The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1904-08-02

st. Petersburg, July 2S.-The official
version of the assassination of NJ.
Plehve, the minister of the interior
today, says he was alone in his car
riage when the bomb was thrown.
The assassin came out of the hotel
and threw the bomb at the back of
the carriage. The minister was thrown
to the pavement Twenty persons
were injured including the assassin.
The postmortem examination of the
body of M. Plehve revealed no wounds
on the body itself His lower jaw,
however. was broken. Death was at
tributed to shock.
The assassin was so seriously
wounded in the stomach that he can
not be questioned M. Durnovo has
been appointed minister of the inter-
ior temporarily to M. Plehve's place.
Baron Budberg communicated the
news to the czar.
M. Durnovo, who has been temporar-
lily appointed minister Of the interior
was first under secretary of the min
istry of the interior. He is a senator
and privy councillor.
Further investigation by the author
tiles into the facts and accessories
connected with the assassination OF
the minister of the interior discloses
the nature of the Internal machine
used by the assassin. The bomb, it
appears, was quite a small affair but
was loaded with lyddite. Questions
put to witnesses of the tragedy gen.
Ierally agree that the fumes arising
from the explosion were yellow.
The assassin is about 23 years of
age, of fair complexion and wears a
blonde mustache, turned up at the
ends. It is authoritatively stated that
when one of the secret service agents
who was riding behind the coach of
the minister of the interior, attempt
ed to place the assassin under ar
rest, the young man tried to kill him
self. He quickly drew revolver and
turning the muzzle against his breast
fired. This is supposed to have caus'
ed the wound with which he was suf'
| fering when the secret service agent
! dragged him off to one side OF the
street. When the youth was searched
another revolver was found in the
side pocket of his coat.
Later investigation shows that sew
en- people were killed by the explosion
of the bomb and upwards Of 20 peo-
| pie seriously injured. Last night one
! girl who was in the vicinity of the
explosion at the time the minister OF
! the interior was killed, was still miss.
ing It is thought that the force of
the concussion blew her over a low
parapet into the canal and that she
was drowned.
The Marquis Bissano, who was an
eyewitness of the assassination, in de-
scribing the affair to the Publishers
Press correspondent last night said:
'The first thing I knew of the trag-
edy was the sound of the tremendous
explosion. Then, before I knew what
had happened, / saw all the windows
of the houses nearby, and the glass
roof of the railroad station shattered.
| was In the Warsaw hotel at the
time and everything was turned topsy-
turvy. Soon some of those hurt by the
explosion were hurried past or into
the hotel One woman had part of
her left shoulder torn off and she was
carried off. bleeding and screaming
on stretcher. Close by an officer
in uniform tainted and fell to the
street The right side of his face had
been torn off by a flying piece of
debris.
when | rushed from the hotel,
went up to what was left of the car.
riage of NJ Won Plehve and closely in.
spected It. Splinters were scattered
from 40 to so yards from where the
carriage was when the bomb exploded
The pole and fourth wheel alone were
intact
"Von Plehve lay back on the ground
his left hand grasping paper he had
been reading at the time of the ex
plosion His body was still palpitatine
with life when I reached IL but his
face was unrecognizable. having been
battered out of all distinct shape. The
chin was completely blown away and