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

RECITAL BY, AN EYEWITNESS.

The Times of Wednesday publishes a Renter's telegram,
which says :—"An officer named*Nowikoff, who was himself
a witness of the terrible events of Sunday, has communicated
to the Novoe Vremya a recital of all that occurred. He
says he was walking home with two comrades from the
Riding School, where the Emperor had been holding
the parade, and had just reached the Razan-bridge when
he heard a loud report. Nowikoff hurried to the spot
whence the sound proceeded and saw a group of
people about thirty yards from him. A thick cloud of
snow mingled with splinters of wood ros.3 at the same
time close to the place. Then came a second explosion.
Nowikoff thereupon ran all the faster, and when he arrived
at the spot he saw a sailor holding some one. The snow was
thrown up in all directions, and on the ground lay h boy,
killed; a Cossack, very severely injured; and one other
p rson—the Emperor—without helmet or mantle, his clothes
torn to pieces, his legs shattered, his blood dyeing the snow.
Nowikoff threw himself weeping at the Emperor's side, with
the words, 'Good God ! What has happened to your
Majesty ? ' The Emperor remained motionless, and
Nowikoff, with the assistance of some sailors, who
had hurried to the spot, lifted him up, himself holding
him round the body and breast, while the sailors, without
leaving go of their carbines, held the feet. The Emperor
then attempted to lift his hand to his bleeding brow, mur-
muring twice the word ' Cold ! ' Nowikoff was just about
to take his handkerchief from his pocket to bind round the
Emperor's head, when the Grand Duke Michael came up
and, bending down close to the Emperor's face, said, 'How
do you feel?' What His Majesty replied it was difficult
to catch. The Grand Duke ordered the sailors to throw
down their carbines, and then, taking a cap from one of
the bystanders, placed it on the Emperor's head. They then
began to move forward. Nowikoff asVed the Grand Duke
whether he would allow the bearers to carry the Emperor
into the nearest house for the purpose of applying bandages
to the wounded parts. •l he Emperor, who evidently re-
tained his consciousness, on hearing this, whispered in
broken language, 'Carry to Palace; there die,' and some
few more words which were unintelligible. The Emperor
was then placed on Colonel Dvortjetsky's sledge and driven
to the palace."
At first the sledge moved forward at a walk; but the
Emperor's strength seemed to fail so rapidlyithat the order
was soon given to trot rapidly to the Palace, into which the
Czar was carried quite unconscious.

Writing on Tuesday, the St. Petersburg Correspondent of
The Times says:—" Most important discoveries concerning
the assassination have been made to day, owing, in part, to
the confession at last wrung from the prisoner Rousakoff.
Among other things, the criminal has declared that he threw
the first metal bomb, and also that the unknown man
who died from his wounds and whose dead body Rousakoff
has been Wien to see was one of his accomplices.
Thus the various stories as to the actual attack
are cleared up. The lodging of Rousakoff and his
fellow-conspirators, situate in the district of the Nevsky
Monastery, was last night entered by the police. At least, if
not actually his lodgings, it was certainly the store whence
he obtained the materials for his criminal work, as a
quantity of bombs similar to those used on Sunday have
been found there. As soon as the party of police tried the
door late last night they heard the report of an explosion
within. Forcing open the door, they came upon a man
lying in the passage with his brains blown out and
covered with blood. On entering the room a woman
shouted, 'Take care, gentlemen, there is dynamite here.'
The police were careful not to come into close contact
with this substance, arrested the woman, who seems to
have made no resistance, and at once proceeded to search the
apartment. A number of explosive shells were found as
mentioned, and one copy of a revolutionary proclamation
relating to the crime, and pointing out that two persons
would perform the terrible deed. No one else was found in
the place. The police then set a watch for others who might
come to the house, and remained there all night. About
eleven o'clock this morning a young man presented himself,
and immediately fell in with this police. He drew a re-
volver, and fired six shots, wounding three policemen. He
was then secured."