Weekly Arizona journal-miner., 1905-01-25

OOON
morning, my children, to which the
soldiers and sailors replied in stentor-
ian tones, Good health to your maj
esty," while the band played the ma
tional anthem. In the state process
sion to the imperial chapel an impos-
ing train of court officials was formed.
When the divine services we're con-
cluded at o'clock the procession re-
formed and returned to the winter
palace. At the conclusion Of the sol
emn ceremony, the metropolitan hav-
ing dipped the crosses in water, the
st. Peter and ST. Paul fortress doomed
salute. Then came the crash of bull
lets through the windows but no panic
occurred. The metropolitan quickly
proceeded to bless the emperor and his
encourage and to consecrate the stand
ards anew from the sanctified waters
of the Neva.
ST PETERSBURG, Jan. 19.-The
ceremony of the blessing of the waters
this year was accompanied by an event
more mysterious, unprecedented and
extraordinary than any afforded by
annals in the Russian history. For
the Russian sovereign to fall by the
hand of an assassin is no new thing in
the Russian records, but that the car
should narrowly escape death from a
shot from his own artillery while he
was engaged in a solemn religious rite,
surrounded by the priests of his
church, is so difficult to realize that
it is to be considered almost incredi-
BILE. Yet this is what happened today
and the Russian police are lefs won
dering and mystified. By the merest
chance the imperial family escaped
unhurt, but public opinion is stunned
by what might have been the tragic
results of the affair.
In spite of the official statement
that the cannon shot yesterday, which
might easily have wiped out the whole
OF the Romanof family, was the result
of carelessness in leaving a shotted
cartridge in the breach of the gun af
ter target practice. the mysterious
case is still under combined inyesti-
ACTION of the military and police and
the public seems as little inclined as
the authorities to accept the publish
ed version. The officers and men of
the battery have not been arrested,
but are confined to the barracks, and
by military regulations ara so closely
under restraint that it is impossible
for the culprits to escape until the re-
sponsibility is determined.
1t cannot be said definitely whether
the affair was an accident or the result
of a design. The general belief is that
a widespread plot did not exist, but
evidences of a design are so apparent
that the statement attributing the pre-
sence of a loaded shell previous to
target practice has evoked smiles in
many quarters. 1t is pointed out as
being highly improbable that the gun
had not been cleaned for two days, and
it is possible that a second cartridge
could have been inserted for saluting
purposes behind the first, and it is
certainly startling coincidence that
the gnn containing this cartridge
should be tlained directly upon the
imperial chapel. Whatever may be
the solution, it is strange fact that
the shot came from the Bourse Es-
plande, where was stationed the first
horse artillery of the guard, the pre-
mier military organization of the en-
pire. The roster of this organization
of an aristocratic tradition, has in
';luded grand dukes. princes AMI some
of the most illustrious names IN Rus
STA. Two Investigations are proceeding
independently and both are guarded
with the utmost secrecy. Military ex-
perts say indications point to a charge
consisting of grape shot having been
inserted surrepstitiously in the salut-
ing cartridge. If this is the case pro-
baby only one man is involved.
LONDON, Jan. 19.-London papers
today and their st. Petersburg CORES
pondents take the gravest view of the
internal combinations in Russia. a
majority of them express the belief
that yesterdays incident was a pre-
meditated attempt on the life of EN-
peror Nicholas and maintain that the
strike is much more a political than
an industrial movement. In short they
consider that the signs make it appear
that the empire is on the verge Of
revolution. 1t IS alleged that St. Pc
tersburg manufacturers have decided
to reject the strikers demands and
that the priest, Father Gopon, the
picturesque figure who has constituted
himself the leader of the strike move
ment, threatens TO march on Sunday
at the head of one hundred thousand
strikers to the winter palace with an
appeal for their rights and that he viii
refuse to depart until the document is