RAID ON TERRORISTS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 170, 11 April 1908, Page 10

RAID ON TERRORISTS.

. — . . NUMEROUS ARRESTS. PLOT AGAINST A GRAND DUKE. Tho London '"Standard".■•of. February 22 states: — Terrorist activity has been 'revived in St. Petersburg, wliero tlio polico have discovered a conspiracy to assassinate prominent individuals, including tho Grand Duko Nicholas and the Minister of Justice. -Thirty-five arrests havo been mado, the Terrorists in many instances defending themselves .with revolvers- Several,-women were amongst those captured, and thoy also attempted to-mako hso of tho weapons with which , they were armed. FIGHTS .WITH POLICE. Tho Terrorists were arrested in different parts of the city, their capturo. being attended in several instances considerable risk: Most of them wero armed with revolvers, and., somo had 'bombs concealcd upon them- Women were included in.tho arrests, and they, like their male confederates, were armed with revolvers, of which they, were not slow to attempt the use. Tho arrests prove that the'country.'is not by any means tranquillisod, -notwithstanding official assurances to the contrary, and tho popular unrest is proved by the numerous extensions for a further year of the . state of martial law' in various districts: It is important", however, to recognise, that terrorist methods no longer form the weapon of any party, even tho extremists'- refusing to countenance, a campaign of murder and robbery ;. Tho spirit in which the Duma approaches the proposition 1 to recompense those .who have suffered material loss at tho hands of tho Terrorists shows that every political party is opposed to revolutionary.: violence. 1 To- this- extent, political progress may be recorded,' and with a, return ito .saner: methods of constitutional reform, thcro are hopeful.prospocts for Russia! Tho drastic , measures of'the Government against wrong-doers'arc amply justified, for only persistent severity can deal.efficiently with these irresponsible offendersdisoiyned by.. every section ,of reformers. It is a curious fact that : tho proportion. of womon among the •Terrorists, lias lately been .increasing. , The entire efforts of the Government aro now being directed to stamping out, their, mischievous propaganda, but these 'efforts are hampered , by the activity.!, of, the.'Government's . nominal supporters/; who,', create an .atmosphere of oppression which is favourable to the growth of terrorism. A SERIES OF OUTRAGES PLANNED, i The numbor-.arrested. wns .thirty-five, many' of tho captures''being effected in the open I'street.; Documeints . show, that..tho .police , have, laid hands, on a gang which intended to perpetrate "a series of outrages on highly-placed personages. .The first shooting occurred in tho Vassil.v. Ostroff quarter, whero a young •man,i finding; himsolf,.followed 'by-two. detectives, fired at thera with ,ii Browning revol•vor and;wounded one in the cheek -and the other in the .arm! ; >He' wa.% nevertheless, ' overpowered and arrested.' I "'About; tho ?amo time .in-the fashionable thoroughfare of, Moskai detectives pinioned two nien, one of whom carried \ a Browning revolver ' with .; reserve cartridges' and the other »• powerful bomb. The latter was identified jas'an ltalian named Calvino, whom tho police havo.long been,, watching/- • ■ ''' i!/. '■'! ' WOMEN (TERRORISTS! %: ■ • 1'... In-Sadovaia- Streei; a'girl; seventeen, years old .was. arrested., andtaken: ion-tho polico station. She, .went, there quietly, but on .arthe.fco.urtyard,' when' .the, policp 'let for. moment,. sho. drew, : a and' .fired, : Avoijnciing!, o. : policcman in the! head. £She ..then fidd, !• but' was. ■ overtaken ;Another w'omani.i-n'ell dressed, !whci■ was shadowed by.detectives>to• Michael, Square,'/where tho,Frenoh Theatrb is. situated, began firing'her : !revolvor. '"Seeing escape . was. hopeless,..howevor, she tried ,toi turn tho ' rt'Mppn''against' herself, .but jtlie defectives j hfe'r.hand., .Four,other,persoris ?who :ivere,.' walking: in-. the ; squaro .• lied. ,Onb; w;as aryestcd., A .bomb .was found on a . wqsnan . sho/was,. searched. Thcro. trere ' many'bther arrests,: conducted under searcoly loss .'exciting "conditions'.' .In a \mimbor ;-.of eases'' weapons and rev6lutionqry!;corrospondcnce.aiid documents were, seized in-lodgings occupied by •Terrorists. 'Among tho' houses ' searched ..was that, of :M. ; ' De'allkoff, '.a t'riiik lionaire ' merchant and the" ownor .of.';' fifty Volga' steamers.Some 'of those arrested. had only recently a'rrived'in St/ Petersburg.from Moscow,. Finland/\ and other;: parts;; : It;- ia stated" that-thosd, aVrested^are'connected" with ;the .Terrorist'organisation unearthed at Vi!borg .sbmo 'days ago.'; - ! ■ i ' yi\ ' EXPLOSIVES FOUND. •:'* Tho .Terrorists; arrested were '-members''pf a sopial revolutionary organisation' l which' had elaborated, plans; to' assassinate,; ; .among ipthers,' the • Grand Duko Nicholas., and tho Minister of. Justice. The; police had ascertained; that several. would-be assassins had lately been, loitering ; in! .tho ' vicinity of tho' Grand Duko S'palace and of tho Ministry of Justice. Three of them' waited in the streot on; February 20 < for., tho., appearance' of .M. bheheglovitoff, but', without'' result. On ; taking up. their position tho next,day they vrcro arrested. • Eleven ringleaders of tne organisation Tvpro .among ; thoso. • arrested j - including live women. ..Quantities. of explosives ;wore found- ,in some of tho '.dwellings which wore searched, and, also 1; two. police, uniforms. .-