SACK OF THE WINTER PALACE.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XLI, Issue 11417, 21 December 1917, Page 5

SACK OF THE WINTER PALACE.

AN OROY OF LOOTING.

THE ESCAPE GF KERENSKY. Received Dec 21, 11 a. in. London, Dec, 20. The Morning Post’s Fetrograd correspondent, describing the sick of the Winter Palace, says the whole opreation of capturing Fetrograd was carried out in an admirable military manner. The approaches to the winter palace were taken without opposition. The cruiser, Aurora, and three destroyers took up positions opjiosite the palace. Kerensky, during his tenure of the palace, with his fraternity, maintained a royally extravagant state, guarded by cadets, who were trustworthy and soldiers and womens’ battalions were also ordered to remain. Ihe armament consisted of six guns and a score of maxims, but no provision w r as made for victualling the force, which exceeded two thousand, but repeated defections left less than a thousand, chiefly boys and women, to defend the pilace, which was the last territory Kerensky could command. The garrison at the palace passed Tuesday in a state of panic. Kerensky escaped aboard a fast motor launch, iu the early hours of the morning, along a little waterway between the palace and the hermi : tage. Kerensky and bis adjutant, disguised as Imperial lackeys, slipped out of the danger zone nnperceived. Naval guns could have reduced the palace to ruins in ten minutes if properly served, but the cruiser and destroyers merely fired blank salvors at intervals for five hours. A few minor guns used shells, but not doing much damage. The attack on the "land side was equally farcioil. The soldiers who seized Fetrograd went to pieces when the bullets began to fly. Six hundred, who were attacking the p lace, fled in all directions when the women opened fire. The Government surrendered on Thursday and marched out with the Cadets, while the women were brutally handled. Many -were flung into the Neva and many suffered indignities at the hands of tbe uniformed mob, who spent the next two days destroying or removing priceless treasures. Like mad, senseless barbarians they slashed innumerable works of art, portraits of Czars were torn to shreds, Moltke's portraits alone being mi touched. Cirpots. rugs and "tapestries were cut to ribbons or used as wrappings for other loot. The palace was like an ant hill for two days. men carrying great hurdf-us rnd motor lorries still larger loads of loot, including precious carviugs. old china and gold ami silver.