The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-03-19 00:00:00

ASSASSINATION

EMPEROR OF RUSSIA.

(From Monday's Times.)

ST PETERSBURG, March 13.

To-day, about one o'clock, while the Emperor,
accompanied by his brother, the Grand Duke Michael,
was being driven in a closed carriage from the Winter
Palace, a terrible and fatal attack on the Imperial
equipage was made with explosive bombs.

His Imperial Majesty had got as far as Catherine
Canal, near the Stable-bridge, and close to the wall:
of the garden attached to the Michael Palace, when an
explosion took place behind the carriage, wounding
two horees, one of the six Cossacks forming the escort,
and killing a Moujick, standing near. The carriage
was immediately brought to a standstill, and the
Emperor, apparently thus far uninjured, stepped out
before his brother in the road. Colonel Dvorketsy,
who, as usual, was following behind in a sledge, at once
dashed by, and seized the assassin, who drew a re-
volver. This was struck out of his hand. At this
moment a second bomb was thrown between the
Colonel and the Emperor, and both fell to the ground.
Although severely injured in the arms, legs, and bat.,k,
the Colonel rose and rushed to the rescue of the
Emperor. The Imperial carriage being smashed to
pieces by this second explosion, the wounded Colonel
took the Emperor into his sledge, and drove him to the
Winter Palace.

Drs. Botkin, Golovin, and two others were at once
summoned, and they stated in a bulletin published
about three o'clock that both His Majesty's legs were
broken below the knees; the lower part of the body
was severely injured; and the left eye forced from
its socket. They, therefore, added that there was no
hope.

The Grand Duke Michael, fortunately, was not
hurt.
One man wlio threw the bomb was captured on the
spot: the other, it, is said, is also in the hands of the
police.
One or two other persons are believed to have been
injured. The force of tlAk two explosions broke
numerous windows at the otJer side'of the Canal and
the reports were heard at a considerable distance *om
the spot.
The physicians having declared the Emperor's con-
dition hopeless, the whole Imperial family ixi,me-
diately gathered at the Winter Palace. The
Emperor's- chaplain was soon called and from; his
hand is his Imperial Majesty. took the last Communion
and quietly expired shortly, afterwards, at abotit a
quarter to four.
The Imperial Standard over the Palace was then
lowered half-mast before a vast silent, and anxiously
inquiring crowd. All hats were removed, and gerierl
sorrow seemed to prevail.
- - -

While driving up to the Palace the Grand Duke
Csarevitch was cheered by the masses.
Streams of people moved up and down the streets,
passing from one to the other the official bulletins.

(From Monday's Daily News.)

ST. PETERSBURG, Sunday, 6 p.m.
The Ides of March will be a black-letter day in the
Russian calendar, marking the fifth and this time fatal
attempt on the life of the Emperor Alexander IL
To-day, for the first time the last five weeks, the
Emperor attended the review usually held at the
Michaeloffsky Manege, where he entered freely into
conversation with Lord Duff erin and others.
After leaving the Manege the Emperor drove with
Grand Duke Michael, in his closed carriage, with his
usual escort, to the Michaeloffsky Palace, where he
visited his sister, Alexandra Nicolaivna, to take coffee
with her.

After leaving the Palace, and when driving along
by the side of the Ekaterinofsky Canal, a bomb was
thrown which tore off part of the Imperial carriage.
The Emperor alighted, unhurt, with his brother,
notwithstanding that the coachman stated that he
could drive the carriage to the Palace.
The assassin was at once seized by two marines;
and the Colonel of Police Dvorjetsky, who followed
as usual in R sledge immediately behind the Emperor's
carriage, and was himself wounded by the explosion,
came up and asked the assassin his name. He replied
Roussakoff. lam informed that the Emperor him-
self also approached the assassin and asked his name.
The assassin then drew a revolver from his pocket,
which Colonel Dvorjetsky seized.
At this moment another bomb was thrown by an
accomplice immediately in front of the Emperor. The
contents shattered his Majesty's legs. The Emperor
exclaimed, "Help me ! " and fell to the ground. Both
the assassins were secured.
The Emperor was conveyed to the Winter Palate in
the sledge of the Colonel of Police in an unconscious
state, from which he gave no signs of rallying, except,
as I am informed, to motion away the surgeon who
prepared to amputate the lacerated limbs, and then
expired at 3.35 p.m.
The Cesarevitch and Cesarevna arrived at the palace
quickly after the catastrophe was known, and with
the Grand Duke Vladimir and other members of the
Imperial family, were with the Emperor in his last
moments.

kot:4

The Police-Colonel Dvorjetsky received sixty flesh-
wounds; none are serious. A lad passing at the
time was killed, and a number of persons, variously
reported from six to fifteen, were more or less seriously
injured. The windows of the houses on the opposite
side of the canal were broken by the two explosions,
which was heard in distant parts of the city.

(From Monday's Standard.)

It is said that the shells were made of thick glass, and
filled with nitro-glycerine.
- •- -

The assassins stationed themselves on opposite sides of
the road, one standing by the canal, the other taking his
post in the archway of a gate leading into the garden of the
Michael Palace.

The first shell was thrown by the man standing by the
side of the canal. The carriage was moving fast, and instead
of falling under it it struck the ground a little in its rear.
The back of the carriage was blown out. ,everal of the
escort were wounded, as was Colonel Drajeffsky, of the
Police, who was following close behind in a sledge.

The Emperor got out of his carriage, and asked those
around him where the shell came from and who was hurt.
The coachman implored him to get into the carriage again
at once, as this was not so shattered as to prevent its being
still driven, but his Majesty, in his solicitude for the
wounded, moved a pace or two from the carriage.
The assassin who had already been seized by the Circassians,
was struggling to point a revolver, which he had drawn, at
the Emperor, but it was struck from his hind.
The Emperor had moved but a step or two from the
carriage when the man standing in the gateway in the garden
wall threw the second shell at his feet. It exploded as it
touched the ground, inflicting the most fearful injuries, the
right leg being nearly severed from the body and the left leg
shattered.

Colonel Drajeffsky was covered
occasioned by splinters of glass.

with wounds, probably

-
The Emperor seemed to recover consciousness in some
slight degree before death, as he motioned away the doctors,
who wished to attempt the amputation of his legs
Ilia sons the Czarewitch and Grand Duke Vladimir were
present by the Czar's bedside, as well as the younger
children.

When all was over the new Emperor drove back to his
Palace down the Neffsky Prospect, amid the sympathising
cries of the people, a squadron of Cossacks accompanying and
following him.
• - •

He was deadly pale. The Czarvena, as great a favouite
here as is her sister in England, was with him, and, although
crying bitterly, she bowed repeatedly in answer to the cries
of the people.

The Official Messenger of Sunday evening published
an extra supplement, which contains the following
announcement :—" God's will has been done! At
4.25 this afternoon the Almighty called the Emperor
Alexander Nicolaievitch to Himself. A few minutes
before his death the Emperor received the Sacra-
ment."

As may readily be imagined, the greatest excite-
ment prevailed in St. Petersburg, and the streets
were thronged, while all restaurants and places of
amusement were closed, and even the outgoing trains
on the various lines stopped.

The late Emperor Alexander 11. had nearly com-
pleted his sixty-third year. He was born on the 29th
of April, 1818, and succeeded his father Nicholas on the
2nd of March, 1855, so that he had reigned just over
twenty-six years. He was crowned September 7,
1856. His Majesty married on the 28th of April, 1841,
the Prince-is Maximillienne Wiihelmine Augusta
Sophia Marie, daughter of Louis 11., Grand Duke of
Hesse. The Empress died on the 3rd of June last
y7ar, after a lingering illness. The Emperor leaves
five surviving children—the Grand Duke Alexander,
Czarewitch, the Grand Duke Vladimir, the Grand
Duke Alexis, the Duchess of Edinburgh, the Grand
Duke Sergius and the Grand Duke Paul.

RECEPTION OF THE NEWS IN LONDON.
On receiving the news, the Queen immediately telegraphed
to Clarence House requesting that Her Majesty might be
supplied with the fullest particulars as they arrived, and, in
compliance with the Royal request, a copy of each telegram
received was at once forwarded to Windsor.

Lothindo Sunday Clarence
afternoonHouseg,resatt.
jcaomnsetseps, aotnionthpereDvuaikle and
dind
Duchess of Edinburgh receiving a telegram direct from St.
Petersburg announcing the terrible news that "the Em-
peror of Russia had been shot at and wounded." Subsequent
telegrams were received from the Russian capital giving more
details. About five o'clock a telegram was reoeived by the Duke
and Duchess of Edinburgh and the Grand Duke Alexis, who
wifis staying with their Royal Highness at Clarence House,
winch conveyed the distressing news that the Emperor had
died from his wounds. The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh
and the Grand Duke Alexis were deeply shocked on receiv-
ing the news. The Prince of Wales had only just returned
from Paris when he was informed of the Emperor's-death,
and, with the Princess of Wales, was deeply affected on hear=
ing the melancholy intelligence. The Queen was tele-
graphed to at Windaor Caatle on receipt of the first