The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-05-31 00:00:00

THE RAILWAY ACCIDENT IN RUSSIA

The St. Petersburg correspondent of the Standard
says there is no longer any doubt that the recent
accident on the Moscow Railway was due to the wilful
and malicious displacement of the rails. The acci-
dent took place shortly after midnight, at a spot where
the line runs over an embankment 201 t. high, down
which the engine and tender were precipitated. The
next three carriages left the rails, and were
shivered to pieces ; but the rest sustained little
injury. One second-class passenger was killed, and
eleven persons, including the driver, the stoker, and
the guard, were injured. The only wonder is that the
loss of life was not greater. A further catastrophe
was prevented by the presence of mind of the railway
servants, who succeeded in placing explosive signals
on the rails at a sufficient distance on either side of
the place where the accident occurred in time to stop
the St. Petersburg train, which was nearly due, and a
second train from Moscow, which followed half an
hour behind the first, and contained, amongst other
personages, the Grand Duke Sergius.

THE POLICE MURDERS IN VIENNA
The Vienna correspondent of the Standard, writing;
on Tuesday night, says: The trial of Ferdinand Schaf-
hauser and Johann Ondra, accused of having assisted
Kammerer in the murder of the police officer Hlubek,
at Floridsdorf. in De-ember last, bcgan to-day. Kam-
merer himself, being a soldier on leave, will be tried
before a military court, which sits with closed doors.
The two men avow their Anarchist opinions, but deny
the charga of having led Hlubek into a trap. On the
evening of the murder Schafhauser lectured on
the Ancient and Modern Proletariat, Hlubek being
present in his official capacity, and it was on
going home from this lecture, which finished earlier
than on former occasions, that he was shot from
behind, in a lonely part of the road. The charge is
that the lecture was specially arranged, and was
closed before nine, because after that hour the police
are relieved. Afterwards it is alleged that Schaf-
hauser accompanied Hlubek on his way to the city,
Kammerer following them until he had an oppor-
tunity of firing the shot, and that he, Schafhauser,
then went with his intimate friend, Ondra, to a public-
house, where they spread the news, to the marked
delight of the Socialists there assembled. This accusa-
tion, however, has not so far been sustained by the
examination, and, indeed, the Government seemed
to be afraid of the 'weakness of their case, for they
have coupled with the more serious charge a number
of minor ones, such as distribution of Socialist prints,
and the avowal of Socialist principles, on which, of
course, condemnation is certain. Only those provided
with special tickets are admitted into the court, and
all applicants are carefully scrutinised by the de-
tectives. Even greater precautions are to be taken
for the trial of Stellmacher, which begins on the 9th
of next month, and it is possible that, owing to the
receipt of threatening letters by the police, it may be
held with closed doors.