The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-08-02
RUSSIAN MINISTER OF
THE INTERIOR MURDERED

GdSe anu the TOOnS were
draped in black. The body of the min
lister was completely covered by a white
shroud, which concealed the. CHASTITY
mutilations. II reposed in a black and
silver casket in a corner OF the vast
hall surrounded by luxuriant palms.
Gendarmie and non-commissioned Of
icers stood sentinel at the head OF the
casket. while at its foot were two high
officials of the ministry.
The hall and the adjoining rooms
which are decorated in the Byzantine
style somewhat resembling a church.
were crowded with distinguished per-
sonages, including Grand Duke Alexis,
the high admiral; Admiral Avellan.
chief of the admiralty; Prince Hilkoff,
minister of railroads; Minister Won
Plehve's associates. NJ. Wahle, NJ. Dur
novo and VI. Sevastianoff, and the
members of the diplomatic corps in fnI
force, including Spencer Eddy, Amer
lear charge d'affaires; Sir Charles
Hardinge, the British ambassador and
NJ. Bompard, the French ambassador.
A special edition of The Special Mes
senger, which was distributed late this
afternoon contained only a brief an
nouncement of the death of NJ. von
Plehve. and the intimation that an Of
fetal requiem would be held.
The Assassination Reported to the
Car.
Minister Muraioff went to the Peter
hof palace this afternoon to report the
assassination OF Minister Won Plehve
TO Emperor Nicholas. His majesty did
not leave the palace during the entire
day, although he had arranged to go
to Oranienbaum Q9 miles from St.
PetersburS) to attend the conservation
Of the new harbor.
The Empress has not been informed
of the tragedy in view of the hourly
expectation Of her ACCOMPLISHMENT.
The Associated Press correspondent
was at the scene of the tragedy within
five minutes after it occurred. M. Won
Plehve's s~hockingly mangled body was
lying in the middle of the road. 1t had
been partially covered with a police
officers o~vercoat, with the left arm.
the bone of which was broken off, pro-
jecting. A policeman came up and
raised the overcoat in order to rear
range it, revealing for ar instant the
strong features of the dead minister
whose head was battered almost be-
yond recognition. The roadway was
strewn for a hundred yards with the
wreckage of the carriage and pieces Of
the red lining of the minister's official
overcoat. A few yards from NJ. Won
Plehve's body lay a shapeless heap OF
the coachman's remains-
Where the Tragedy Occurred.
The tragedy occurred on the Zabal-
ansky Prospect, a broad thoroughfare
leading up to the Warsaw depot,
whence the road turns sharply to the
left toward the Baltic railroad station.
The exact spot at which the outrage
occurred is just before the bridge SPAN
ming the circular canal or the other
side of which both stations are situat-
ed.
The bomb thrower must have known
perfectly we'll that Minister Won Plehve
would pass the spot this morning, for
the minister make his report to the
Emperor every Thursday.
The internal machine was thrown
with deadly accuracy, and the assassin
was favored by the fact that traffic
here is always of the heaviest owing
to the crossing of lines of surface cars
and the continuous stream of heavy
trucks. VI. Won Plehve was always APP
prehensive of attempts upon his life
and used to drive as rapidly as posi-
BILE. The coachman, however, was
compelled to go slow at this point.
The Explosion Was Terrific.
The assassin in laying his plans evil
IDENTIFY foresaw this circumstance. and
while the minister's coachman slowed
down.. threw the bomb. The explosion
was lSlIIlIC dIlu ~ dSllSdly
the woodwork of the carriage. The
horses tore off, dragging the axle and
the front wheels. The animals though
Infatuated by the wounds they had sus-
tanned, had not galloped far before they
fell with pools of blood under them.
The minister's servant who was also
on the carriage box, was badly wound
ed III two officers who were driving
by in a cab, were injured by flying
cD1in}nrc n occaSStn hiynCo1f wa
wounded in n eye.
Passengers by the Peterhof train be-
gan to arrive upon the scene Among
them were the Duke and Duchess of
Gutenberg, who stopped their motor
car within a couple of PAGES of NJ. o
Plehve's remains, n were old by a
policeman the terrible tidings. They
were much affected.
The News Causes CONSERVATION in
the City.
The news of the tragedy spread like
wild fire throughout the city causing
CONSERVATION everywhere. Police re-
serves were hurried to the scene from
all parts of the city, n the various
departments were instantly notified.
The project of police notified the EN-
peror of the tragedy Immediately upon
its occurrence. The Emperor, who was
at the villa Alexandria at Peterhof.
vas greatly affected by the news com
ing as it did on the top of the bad It'd
ings from the seat of war, fears of in
ternational complications and the
strange incident upon the hourly ex-
pectation of an event so close to the
fathers heart. The Emperor almost
broke down when he was informed of
the ministers murder.
Mansled Remains Taken TO the Resi-
dence.
Guarded by police the body remain
ed in the street until the arrival of the
official corresponding with an Amer
lean coroner. After this official had
viewed the body, it was placed in a
carriage, covered by a robe, and was
driven slowly TO a little chapel adjoin-
ing the railroad station and then to the
deceased minister's magnificent town
residence, adjoining the ministry of the
interior. The carriage, surrounded by
mounted gendarmes, passed through