Adams County news. [volume] (Ritzville, Wash.) 1898-1906, 1905-02-22
GRANDDUkESERGIUS
CARS BROTHER In Law met
With A TERRIBLE Death.
A Single Terrorist Threw a Bomb BE.
meath the Carriage Of the Duke,
Blowing Him to Pieees-Every Pre-.
caution Had Been Taken for His
safety-His Widow Grief Stricken.

Moscow.-Within the walls of the
far famed Kremlin palace, and almost
underneath the historical tower from
which Ivan the Terrible watched the
heads of his generals falling beneath
the ak on the famous red square, and
within stones throw of the great bell
of Moscow, Grand Duke Sergius, uncle
and brother in law of Emperor Mich
olas, met terrible death shortly be-
fore o'clock Friday afternoon.
The deed was committed by single
terrorist, who threw beneath the car
riage of the grand duke a bomb charg-
ed with the same high power explosive
which wrought Minister Won Plehve's
death. The missile was packed with
nails and fragments of iron, and its
explosion tore the imperial victims
body to CHASTITY fragments, which
strewed the snow for yards around.
Every window in the great, lofty fac
ade Of the palace of justice was shat
tered and bits of iron were imbedded
deeply in the walls of the arsenal,
hundred yards away.
The assassin belongs to the noted
fighting group" of the socialist revo-
lutionary party, which has removed
other prominent officials and long ago
passed sentence of death upon Grand
Duke Sergius. The grand duke knew
that he stood in the shadow of death.
He was the recipient Of repeated warn
ings, and elaborate precautions were
taken to ensure his safety; but all the
resources Of the secret police and SOL
diers proved unavailing against an at
tempt almost exactly duplicating the
procedure that CAUSED the death of
Minister Won Plehve last July.
1t was the irony of fate that Sergius,
after taking refuge in his country viii
la, during the strike troubles of a
month ago, and later seeking even
more secure shelter in the palace with
in the Kremlin walls, should be killed
while proceeding to the governor gen.
erals palace beyond the walls, and
which he had abandoned to enable the
police to better protect him. Grand
Duchess Elizabeth, who has been en-
gagged daily in the task of preparing
comforts for the sick and wounded
Russian soldiers in Manchuria, was
about to drive to the palace to join
her husband. When she heard what
had befallen the grand duke, she was
driven in haste to the scene of the
tragedy and knelt, hatless and coat.
less, on the blood stained snow and
murmured prayers for the welfare of
the soul of her slain consort.
On the snow lay fragments of the
body of the grand duke, mingled with
the wreck of the carriage. The grand
dukes head had been torn from his
body and reduced to shapeless pulp,
and the trunk and limbs were fright.
fully mangled. A finger bearing rich
seal ring was found lying some dis
lance away. The crimson tint and
the smell Of blood were everywhere.
Only few fragments of clothing in.
Dictated that the body had been cloth.
ed. The coachman lay moaning with
pain beside a deep hole in the pave
ment. The horses dragging the front
wheels of the carriage, had dashed of
maddened with pain, to sink dying be-
fore they reached the gate.
A stretcher was brought and cover
ed with plain soldiers cloak, the re-
mains of Sergius were borne to the
Choudoff cloister, where officers and
members of the grand dukes suite had
Assembled.
Capture Of the Assassin,
The assassin was thrown to the
ground and stunned by the force of the
explosion, but he Immediately rose
and ran toward the gate, attempting
to escape. His haste, the blood stream
ing from his face where he had been
wounded by fragments of the bomb,
attracted the attention of a sergeant
of police, who seized him before he
could draw a revolver.
The man did not deny his crime, but
on the contrary gloried in its success.
He expressed satisfaction that he had
been able to kill the grand duke with
out involving the duchess. He avowed
his membership in the social revolu-
tionary organization, but refused to
give his name, and at the Jail his pa
pers were found to be forged.
The assassins injuries are not seri-
Gus. The grand dukes coachman, who
was seriously injured, was removed to
hospital.
| Later.
The funeral of the late Grand Duke
Sergius has been set for Thursday,
February 23.
The assassin of Grand Duke Sergius
remains silent. His identity has not
yet been established, and although
the police have been trying diligently
they have been unable to find any
clews to any possible accomplices.