RUSSIAN MASSACRES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2667, 26 April 1905, Page 24

RUSSIAN MASSACRES.

A DAY OF FEARFI'L SLAUGHTER.

MAXIM GORKY'S STORY

Maxim Gorky, the famous Russian novelist, de&crihed by Count ToLfoi as the second free man in Russia, Tolbioi. of course, being: the. first, was an eye witness of the St. Petersburg ma=>saci-e. Gorky is a leader of the present reform movement, and -was in the crowd that was stopped by the volleys of the Russian soldier^ &i the Neva Gate. This is tho reason why 1 c is at present being persecuted so cruelly. With Father Gapon and Fath-ei Sergius he- appealed to the troops not to fire on ilie- men, who were simply the-i\& in accordance with their ancient right to. appeal directly to the Czar. He escaped iinwounded, though a man by his side was was shot de-ad. He tells the awful story o£ the day of massacre, imdei* cldt-e January 23, ad follows: —

The Russian revolution has commenced. Tha bloody dawn of the day of freedom will b& followed by more slaughter, but in the end tho people will triumph.

Yesterday's awful proceedings have accomplished what years of propaganda could not accomplish. The confidence in the Czar

— ihe stronge-t article in the faith in the common people of Russia— has been destroyed. This has been the insurmountable breastwork behind which the aristocrats have fought off every movement for reform in Ru^ia. They ITave shielded themselves behind the traditional love of the- people for their =uprG-mo ruler The idea of revolt against th© Little Father was inconceivable to the majority of the- working people. They blamed all their troubles on the Grand Dukes and Ministers who stood between the-m and the Czar, and believed that if he could be apprised of the crimes and injustices that were committed in his name there would be> an end to the misery of Russia.

They carried this faith tip to the Neva gate : they believed as implicitly in their Emperor as they did m the cro-s that was borne by their leader. In one volley the soldier of the Czar have destroyed "the power of his name. On Saturday morning the Czar was the object of his people's worship. With th© roar of the gum he became the- known enemy of those who would have gladly laid down their lives for him. To-day there ar© but two parties in Russia, aligned in enmity that will never cease- until liberty has been achieved.

The hands thai were raised to support him are- now uplifted against him. They have been called rebels and traitors. On my honour they made the pilgrimage toward the Wmtoi- Palace without a thought of violence in their minds. They had no idea of subverting authority or offering even discourtesy to the-ii Sovereign. All they wanted was to present their petition — a petition which embraced nothing but what is granted to all other civilised people in the world — to the Emperor* Had he comeout of his palace and let them see him all would have ended with chc&ring, and with th© multitude on its knees> praising him and calling- down the blessings of heaven upon his head.

Instead, the troops were put ihere bo thot-e peaceable and faithful subjects, and they now hold him responsible for the lives that were taken.

We gained to within 15 pace= of the soldiers. We could look into their eyes, and even then we did not believe that they would slay their fellows.

There was no warning We raw tha rifles go up, and then the fire- flashed ip our faces and all about us men went down, el'oking- with their cwr> Wood. Not a word of disloyalty had been =poken when that order was given to shoot.

It was evidently the intention to ■exterminate the group of leaders, in the centre of which were< Father Gap-on and Father Senrius. Why were they not all slain? The soldiers did not fire properly. Many among ti>pm hated their task, and though wo were within 50 feet of them, many of the shots wont over our heads. Tiipy did- not dare refuse obey the order to iire, but many of them contrived to shoot so that the guilt of the massacre, should not rest on their consciences, la no other way can 1 account for the escape of any considerable number of those who faced the rifles.

But though, they could not bear to- kill the priests who bore th-e sacred emblems, numbers of them, -fired into the crowd.

My hand was upon the shoulder of a young man as the rifles, went up. x±e fell from under it, and as he rolled at my feet the blood- gushed from his moutb. It was impossible to miss had the men shot as they were ordered. I certainly would not be here to-day had 1 all that volley gone into the- mass of men. The picture of the Czar above us was shattered by the bullets. I do not know how many fell at the first volley : it seemed as if the street was suddenly ifull of dead' nd wounded. Then came tlio crowning atrocity of that awful crime. As the- wounded tried to rise from the suow they were shot again and again. It was cruel and unnecessary work. "We made no resistance. Even if w-e had been so minded, we had nothing with which to offer battle. The crowd fell back before the bullets. Even then the troops did not cease firing. Directly before m© a man stooped to look at a friend! who had fallen ; to see if he was dead or if he was dying, to get his last word for th-e family he left behind. A guard deliberately shot him through the head, and he fell dead across the body cf the man ho would have succoured. In other sections of the city the same ghastly scenes were being enacted because a sovereign would not receive a petition that bore nothing but, respect for him and loyalty to the country. I did not see the other horrors that I have since heard about — the shooting of women and children and the hurrying of the fugitives. I saw the- carts and ambulances that had been held in readiness — the evidence of tli-e premeditated character of the slaying — and watched the gathering of the dead and wounded. Doubtfess they proceeded upon the principle of suppressing by terror the movement of a people who only ask for what other people have enioyod for centuries, and meant to make the lesson as. terrible as possible. Instead, they ha\-r reused a spirit that will never die until the old order of things is for ev-er buried. January 22 will he- a date in the history Of the vrorld's progress that will never be' forgotten.

The killing and ma in I'"nor1 '"nor of sjl thesp people were so unn r cp"-6.ar\r and unprovoked that it, seems incredible. All the people did they had announced in advance. Again. I must say that there was not e\en a contingent purpose of disorder or revolution in the progress of th-e working men to where thov hoped to see their ruler.

W-e fried hi every -way to prevent bloodshed. I wa? a nifniL-fi- of the- committee appointed at a meeting of the literary olas-e* on Saturday. (7tl>er committeemeu w<»re Professor Karevofr 1 . editor He?=;en on. Pravo: Me'&rs Annensky, Pe«-h"kenoff. Mvakomin, and Ar~«Mi!eff. all well-known names in "Russian literature, and aM my respected friends. Wp vi=;it"d Witto i>i hi-> home and Prince Mirskv in tli-e office of the Minister of the Interior. Deputy RydcevPsky received us in the absence of the Prince, and we beaded them not to call otic the troon=. aa to clo «o wonlil lead to awful bloodshed and an outbreak of terrorism tkafc would rfsiiH in the le-^« of I^o to the Czar

You kvow how v?\n ivpre our efforis.

The effect? of ye<-tprday's work -will neves T>e> eliminated. There aro> more revolutionists in Rn=sia now by hundreds oS thon-sands than therp worp- two days aero, ?nd Father Gapon i? still alivp ar<l -no 1 I may not reveal where he is, but he will be heard of soon.