Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1904-07-29
MINISTER IS
AssAss|NATED
M. Plehye, Russian Secretary
of Interior, is Instantly
Killed.
THE ASSASSIN THROWS B0MB
Captured and Thrown Into Prison
The Explosion Was Terrific
Hundreds of People See the Horri.
BILE Deed and Are Panic Stricken.

ST. Petersburg. July 2a.-Minister
OF the Interior ven PlehNe was as
sassinated yesterday morning while
driving to the Baltic station 70 visit
the emperor at TIE Petsrhot palce.
A bomb was thrown under the min
listers carriage, completely shatter.
ing it. NJ. Won PIshve was terribly
mangied. The assassin was arrested,
The coacnman Was killed and the
wounded and maddeued horses dash
ed wildly away with the front wheels
OF the carriage. the only portion Of
the yehicl$f remaining intact. I'm
medIately there ensuei a scene OF the
widest confusion, Police and send'
armes hurried Up from every direc.
ton and vast crowds gathered about
the spot where the mangled body o.
the minister lay weltering in his
blood
The Associated Press correspond.
est was at the scene of the TRACED!
within Ave minutes after IL occurred.
NJ. Won Piehve's shockingiy mangled
body was lying IN the middle OF the
road. II had been partially covered
with a police officers overcoat, with
the left arm. the bone of which was
broken off. projecting. A policeman
came up and raised the overcoet IN
order to re-arrange it. revealing for
an instant the strong features OF the
dead minister, whose head was bal
tered almost beyond recognition.
The roadway was strewn for hun
dre,i yards with the wreckage of I'll.
carriage and pieces of the red In
ing of the minister's Official ever
coat few yards from NJ. Won
Plehve's body lay shapeleSs heap
of the coachElan'S remains.
The assassination is believed 10 be
the outcome Of Widespread plot. the
existence OF which has been suspected
for several days. Numerous arrests
have already been made Including
that of the assassin. young man who
is believed to be Finn named Lego,
and who is now in hos 2ita seriously
and perhaps fatally injured by the ex.
piosion OF his own bomb. An accom-
plice of Leglo, also apparently Finn,
bet whose name is unknown. has been
arrested. He had in his possession
bomb which he tried to throw, but he
was overpowered by the police just in
time to prevent great loss Of life. The
assassin wore brown ove-cOat and
a railroad officials cap. He stood on
the sidewalk just as Minister Won
Plehve's carriage was about to cross
the canal bridge near the station. The
minister was escorted by a number
OF detectives on bicycles. and one Of
them .jostled the assassin, who then
rushed into the road and threw the
bomb after the carriage. The missile
struck the hind wheel and exploded
with fearful force, killing or wouhding
over score of persons. Minister Won
Plehve and his coachman were killed
outright and an officer of the guards
fatally injured.
St. Petersburg. July Ex-senator
Won Plehve, who was assasslnated.
was appointed minister Of the inter-
Tor April 21. 1902, succeeding NJ.
Sipiaguine. who was assassinated
April Is, 1902, by student named
Balschanetf. He had formerly been
director of the department of police,
which position he practically assum.
ed Of his own accord, when in charge
of the department Of political prose-
cutIons. on account Of the incompe.
tency of the official who was in charge
of the police when Emperor Alexander
II was killed March 10, 1881.
M. Plehve conducted the prosecu-
ton Of the regicides and afterwards
reorganized the police. From that
time on the power Of NJ. Plehve in
creased until it became only second
in Importance to that of the emperor.
He was regarded as in many ways
being the power behind the throne
and was dreaded on account of Hs
control of the third (secret) section
Of police and also owing to the fact
that he controlled the press Of Rus
sia through the censors, who, Is has
been understood. did NJ. Plehye's
bidding without question.