River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1904-08-04

st. Petersburg, Aug. In. Won Pleh-
We, the minister of the interior, VINO
was assassinated Thursday morning
last, was buried Sunday and in every
city and hamlet of this vast empire
church bells were tolled and masses
and prayers said for the repost of the
soul of the murdered minister
The Gear Attends.
The services here, which were &C
cording to the rites OF the orthodox
church, were of an impressive and I'M
posing character At IL o'clock in the
morning high mass was said in the
stately chapel adjoining the ministry
of the interior. Emperor Nicholas ana
the dowager empress stood with the
broken-hearted widow and the children
of the minister at the foot of great
mound of flowers on which rested the
casket. To the right on gold embroid-
cred cushions, before mass of
wreathes banked to the ceiling, were
ranged the decorations which had been
won by the statesman during his nota-
Bile career. To the left were the Metro
ciating bishops and priests in their gold
emblazoned vestments. A screen of
flowers concealed the famous imperial
boys choir.
Among those present were other
members of the imperial family, the
foreign representatives, including Spen-
Ger Eddy, charge d'affaires of the
American embassy, ministers of the
empire, generals, admirals, mobiles, gov
errors of distant provinces, like those
of Australian and Irkutsk-in fact, all
high officialdom, not even emitting
GenghiZ Khan. lineal descendant of
the Napoleon of Asia, who is now
major general in the Russian service.
The entire assemblage was in full uni
form and on the arm of each one pres
ent was badge of mourning. All held
lighted tapers throughout the service
and the air was heavy with the per-
fume of flowers and incense from the
censers.
Widow Faints.
At the most solemn moment when all
knelt and many were affected by tears,
the widow was overcome and tainted.
The emperor came to her assistance
and she was carried out by gentle
hands The emperor was visibly moved
and upon the conclusion of the mass
he followed the casket. which was
taken up on the shoulders of the min
listers and borne down the broad mar
BILE staircase to the street.
The Funeral Cortege.
There the funeral procession was
formed and the body was placed in
great white open hearse, drawn by six
coal-blac horses, which were blanket
ed from their ears to their tails in
sombre trappings. A black-garbed
groom stood at each bride and in ad-
vance went 16 similarly clad lantern
bearers. Behind the hearse walked the
members of the minister's family, and
then came a long and distinguished
body of mourners, it being the Russian
custom to follow the dead to the grave
on foot. The emperor himself walked
short distance, but as the Novede-
vicky monastery, where the burial took
place, was over five miles away and
also because of the condition of the en-
press, his majesty soon entered his
carriage and returned to the Peterhof
palace
The sidewalks along the route were
crowded, but lines of police kept the
streets clear to the curbs. AS the body
passed every head was uncovered and
thousands crossed themselves The
monastery stands on a plain beyond
the Narva gates, and at these gates
fully $4,000 persons were gathered.
After burial service in the church the
body was inferred in the adjoining
cemetery, where repose the remains of
many of Russia's greatest men and at
point within a stones throw of the
grave of NJ Sipiaguine, who was M.
Won Plehve's predecessor, and who also
fell by the hand of an assassin less
than two years ago.