The Revolution in Russia [November 5, 1905]*

THE FOURTH DAY OF LOOTING AND SLAUGHTER

Kiev, November 4. Uproar and looting has been the order of the day here for four days now already. The military shoots at Jewish houses, because the Jews resisted the looting by force of arms. The manager of the Imperial Bank branch telegraphed Witte to communicate that the military’s passive attitude meant that Witte had to refuse any responsibility for the protection of the bank. This telegram motivated the arrest of around 190 looters, a measure which has scared the looters somewhat and has led to a decrease in the robberies.

THE REACTION STARTS TO MOVE!

Moscow, November 5. The Monarchist Party publishes a declaration, in which it explains its intention to use all means to support autocracy in Russia. This is the same party that spreads the claims that the Constitutional Manifesto is a forgery made by Witte. The Moskovskiye Vedemosti [Moscow News], this party’s organ, has published an extremely brisk attack against Count Witte.

ONLY TWO WOUNDED!

Warsaw, November 3 (report by the Petersburg Telegraph Agency). Only two persons have been wounded today. Teachers at municipal schools have passed a motion to teach in Polish from this moment on. A large assembly of railroad civil servants passed a motion to strike for as long as it takes for all the people’s wishes to be fulfilled.

CHIȘINĂU IN FLAMES!

London, November 4. According to reports from Odessa, Chișinău is said to have been completely destroyed by fire. On Friday, street battles raged for the whole day in Odessa, between the liberals and the so-called loyalists. The number of dead and wounded is estimated at around 500. The German and the French consuls requested their superior authorities to send the ships stationed in the Bosphorus.

Odessa, November 4. During the course of yesterday, the outrages of the mob continued. A large number of Jewish shops, including large businesses in central streets, were looted; several of the city’s factories have been burned to the ground. The hospitals are spilling over with the wounded. Again, several persons have been killed. The consulates and the hotels are guarded by troops.

Reports of severe mob outrages have also been received from Chișinău, Nikolaev, Sevastopol, Rostov, and Kirovohrad, crimes principally directed against Jewish businesses and shops.

Petersburg, November 4 (report by the Petersburg Telegraph Agency). Reports from the provinces sound more peaceful. In Rostov, where the disturbances have caused damages to the value of millions, railroad transport has restarted. In Riga, a rally took place yesterday with 150,000 persons participating. Speeches about the significance of the manifesto were held in seven languages from thirty-four stages. People greeted the troops with shouts of “Long live the army!” Railroad transport has recommenced in Novorossiysk.

THE AMNESTY

Has now been proclaimed. A telegram reports the following from Petersburg, November 4, 11:24 a.m: The enacting of the amnesty also covers, among other contents, all crimes carried out against the person of the emperor or against other members of the imperial household up to and including October 30. Further, it also covers the crime of participation in secret societies formed with the purpose of overthrowing the current order.

The ukase lists specific categories of persons sentenced for political crimes, who will receive a full pardon; for other persons sentenced for severe crimes, major reductions of sentence will come into force; persons sentenced for minor political misdemeanors will receive a full pardon.

THE GENERAL STRIKE SHALL CONTINUE!

Riga. The situation here has still not improved. A meeting of the people held yesterday evening passed the motion to continue the general strike. This has been followed by the closure of numerous pharmacies. Disturbing news is arriving continuously from the provinces.

THE PEOPLE’S MILITIA

The Russian Correspondence reports: “Voluntary Protection of the People.” According to a notice in the Novoye Vremya [New Times], a “voluntary people’s guard” has formed in Russia, consisting of around 100,000 members. The delegates of the Moscow section of this “voluntary” institution have recently submitted an address to the tsar, in which they express their thanks for the establishing of the Imperial Duma, and ask him to accept the gift of a painting of a saint from them. It would be very interesting to find out how many members of this “liberal guard” are employed by the police department.

SLAUGHTER OF THE JEWS

Petersburg, November 3. The semi-official Petersburg Telegraph Agency reports: according to a telegram from Tomsk, troops supporting the terrorist party attacked a gathering of liberals today. The liberals fled into a railroad administration building. Shots were fired by both sides. When, during the course of the evening, the building was set alight, a battalion received the order to attack, which lead to numerous persons being wounded. The theater was also vandalized and smashed up.

In Batumi today, a clash erupted between demonstrators and the military, in which people were both killed and wounded.

In Moscow, the governor issued a declaration today, admonishing the population to desist from further demonstrations and to take up again their familiar ways of life, so that they could enjoy the fruits of the new decree.

GERMAN IMPERIAL PROPERTY IN DANGER

Frankfurt am Main, November 4. In light of disturbances in recent days in Odessa, Rostov and other Russian cities, which have also threatened both the lives and the property of German imperial citizens, the imperial government has been in dialogue with the Russian government, as announced previously, in order to ensure special protection for the aforementioned imperial citizens. This request was then met, while the battles in Batumi raged. (Frankf[urter] Zeitung)

Of course! The imperial government is rather quicker to react to protect the threatened “property” of imperial German business people and other bourgeois, compared to when the issue at hand is the life of a noble revolutionary and proletarian, like Kasprzak!

THREATS

As reported from Saratov, the governor announced today that he would suppress all disturbances and lootings by force of arms. Revolutionaries held speeches despite this announcement, containing sharp attacks against the emperor, which were then followed by looting of the Jews’ apartments and shops. A grenade was thrown at the troops and revolver shots were fired off. The military returned fire, injuring people in the process.

In Kiev, too, the governor announced that he would crush any attempt to initiate disturbances.

As reported from Yaroslavl, the population has been rioting against school students and the Jews for three days now. Jewish houses and shops were looted out entirely.

At assemblies in Ivanovo and Voznesensk, clashes broke out today with Cossacks.

From Odessa, Kiev, Yevpatoria, and numerous other cities, reports have been received that pogroms took place in these localities yesterday, directed against the Jews.