THE ROUMANIAN REVOLT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13997, 2 September 1907, Page 5

THE ROUMANIAN REVOLT

AN AMNESTY GRANTED,

PARDON REFUSED TO PRIESTS, OFFICERS, AND MURDERERS.

Presi Association—By Telegraph—Copyright.

BUCHAREST, August 30. The King has granted an amnesty to 8000 persons who were concerned in the recent Roumanian revolt, but has refused to pardon 200 priests, officers, and murderers.

The above cablegram probably) rcfors to tho poasants'revolt at the end of March and tho beginning of April, Tho trouble is said to have been duo to trusts monopolising the land and leasing it to poasants at twice or thrice the rental tho trusts paid. There were serious encounters with tho peasants and troops in the Vlashka district- of Rourcania, many peasants being killed and wounded. The poasants, led by villago schoolmasters, committed terrible atrocities. Ma.ny landholders were burned to death. An entire village at Rudomy was burned, many Jews perishing in the flames. In the conflicts in tile Olt and Damboritza districts, in Ilotrmania, 200 peasants were killed or wounded. The troops displayed tho greatest vigour. The indications were that many Russian revolutionaries and foreign anarchists were assisting Ihe rebels. Branrovan mid Stinbei were'devastated, and Rustchuk, Sistova, and Nokopol were full of refugees. Bands of plunderers concentrated at Vieruodivani and Stapeshi. and res/isted the troops until the artillery destroyed the village. One thousand rebels attacked an infantry regiment at Brugatlia. Half the soldiers refused to fire, and when tho order was repeated killed their vcolonel and joined the rebels. A sharp encounter between tho loyalists and the deserters and peasants resulted, in which 200 wore killed. Eventually the rebels retired. Tho rebels treated tho rich ferociously. A wounded landlord begged 1 for a priest, but the rebel leader stabbed him with a knife, shouting, " There's absolution." Ilis followers then, with their axes, hacked off tho victim's arms and legs, while' others danced around. A -battery met. 10.000 peasants armed with axes and scythes, who wcro engaged in burning Prince Stikbci's palace. The battery sent in a hail of shots, and 400 peasants, were mowed down in a few minutes/. The artillery killed and wounded 1000 of Ihe mob who wore pillaging the estate of the Roumanian Minister at "Vienna. Many women wcro among tho rioters. The poasants poured .petroleum over Captain Botez and roasted him alive. Tliey also cut off the Hands of a captured lieutenant. A severe encounter occurred at Langapatuelclo, where the troops killed a number of peasants. Tho artillery destroyed many villages m the districts of Dolcm and Mcthcdintz, and killed numbers of peasants in the district,\of lit. Several ox-members of the. crow of the Russian battleship Kniaz I'otomkino wore arrested for participating in the agitation and for distributing revolutionary pamphlets in tho villages and towns, and 70_ of tho crow wero arrested for declining publicly that tho Roumanian army officers wcro responsible for the peasants' revolt.-