The Minneapolis journal., 1904-07-29
TERRORIST REIGN
SEEMS RENEWED
Won Plehve's Assassination Is
Viewed as One of Long
Series of Murders.
THREADS OF GREAT
CONSPIRACY FOUND
Plans Laid Just as They Were
When Former Gear Was
Killed.

st. Petersburg, July 29.-The name
of the assassin of Interior Minister
Won Plehve is given by the Bourse
Gazette as Prozef. but this is not con- 2
that they have established the identity
or even the nationality of the MUIR
derer, are carefully guarding the
facts, perhaps to throw his accom-
plices off the scent.
The general public is disposed to
nected with the far-reaching terrorist
plot revealed last summer by the ar
rest Of Gershunin, the Russian reyo-s
lutionary agitator, at Kieff, where he
had gone to organize an attempt on
the emperor's life during the cere-
ST. Seraphim. The subsequent trial
established the fact that Gershunin
was the head of murderous con-
spiracy, similar to the nil1ilist con-
spiracies of the early eighties, the OBJ
ject Of which was to create a reign
Of terror in Russia by killing min
listers, governors and the emperor him
self. Gershunin was a former petty
official Of st. Petersburg. The per-
petrators of the murders as well as the
victims were to be selected by lot.
Series of Crimes. &
The series Of crimes resulting from
this conspiracy began with the at-.s
tempt on the life of Privy Councillor
Pobiedonostseff, chief procurator OF
the holy synod, who was fired at by
Logowski, March 22, 1901, and in
cluded the killing Of M. Bogdanovich.
ex-governor general of Ufa, European
Russia who was assassinated May 1s,
1903; M. Bogoliepoff, former minister;
sof public instruction., who was shot by
Peter Karpovich, Feb. ~, 1901, and
died March Is of the same year from
the effects Of his wound, and NJ. Sipia-s
guine, M. Won Plehve's predecessor,
assassinated April 1e, 1909. The plot
also included the attempts on Prince
Obolensky, ,rt1fow governor general of
Finland, while governor of KharkoH,
fired at four times, Aug. IL, 1902, and
Prince .Galitzin. governor general of
the Caucasus. who was stabbed by
three natives in the outskirts of Tifis.
Oct. 27, 1903. -
The more recent murders of Gov
ernor General Bobrikoff Of Finland.
who was shot by Eugene tSchaumann,
June 16, and died the following morn
ing, and Vice Governor Andreiff of
Elizabethpol, Trans Caucasia, assas-.
sinated July II, probably We're not
connected with this plot. The latter
crime was undoubtedly due to private
vengeance.
The arrest Of Gershunin was con-
Quoted under dramatic circumstances.
|
trian police and upon his arrival at
Kieff tried to escape by jumping from
an electric car after an exciting chase.
Gershunin was. captured and he and
two others, one of whom was a
woman, were tried, convicted and SEN
fenced to DEATH but the emperor,
with Won Plehve's acquiescence, COM
muted the sentences to fifteen years
| Imprisonment. Gershunin is now
serving his sentence in Schlusselberg
prison.
Police Make Progress.
The police are making progress In
unraveling the skein of the present
plot They are amazed to find how
far-reaching was the conspiracy.
There is nothing yet, however, to
prove its connection with that of
Gershunin. The documents found
show the existence of a wholesale
remarkable feature is that it did not
include the emperor, who Is distinct-
! ly declared to be "uninvolved.
The capture of the murderer's ac-
| complice was effected under circum-
stances showing that the conspirators
pursued the very plan followed at the
| time Of the assassination of Alexander
II. The accomplices then were posted
at several street corners, so that II
one man failed another might succeed.
The same plan was adopted yes
terday. The accomplice, who Is under
arrest, stood near the Baltic depot,
ready to throw a second bomb In case
the assassin stationed half a mile
/ higher up the canal had failed. The.
former could watch the course OF
events and when he had heard the ex-
/ plosion he was satisfied that the mur-
der had been accomplished and hasti-
ly went down to the canalside, hired g
boat for eighty kopecks an hour, and
directed the boatman to take him for
a row toward the sea, away from the
scene Of the tragedy.
4 The boatmans noticed soon after
4 they started that his passenger took
i cardboard box out Of his pocket and
dropped 1t quickly overheard. The
boatrnan said nothing, but when the
passenger landed he called police
man and gave the man in charge. The
i prisoner, who was respectfully dressed,
spoke Russian with a foreign accent.
He refused to give his name. Divers
are now searching the canal bottom
for the presumed bomb