Connecticut western news., 1881-03-23
THE GEAR OF RUSSIA.
The Story of his Assassination, after
 Five Attempts upon his Life had
 Failed

All the official dispatches received il
 relation to the assassination of the Czal
 of Russia agree as to the following
 facts: The Czar was returning in g
 covered carriage from the Michael
 Palace about eleven 8. m., Sunday, with
 his brother, the Grand Duke Michael,
 His escort consisted of quarter troops
 of Cossacks, and several officers of the
 household accompanied him in sleighs.
 AS the carriage was passing along the
 banks of the Ekaterinofsky Canal, and
 at point immediately opposite to the
 imperial stables, bomb was thrown by
 man who was standing behind 8 knot
 of pedestrians who had stopped to see
 the Emperor go by. It exploded with
 terrific crash right under the body of
 the carriage, the splinters flying across
 the street, but doing no injury beyond
 tearing away the back part of the car
 riage. The driver, who had drawn up,
 descended from his box, and the Cossack
 escort, which was few paces in the
 rear, at once galloped up.
 At this time there were not more than
 twenty persons present. The Czar, on
 hearing the crash, at once raised the window, opened the door and jumped
 out, and while he was drawing his fur
 cloak about him 8 second bomb was
 thrown from the knot of lockers on, ex-
 ploding right at his feet. The smoke of the first explosion was still hanging about, and when the second bomb struck the pavement dense cloud enveIoped the carriage. There was howl of pain and anguish from the Cossacks, some of
 whom were killed and more wounded by the flying splinters, and three or four of the lookers-on fell also. This crash brought squad of police, who were just going on duty at the imperial stables. As the smoke lifted, the Czar was seen lying on his back beside the wreck of the carriage, his legs torn and shattered and blood pouring from ghastly wounds in his thighs. His cloak and wearing apparel were literally torn from his back. He was deathly pale and his cries to the officers of the household for help were scarcely audible. Colonel Djorie- by, of his suite, who was badly injured by the second explosion, which shat tered his sleigh, raised the Emperor from the ground and with the aid of Cossack officers lifted him into sleigh and conveyed him to the Winter Palace The bombs were simply thick glass balls filled with dynamite.
 Meanwhile the Cossacks and the po- lice had charged upon the knot of peo- pie from which the two bombs were flung. Several persons pointed to man in the rough sheepskin garb of peasant and declared that he had thrown the first shell. This was confirmed by the Cossacks, who saw him hurling it. Colonel of Police Archemaff seized him, The man struggled desperately, and, as the now dismounted escort closed upon him, drew revolver as though intend ing to shoot the Grand Duke Michael (whose escape from death by the second explosion was little short of miraculous). but his hand was struck down, and in an instant he was thrown to the earth and pinioned, the police putting irons upon him and the Cossacks bind ing him with ropes. A large body of military and police had gathered by this time, and active search was made for the other assassin. There was a cry That he had run into the Imperial stables, every door of which was at once while the police secured the yards of the buildings but no trace of him could be found.
 Ten minutes after the first assassin was arrested his fellow. conspirator fell into the hands of the police. He had run from the scene in the confusion that followed the second explosion and concealed himself in an old building standing in 8 lane near the Imperial stables. A cordon of police and Cos sacks had been drawn around the sta- oles, so that escape was impossible. The police routed him out of his hiding place, and he was bound and sent off to the dungeon ip the Palace of Justice under an escort ot Cossacks. He ad- mitted his guilt, and on being told that his accomplice had also been arrested, said they were ready to die at any moment. He inquired if the Czar was dead and on the police refusing to an- swer the question, gleefully exclaimed: 'sAh, I know by that that we have succeeded. Long live the people p The police refuse to give the names or any particulars relating to their pris- oners, and the reports current in the streets are mere guesswork. That they are Nihilists is, however, beyond doubt. Both are young men and apparently of good birth and education.
 The first announcement St. Peters, burg had that the work of the assassins was complete was the firing of minute guns, the tolling of the church bells and the hoisting of the national flag at half mast upon the dome of the Winter Pal zee and the turrets of the principal buildings. A minute later and flags at and inverted flags (the latter IS the old Russian custom) were droop- ing from the flag -staffs on the houses of 5he nobility and gentry and Court, gov and municipal officials, and the long roll of kettledrums muttered the Bale in every street. At 4:3O D. m. an extra of the Official Messenger was is- sued containing the following announce ment "God's will has been done At 3:25 o'clock this Sunday afternoon the Almighty called the Emperor to Him. self. A few minutes before his death the Emperor received the sacrament" The widest excitement prevailed in the neighborhood of the Palace, but the peo- pie on the streets as rule received the news in sullen silence.
 There was no weeping or lamentation except among the soldiers, by whom he was much beloved. In the lower quar- ters, where the Nihilists are supposed to be numerous, crowds gathered at the corners and discussed the tragedy, re- marking as the police or military dis persed them, "They have done for him at last" All places of public resort were closed, and will remain so for some days. The police agents arrested several persons who were overheard denouncing the dead Emperor and ap- plauding the murder.
 The Duke and Duchess of Edin- burgh, the latter the daughter of the Czar, left London for St. Petersburg Sunday night as soon as they learned of the Czar's assassination.
 The State Department received in-