Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1884-04-09
THE CARS LIFE.
saved Almost by Mirac1c-A Mysteri-
Gus Visitor at the Winter Palace.

VI otiS VI NiS ihOoV N"i "iN' N''''"S
ic plots ever recorded in the history of
political assassination. The narrative
is founded en- events which are said to
have taken place in st. Petersburg
shortly after General Gourko had been
called from Odessa to act as quasi
military governor of the Russian capi-
tol. One bright May morning, when
the excitement was at its height, the
watchful eye of policeman posted at
the top of NevSky prospect caught
sight of an equipage coming up the
thoroughfare at a trot 1t bore armo-
rial devices well known in the Russian
capital; the coachman was there, who
persisted in being wigged in defiance
of his masters orders, to the great
merriment of st. Petersburg Jehus;
on each side rode the regular escort Of
six mounted Cossacks, each holding
his lance in rest and wearing his ball
of forage slung over his shoulder more
as if he was campaigning on the Don
than upon civil service in the streets
of the capital. General Gourko and
his escort-tle guardian of the peace
had easily recognized and hastily salut-
ed his chief, the new project Of police
turned into the cavalry parade, at
the top of Neyslly prospect, and at
once made their way into the AleXan-
ders1uare on the Neva side of which
rose the massive and somewhat fantaS-
tic outline of the winter palace. The
eqnipage having drawn up at the side
entrance of the building the general
alighted and rang. On the dOOr-keep-
er presenting himself-an officer of
the emperors private guard-the pre-
feet briefly stated the object of his
visit lie desired an immediate con-
ference with the car. The hour was
early, true, day having but just dawn
ed. At the same time his business
brooked no delay-it concerned the
safety of the emperor himself. The
! janitOr was at first ineXorable, expos
tulating that his imperial master had
already been in bed an hour, Yet at
last lie yielded. Up the lroad stair
case they went together. They trod
Oh gorgeous carpets, brushed past
the wealth of the winter palace in
malachite and lapis lazuli, on.y paus-
ing in their ascent when they had
reached landing giving access to one
of the capacious saloons. AT this
point General Gourko was instructed
to wait. AT this point, too the cars
officer seems to have repented of his
decision. The narrative represents
him as closely scrutinizing the prefect
of police in the growing light, and
of subsequently proceeding in the di-
rection of the emperor's sleeping
apartments,in no great haste, to arouse
royalty from its lrst slumber. The
man did not arouse the caar at all.
What he did was to descend to the
guard-ro\m and despatch messenger.
The man left the palace on the Neva
side. He there took a droshky and
drove past the side entrance into the
Nevsky. During his absence the car
calmly slept on. Gen Gourko impa-
tiently paced the saloon, and the mill
tary guardian Of the imperial bed
chamber vert about giving some or.
ders to the palace guards.
In Il quarler of al hour the messen-
ger returned. lie had been sent to
General Gourko's residence, in the
Nevsky prospect, and he brought back
the information that the project of
police was at that moment in bed
The early visitor was thus an inposter.
lie was something more: for from his
pockets, after he had been seized and
pinioned, they drew forth a six-bar-
relied revolver and two-edged hunt
ing knife. The czars life had been
saved, yet it hung for few moments
in the balance The made-up Gourko
the prefect Of police, initiated down
to the minutGst details of hair, COM
plexion and g-might have deceived
even the emperor himself. Not a
whit less perfect was the art which
had reproduced the Gourko coach and
escort. Only the sham project was
secured and not his confederates
simultaneously with the arrest guards
had left the palace to seize the latter
But the equipage had gone, the Cos
sacks were gone, the coachman was
gone. A policeman atterward told
how he had seen the cavalcade pass
over one of the Neva bridges and dis
appear in thoroughfare of Basil is
lands. The carriage was never found,
and, for all that could be aScertained
concerning them or their steeds, the
six Cossacks may be mounted and rid
ing, lance in rest, to this day. AS for
the chief actor in the plot the conspi-
rator that only failed in his imperson-
alton of General Gourko because of
his inability to be in two o-places at one
and the same time, his personality has
never been disclosed. He is the only
mystery which the nihilists themselves
have never been able to penetrate,
His secret remains with him, and he
keeps it to the present moment for he
is still a prisoner in the island fortress
Of Peter and Paul.
isn't it awful?" cried Julia, as a
dog, in an agony of fright, went sour
swim m nost with a tin kpt Ia tipl to bic