers MUIR
dered by these mobs in the streets Of
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES because they were
faithful to their vows. T. myself kept
life within me by crouching for hours
behind an iron gate while the horde of
maniacs plunged past me. In those red
days, when Kerensky was being dragged
down by the very men he sought to serve
and save, I witnessed madness, hunger,
despair, unholy glee, frightful profana-
tons. l was a refugee soul in hell-a
hell lit by burning houses whose
flames cast shadows upon dancing devils
Later, when Kerensky fell. l, too, fled
from Petrograd. I visited Kerenslxy
went to Moscow. travelled through the
little villages. Wherever I ventured
found the bolsheviki poison had spread
like that fatal gas introduced to the
world by the Teutons. think I know, as
perhaps no other man who has come
from Russia knows, the dread extent of
the upheaval That / shall try to tell.
When the bolsheviki stormed the VIM
ter palace, turning upon 1t the fire OF
machine guns and rifles, I was in tho
same room where Kerensky and his cab.
met were sitting. No American CORE.
scene-one of the worlds tragedies
when the first revolutionary government
was overturned by the archpriests of the
bolsheviki. That day will go down in
history as the most disastrous day for
Russia-perhaps for the whole world.
1t is not for me to pass judgment az
to what might have been. Sometimes
think that little more Of foresight. a
| little more Of frmness, little more of
l-yes-courage would have saved Rus
STA for herself and the allies. But 1t
| is not my purpose to judge. / am an
historian l know what happened. !
know what is happening under the savage
| paws of these bolsheviki.
| The morning of the 18th of October,
Thursday, was clear and beautiful. The
streets of Petrograd were massed with
! restless people. though disorder had been
slight But the whin of great occur
rences was in the air. There was an cleo
trical premonition apparent to Keren-
sky, for the man was excessively nerv-
Gus, unusually so. He sat with drum
ming fingers and working face. while
A.. A. Konovolow, secretary for trade,
reported that he had just returned from
/. the office of the general staff, and that
no precautions had been taken by the
| general staff for the protection of the city
and the provisional government against
the bolsheviki
| kESEhN ES COMlNG
Kerensky digested this. Then he re-
ported to the cabinet that an entire
| regiment of infantry, with some ar
ltillery, was coming from the front to
protect the government. He seemed
lconfident that these men would stand
iloyal1y. The fire of his optimism
touched doubters at the cabinet table.
A better feeling was apparent. There
i was a short discussion Of ways and
! means. 1T was agreed that the premier
should go from the city and meet the
regiment as 1t approached the city, the
better to instruct it as to its duties
ana to guard 1t from the bolsheviki
/ poison. 1t was feared then that the boil
sheviki propaganda, which promised all
things to all men. and which had al
ready been disastrously successful up
on the minds OF the simple peasant soi>
diers. might quickly corrupt the on
coming regiment. Kerensky fastened
away with cheerful smile and wave
of the hand. This episode was the be-
ginning OF the end.
4 The premier left the Winter palace
and the cabinet returned to Its routine
/ labors. A proclamation was framed. II
would inform the civil population and
the troops that protection would be
given by the provisional government
and v called upon all citizens to main
tain Order and 10 support the govern
ment One hour after the premier de-
parted General Baturny. commander oil
the Petrograd garrison. came to the
/ Winter palace and reported that his SOL
| iiers, had Joined hands with the boil
sheviki. that the troops were lost IL
all sense of reason and discipline. that
Officers were helpless. that nothing
Gould be done.
Baturny asserted that no longer could
he hold himself responsible for the
safety Of the palace
The cabinet listened In utter silence
| I do not believe that nve words were
spoken In ton minutes. Remember. the