Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1905-02-24
ST. PETERSBURG NOT SURPRISED
News Of the Assassination Creates a
Great Deal Of Excitement.

Great Deal Of Excitement.
st. Petersburg, Feb. 1S.-The news
Of the tragedy in which Grand Duke
Sergius was blown up, created tre-
mendous sensation in st. Petersburg
where the announcement by telephone
from Moscow arrived during the af-
ternoon. The tragedy in reality was
no great Surprise, as it was known that
the terrorists had already condemned
the grand duke to death and ever
since the affair Of January % the in
auguration of a mountaineering cam
paign has been anticipated. Grand
Duke Sergius who was brother-in.
law as well as uncle of the emperor
and who had exercised immense influ.
ence at court, was regarded as the
most reactionary of the grand dukes.
AS governor general of Moscow he was
intensely unpopular. His advent as
governor general of Moscow was fol-
lowed by expulsion Of the Jews from
the central provinces and throughout
his administration his rigorous and
harsh measures aroused the greatest
hostility especially among the stu
dents. Two years ago after the stu
dent riots in which many were killed
or wounded several hundred expulsions
to Siberia followed under the orders
Of Grand Duke Sergius and General
Trepoff, now governor general Of st.
Petersburg but who was then chief Of
police of Moscow. AS there were
many threats made againt his life the
grand duke was obliged to flee to his
summer residence twenty miles from
the city. During the recent strike dis
turbances the grand duke left the
Dislloutohony palace on the outskirts
of the city where he had been living
and took refuge inside of the ramparts
of Kremlin, where he has since lived
in what is known as the little palace
opposite the famous statute Of Alex
ander II. The trip on that occasion
was made at night between solid lines
Of troops.
Grand Duke Sergius was the wealth
lest member of the imperial family.
He was tall, handsome and cordial in
manner, in spite Of the ruthless fash"
ion in which he exercised his authori.
ty as governor general. He was child
less but had adopted two children of
his brother, Paul. who was banished on
account Of morganatic alliance. Ser
gus record as soldier was not bril-
liant He suffered a disastrous defeat
at the hands of General Kuropatkin
during the famous Koursk maneuvers.
HAVE THROWN DOWN GAUNTLET.
st. Petersburg, Feb. 1S.-The as
sassination Of Grand Duke Sergius
undoubtedly was the work of the
fighting organization Of the socialistic
revolutionary party, which condemned
and executed Count Bobrikoff. COVER
nor general of Finland, and NM. Sip
iaguine and Won Plehve, ministers OF
the interior. 1t is regarded as direct
challenge from the terrorists to the
autocracy, and revival of the famous
duel between the nihilists and the
government twenty-five years ago.
Options differ as to the political ef-
feet of the tragedy, some inclining to
the view that the killing of member
of the imperial family may result in
Nicholas II reviving a period of re-
action; but this opinion is not gener-
ally shared.
The murder Of Grand Duke Sergius
just at the time when the forces OF
liberalism were again in supremacy
and when the summoning of the zem-
sky sober was actually assured meets
with universal disapprobation even by
extreme social democrats, who de.
nounce the crime as strongly as do
the liberals and conservatives
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