Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-03-18
THE CzAR AsSASsLNA TED.

NIHILIsT coNsr1RAToRs AT LAST SUCCESSFUL
THE EMPEROR KILLED WITH GLASS BOMB.
Alexander H., Gar Of all the Russias met
with violent death in st. Petersburg last
Sunday afternoon While returning from a
parade about o'clock in the afternoon, in
company with his brother, the Grand Duke
Michael bomb was thrown under his car
riage, but its explosion did no further dam
age than to shatter the back of the vehicle
The Emperor and the Grand Duke immedi-
ately alighted when another bomb was
thrown, which exploded Mt tho Emperor's
feet, mutilating his legs below the knees in
horrible manner and inflicting other serious
Injuries. The wounded monarch was con-
veyed to the Winter Palace where, in the
course of an hour and half, he expired sur
rounded by the members of the imperial fam
lily. His left leg was fearfully shattered, the
greater portion of the foot and leg having
been blown off and his right leg nearly torn
from his body. He was sensible, with brief
intervals Of unconsciousness, to the last. The
bombs, which consisted simply of small glass
balls containing quantity Of nitro glycerine,
were thrown by different persons, one on
either side of the street. The man who threw
the first bomb was arrested on the spot The
other one has not been secured. The man
arrested was q student disguised as a peasant
The dead Gar was the son of the Gar
Nicholas and his wife Alexandra, a sister OF
Emperor William Of Germany. He was GO
years of age, and came to the throne in 1856,
during the Crimean war He was formally
crowned in 1856, and Immediately began to
reform the time-hardened despotism Of Rus
sia Illiberal as the Russian government is
still in our eyes, It is liberty itself compared
with the autocratic despotism OF forty years
ago. In 1861, Alexander won the plaudits of
the civilized world by the emancipation of
the serfs more than 20, 600, 900 in number.
He also established system of peasant pro
prietary or land ownership broadened the
facilities for education, and had decided upon
giving the people representative government,
the particulars Of the scheme for which were
about to be made public. He had always
been warm friend Of the United States, and
during the war of the rebellion took pains 10
make his good will known. He was man
of liberal and progressive instincts, and yet
in his nature there was q strange combina-
ton of the elements of strength and fatal
weakness. He was moody and melancholy I;
his life was immoral he alienAted the affec-
ton of his family he was impatient of coun-
sci. He put an end to many sources of cor
ruption but others were suffered to remain
which have been a scandal and a shame
The assassination of the Gar causes great
excitement at home, and in all civilized coun-
tries the feeling raised by the crime is one of
horror and detestation. Our government was
informed Of the Cars death on Sunday af-
ternoon and Secretary Blaine at once sent
message of sympathy and coincidence. On
Monday the Senate passed appropriate reso-
lutions, expressing the American sentiment
that assassination is never justihable RENE
dy for grievances, real or imaginary.
Alexander Ill, the new Gear, has formally
taken possession Of the throne, and the army
and civil bodies have sworn allegiance 10
him. He is SO years old. He married the
Princess DagmAr of Denmark, sister of the
Princess of Wales. Hisown natural instincts
would lead him to adopt a liberal and pro-
gressive policy in affairs Of government, but
what he would have done, of his own free
will, he can hardly do at the behest OF assas-
sins. To fail TO pursue measures of extreme
rigor in asserting tho power Of the govern
ment against the conspirators whose hands
are red with his fathers blood would be to
direct to himself the suspicion of being a
partner in their conspiracies. II can hardly
be otherwise than that this cowardly and de-
testable act of the Nihilsts will set back the
cause of reform in Russia for generation.
Five previous attempts had been made on
the life of Alexander IL He vas fred on
three times, once an attempt was made to
blow up the railway train in which he was
travelling, and year ago mine was laid be-
low the dining hall in the Winter Palace and
fred about the time the Gar and his family
were in the habit of dining. Fortunately
they had been delayed on this occasion. Five
soldiers were killed and 81 wounded.
The body of the dead Emperor was placed
in its coffin on Wednesday and conveyed to
the great church of the palace, where it will
lie in state. A mine, which was laid by con-
spirators to kill the Car in case the bombs
failed to do their work, has been unearthed
in st. Petersburg. The mouth of the mine
was in a shop keeper's dwelling.
II is now said that the man who threw the
second bomb, which killed the Car, was
killed himself by the explosion.