The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-04-19 00:00:00

ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION
OF THE CZAR.

A determined attempt to assassinate the Emperor of
Russia was made on Monday morning. The following official
notification was published in St. Peterzburgh at eleven
o'clock :
"At nine o'clock this morning, as the Emperor was
taking his customary walk near the General Staff
office, a man standing opposite the Ministry for
Foreign Affairs and in immediate proximity to the
person of the Emperor, fired four shots from a revolver
at His Majesty. By God's grace our beloved sovereign
escaped unhurt. The assassin is in custody."

The following supplementary account was officially pub-
Balled at a later hour :

"To-day, towards eight o'clock in the morning,
while the Emperor was taking his usual walk in the
neighbourhood of the Winter Palace, a respectably
dressed man, wearing a military cap with a cockade,
advanced towards him, and as the Emperor ap-
proached nearer drew a revolver from the pocket of
his overcoat and fired a succession of shots at His
Majesty. The passers by and the police immediately
seized the assassin, who, before finally submitting,
fired another shot, slightly wounding in the cheek a
person in the crowd which surrounded him. God's
providence preserved to Russia her beloved monarch
uninjured. The perpetrator of the deed is in the
hands of justice, and the examination into the cir-
cumstances attending the crime has already com-
menced."

On the news ot the attempted assassination of the
Emperor becoming generally known numerous dignit tries
of -state, officers of tne army, civil functionaries, and other
prominent personages, proceeded to the Palace. There a
large crowd had already assembled, enthusiastically cheer.
log His Sl.J.sty, who responded by thanking the people for
their sympAthy. The Emperor expressed his gratitude for
the proofs of fidelity afforded him on such a painful occa-
sion, and said he knew he had the support of all respectable
people, and hoped that God would grant that he might corn-
p;ete his-task, which consisted in promoting the welfare of
Russia. After making these observations the Emperor drove
from the Palace unattended by an eseort.

In a telegram from St. Petersburgh under date April 15,
The Times of Wednesday gives the following additional
particulars :
The would-be assassin states that his name is Ivan Sokoloff
and that he was employed in a provincial branch of the
Ministry of Finance. On being stripped by the police, two
capsules containing poison were found under his arms
attached to the skin by wax. When arrested the prisoner
had his teeth tightly clinched and foamed at the mouth.
Vomiting began shortly afterwards. Antidotes were
administered with great difficulty, owing to ne strenuous
resistance of the prisoner. When he had been sufficiently
restored, he was taken under a strong escort of mounted
Life Guards from the Prefecture of Police to the fortress of
Peter and Paul. The marks of three of the bullets fired by
sokoloff are still visible on the wall of the building occupied
by the General Staff, opposite the entrance to the Ministry
for Foreign Affairs.
The supposition that the perpetrator of the attempt on
the Emperor's life took poison has not yet been oaictally
confirmed.

The judicial investigation into the prisoner's antecedents
is now proceeding, but his statements at this preliminary
state of the inquiry will not, of course, be mace

The entire city is decorated with flags as a token of re-
joicing at the Emperor's escape, and his Majesty has re-
ceived repeated ovations in tile course of the day. There
will again be general illuminations this evening.
The following further pirticulars have transpired in re-
gard to the attempt upon His Majesty's life.

Upon further inquiry the assailant's name proves to be
Sol,wjeff and not Sokoloff, as at fir at stated; he is thirty
years of age. He first fired three shots at the Emperor,
and, alter being knocked down, tired while still prostrate
a fourth shot, which slightly grazed one of the police. He
was then conducted to the Prefecture.

The Emperor proceeded at once to the Winter Palace in
the carriage of the commandant of the city, who had
hastet,ed to the spot, and who accompanied His Majesty.
At the Palace, all the members of the Imperial family
speedily made their appearance, and very shortly atter-
warda thousands of superior officers and civil functionaries,
as well as the members of the Diplomatic Body, ar-
rived, The Emperor attended mass as usual at 11
a in., and a thanksgiving service was performed at
noon in the great church of the Winter Palace. In the
meantime all the persons who had come to the palace took
up their positions in the White-ball, and jubilant shows
were raised at the Emperor on leaving .the church passed
through the apartments of the Palace and entered the Hall,
where he thsnked the assembled visitors for their sympa-
thetic demonstration.

At 3 p.m. His I.lB.jesty drove in an ordinary open carriage
without escort to the Kazan Cathedral, and offered a prayer
of thanksgiving for his preservation.