The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1890-06-05
PANITZA'S BIG PLOT.
Russian Court Prestige Re-
ceives a Blow by the Con-
VictiOn of the Major.
Persons Implicated in the Plot
to Murder the Prince On-
der Russian Orders.

LONDON, Special.-Since the day when
John Reynolds Paktul ambassador from
Peter the Great to the states of Germany,
was captured by Charles XII of Sweden
and broken on the wheel, Russian court
prestige has not received more start
ling blow than the conviction and sentence
to death Of Maj. Panitza, the Russian
agent in conspiracy against Prince Ferdi-
nand OF Bulgaria. The trial of the con-
spirators, TO which entire publicly has been
given by the Bulgarian government. has
broughtto light in the clearest manner the
oriental methods of the Russian courts in
carrying out its political aims, and
has shown that, under the veneer of
Western civilization, lies nature as un-
scrupulous and treacherous as that of a
shah or khan. 1t has been proven that
the seizure, and probably the murder of
Prince Ferdinand, was plotted by persons
in military authority, acting under Rus
sian direction, supplied with Russian funds,
and directed by captain of the Russian army
as Intermediary. This captain, Kalupknff,
has been sentenced to nine years imprison-
ment, and two other conspirators, Majors
Amandoff and Rizoff, of the Bulgarian
army, each to six years. The plot
was of old standing. Maj. Panitza,
who belonged to the Bulgarian army,
and was stationed at the important post of
Rustchuk, was approached by Kalupkoff
and by him introduced to the secretary of
the Russian legation in Roumania. Pan
itza proved himself perfectly willing to sell
his country to Russia for price. He was
plentilu!ly supplied with money, which he
distributed with much liberality among
those with whom he found ready to listen
to
HIS TREASoNABLE OvERTURES
in this way, and by promise of abundant
reward in the way of rank and emolument
from st. Petersburg, he succeeded III draw
ing to his side nine or ten officers of the
Bulgarian reserve force some of
them influential with the troops
under their command. Last au-
tumn the conspirators had it arranged
to arrest Prince Ferdinand and kill him in
case of resistance; but the plan miscarried
through the arrival of the prince on train
earlier than that on which he had been ex-
pected. According to the evidence on the
trial, which began on the Goth,
and concluded on the 29th, Prince
Ferdinand and his ministers We're to
have been seized on their arrival at Sofia
from Philippopolis. The guard of honor
at the Sofia railway station was to have
been composed of men whom Panitza could
trust, and two squadrons of cavalry were
kept on the rack ready TO come
out and scour the streets whenever Panitza
should give the order. Thir would indi-
cate that the eonspiacy had obta1noNd a
de4sr oo4'aald in army, in which Bafl-
itza, ~ account Estinguished services in
the seYvian war and his popular manners,
was oSnspicuously favorite. The princes.
sudSen return, as stated, SAVED him.
from arrest and probably from assas-
sination. As soon as Ferdinand had been
got rid of, a Russian general would have
taken charge of affairs in Bulgaria, and the
czar would have been requestedto nominate
two candidates for the throne of the
principality. Panitza also planned to
kidnap Ferdinand during court ball,
and he vainly endeavored to draw into the
conspiracy Col. Kissoff, commander of the
garrison in Sofia. 1t was apparently
through the effort to seduce Kissof that
the plot was brought to brought to light,
and Panitza and several of his fellow COM
spirators arrested.