The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1881-03-22
The Cars Assassination,


gives the following story of the assassination
OF the'c car. The town was startled by the
announcement that the cZar AL xander had
Deen mortally wounded by the explosion of
oomD, thrown by an assassin, while he was
out driving in the forenoon.
al hfst 1t was supposed that the report was
caIfrd, for the emperor's assassination had
oeeh SO often anDoun ed, and as often denied
since the Nlhlists began to compass his d ath,
later Oh, however, came the news of mis- death
winch was quickly followed by full account
of the tragedy.
Lord Dutlerin, British ambassador at St.
petersburg, had, in the mean ime, Informed
lhe foreign offices of the affair, and his dis
patches were at once forwarded to the Queen,
the Prince of Wales, Duke Of Edinburg and
other members of the royal family who We're
at tue dukes seat in Kent.
lraEers were offered for the duchess at af-
terhnon service in the churches, and in the
evening special reference was made. by the
ministers, from the pulpits of the principal
churches, while there was great excitement
III t-.e court and official circles. There was,
comparatively, little excitement on the street.
lie tact is, the people had been long expect
Ing as much. Great sympathy is expressed
by all classes for the Duchess of Edinburg,
who is III delicate condition. The Russian
Embassy at Cheshamhouse, Belgrave Square,
We're Kept busy answering questions Of Rus.
sian merchants, and others, who focked there
t" hear the news.
The embassy has no information on the
subject beyond official notification of the
cars death and copies af the reports which
viii be found here. Special services were
REID in Grnen street churches TO- -niglt, and
all agree as to the following taci: The czar
was returning i'll covered carriage from Mi
c'lael palace, accompanied by his brother the
Grand Duke Michael. HIS escort consisted
nf troop nt CoSsdcks and several officers of
ms household VINO ac onpa lied him in a
sleigh. AS the carriage was passing along
the banks of the Ekatrinofski canal, immedl-
ateiy opposite the imperial stables, bomb
was thrown by man who was standing be-
hind Knot of pedestrians who had stopped
to see the emperor 20 by.
1t exploded with Il crash right under the
bouy OF the carriage, splners flying across
Lhe stle eet but doing no injury beyond tearing
| away the back part Of the carriage. The
driver, who had drawn up, descended from
his box, and the Cossack escort, which was a
ie" PAGES IN the rear, al once calluped up.
AT this time there We're not more than twenty
persons present. The car on hearing the
crash, at once raised the window, opened the
door and jumped out, and while he was draw
Ing his fur cloak about him, a second bomb
was thrown from a knot Of lockers on, eX-
| ploding at his feet. The smoke of tile first
explosion was bazing about, and when the
second bomb struck the pavement a dense
| cloud enveloped the carriage. There was a
howl OF pam and anguish from the Cossacks,
some of whom were killed and more wound-
ed by flying splinters and three or four of
the lockers Oh fell also. The crash brought
squad of police, who were just going on
! duty at the imperial stables AS the smoke
lifted the czar was 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 wear
ing apparel were literally torn from his back;
he was deathly pale and his cries to The
officers of the household for help were scarce
ly audible. Col. Djorlokby, OF his suite, who
was badl lyinjured by the second explosion,
which had shattered his sleigh raised tue
emperor from the ground and with the aid of
Cossack officer, lifted him into the sleIgh
and conveyed him to the winter palace. All
this did not occupy three minutes. AS the
| prisoner was thrown into a sled and driven
OIL under strong guard, Col. Diorlokby s
| sleigh, bearing the wounded emperor and two
or three attendants, drove rapidly through
the streets to the winter palace, where a
mounted messenger had previously arrived
with the news. By this time the story was
known through the neighborhood of the
palace, and as the sleigh drew through the
main gate, the people stood by uncovered,
while hundred, and thousands hocked to the
scene of the tragedy. An alarm had been
sounded in the military and police bar
| racks, and in trce the guards
in the winter palace were doubled and
the streets lined with soldiery. The news
soon reached the churches, and congregations
rushed INTO the streets and made for the pa
lace where squadrons of Cossacks and cavalry
kept them at bay. Gen. Melikon, military
governor, was on the spot in ten minutes after
the cars arrival and called out every de-
tachment of cavalry and artillery, and tell
graphed to all the C mmanders i'll the city
and outlying posts to hold themselves in rea-
diness to move with troops at a m0ments S
| warning.
There Is no doubt but that the authorities
| feared general rising OF the NihilstS, but if
| such a thing had been contemplated, 1t was
quite out of the question. The whole city
} was camp before the clock struck twelve.
The tiremen and the fir" police kept sharp
look out for fires, and the principal govern
ment buildings were put under close guard.
Meanwhile the cossacks and police had made
a charge upon a knot of people from which
the two Lombs were flung. Several pointed
to man in a rough sheep-skin dress of Il
peasant, and declared he had thrown the last
shell. This was confirmed by others who
saw him hurling it. The man fought despe-
rately, and as they closed in upon him he
| drew a revolver intending to shoot the Grand
Duke Michael, but his hand Was struck, and
IN an instant he was thrown down and Sc
Curely pinioned.