The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1904-07-28
ETHE MOST HATED MAN IN THE
EMPIRE WAS sLoWN TO
FRAGMENTs BY A BOMB
EXPLOSION.
RIG ASSASSINATION HAS cAUs-
ED AN IMMENSE sENsA-
TIoH-WAs A JEWISH
PERSECUTER-

= "a
PETERSBURG, July 2s.-M
Plehse, the minister of the interior
was assassinated at the Warsaw sta
tion in this city this morning by the
explosion of bomb: His coachmar
and several spectators We're also
killed
NJ. PIehye had just arrived at the
station when the bomb was exploded
The windows in the station were
smashed by the force of the explosion
the bridge was damaged and the pave
q ment was torn up for a considerable
distance.
NJ Plehve was appointed to the of
fee of minister of the interior on April
rs, 1892, and succeeded NJ. Sipiagulne,
s who had been assassinated a few days
previously.
NJ Plehve has never let an occasion
pass without expressing his hatred of
the Jews, and as result there have
been many plots to take his life. Pre-
vious to his appointment as minister
tof the interior, NJ. Plehve was secre-
tary of state for Finland and ruled
with an iron hand. 1t was while he
{ held this post that he first gained the
heartfelt hatred which has kept his
life in constant danger during the
) last years of his life. In the past
year or two whenever the nihilists
ofg Russia had scheme for assassina-
ton on hand, it has been said, NJ.
Plehye's nameS next to the Cars led
the list of those whom the anti-gov-
eminent forces wished put out of the
way.
M.5Plehye's opposition to the growth,
of Semitism in Russia has been even
more apparent than ever since the out
break of the war between Japan and
Russia. Despite the confusion Incl
dent to the war he has carried out
this task of defending the autocracy
against attacks at home. His favorite
methods OF prevention, the persecution
of the Jew, were carried out with even
Tedoubled vigor. The number of pet
Sty measures OF restriction against the
hated Israelite were multiplied and
the chief Jewish organ was suspended
for six months on account of an ar
.ticle in which the condition OF the
Jews was described intelerable. Fresh
modes Of persecution were devised. |
among these being the compulsion of |
heads of Jewish families to go to the
front, despite the fact that their de-
parture meant the entailment of priva-
ton and even starvation on the help-
less ones left behind.
* Perhaps the most serious charge in
this connection ever made against the
late minister, was that he was to
great degree, by his actions against
the Jews, responsible for the massa-
ere Of Jews at Kishiniff some months
ago. It is true, when the facts in the
natter were brought to his notice, he
made a pretense OF securing the pun
of those directly responsible
for the massacre, but the investigation
was hollow one, no one high in au- {
thority being brought to justice.
Since the war broke out, M. Plehve's
power has been almost that of des- {
little short Of a revolution could dis i
lodge him. He appointed the local i
governors and these, under his di-
-ection, became practical czars OF their
districts. He did not even hesitate to S
-ebuke the Empress herself Several S
of the local councils, or ZemstVos,
oined their subscriptions with that OF c
he Empress for the aid of the Red
Cross work. The Empress sent these V
elective bodies letters of thanks. NJ il
angry that any elective body
hould be recognized, Immediately Or ]
Tered that no other zemstvos join in c
he subscriptions. "
Nor have the Jews been the only
bjects of his severity. The students ii
f the empire, in his opinion, were be- n
oming too strong and assertive, and D
is methods of repression acted as "
cash over the heads of the disorderly IL
nes. For. the successful carrying out
f these schemes, for the holding in "l
f the revolutionary classes, NJ. Plehve p
nd his. supporters went so far as to &C
lvor continuation of the Japanese ia
ar. iy
No matter what the reverses to the E
ussian arms, he believed that so long
5 the war continued he would be able
, suppress these revolutionary ten - -
encies, and his power would contin- "
ally become more absolute. There is pr