The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-08-24

who boldly stopped me, and began to
beg for aims. i gave him stern re-
fu.al. for never encourage these pests,
nevertheless he continued to plant him
self IN my path and renew his demands.
"Vhile was,trying to shake him of,
another man came up from behind. He
paused q moment, as if 10 ascertain
what was the matter, whereupon the
beggar left me, and commenced To asshil
the newcomer. / seized the oppor-
tunity 20 make my escape, and reached
nv house without further incident.
"But the events of this night were not
over. AS soon as 1 got in, l went
straight 20 my safe. and locked away
the mysterious packet which had been
conhded 10 me by NJ. Starovitch. AS
did so | observed that the envelope wis
sealed with yellow wax, bearing the
Russian imperial arms. j then sat down
20 n quiet game of chess with my at-
tache, 10 tranquilize my nerves before
going to bed.
1--WE had been playing for some time,
md l was just developing my final at-
tack on his position, when we were
disturbed by loud commotion in the
street outside. / cannot explain why
II was. but this noise caused me the
most dreadful shock. i sprang TO my
feet. pushing away the board, and com
manded the attache to go and ascertain
the meaning of the disturbance.
"IIe came back in a minute or two,
looking as white as the chessmen he
had been playing with.
"'Sir,' he cried, hoarsely, M. Staro-
witch has just been assassinated! They
are carrying the body home
"a groan of horror escaped my lips.
Hardly conscious of what | was doing
I snatched up my hat and coat and
began to put them on.
"'Where are you going? demanded
Montalembert, in surprise. Montalem-
bert was the young mans name.
"I must go round there at once. and
find out how this happened / answered,
distractedly. Il shall be obliged if you
will come with me; the streets may not
be safe
"He gave me an incredulous look.
"'At all events they will do well to
remember that we are members of tho
diplomatic hody.' he protested. draw
ing himself up with the pride of an EN-
bassador.
81 made no reply, and he quickly pre-
pared himself. We left the house arm
in arm, and ten minutes walk brought
us to the prime minister's official resi-
dence.
"The street outside the building was
blocked by IN immense crowd which
broke out every moment into fierce
groans. AS / came nearer / could make
out that one part Of the crowd was
groaning for Austria, while the other
was groaning for Russia. On one point
they were evidently agreed, namely. the
political significance to be attached to
the crime which had just taken place.
This circumstance increased my de-
termination to force my way in, and to
speak withithe unfortunateIvictim if he
had not yet expired.
"The police on guard at the entrance
were at first reluctant to let me pass,
without consulting their chief, who had
not yet arrived. But knew the char
acter of these men, and handful of
roubles soon gained me admittance.
Inside the spacious entrance hall I
encountered frightful spectacle. On
the floor, in the center of n crowd OF
attendants, lay the man who had sat at
the dinner table with me an hour before,
still extended on the shutter on which
he must have been brought there from
the scene of the crime, and literally
weltering in his blood. Some of his
clothes had been removed and flung into
n corner, when arrived, and n doctor
who must have preceded me by barely n
minute was turning over the body of
the unconscious man, in his search for
the fatal wound.