Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1905-01-23
Might Easily Have
Wiped Out Roman
off Family
Official ExpIantIon
Lays 1t to an
Accident

st. Petersburg, Jan. 20.-In spite OF
the official statement that the cannon
shot which yesterday might easily
have wiped out the whole RomanoH
family was the result of carelessness
in leaving a shotted cartridge In the
breech of a gun after target practice,
the mysterious case is still under in
yestigation by the military and police,
and the public seems as little inclined
as the authorities to accept the pub
ished version TIE officers and 1nerS
IF the battery have not been arrested,
cut are confined to their barracks, and
by military regulations are so closely
lnder restraint that it is impossible
or the culprit or culprits to escape
Until the responsibility is determined.
1t cannot be said definitely whether
he affair was an accident or the re-
ult of design. The general belief is
hat a widespread plot did not exist.
lrt evidences of design are so appar-
MT that the statement attributing the
resence of the loaded shell to previ-
us target practice evoked smiles in
ANY quarters 1t is pointed out as
eng highly improbable that the gun
ad not been cleaned for two days and
is impossible that the second cart
dye could have been inserted for sa-
ting purposes behind the first; and
is certainly a startling coincidence
lat the gun containing this missile
lould have been trained directly on
Ie imperial chapel Whatever may
the solution it is a strange fact
hat the shot came from the lbourse
2planade, where was stationed the
rst horse artillery of the guard the
femier artillery organization of the
mpire and one of the most noted reg
nents in the whole Russian service.
he roster of this organization has IN
luded some of the most. illustrious
ames in Russia.
Grape and Canister.
Military experts say the indications
,oint to a charge of canister and
rape having been inserted sUrrepti-
ously in a saluting cartridge. IT
his was the case, probably only one
nan was involved. Certainly if there
gas an extensive, deep laid plot, or If
IN officer was involved, it was badly
Executed, 1t is pointed out that it is
lardly probable that an expert artill-
yryman should have prepared a weak
catering charge, which did hardly
larry across the Neva. At the same
ime an indication of design is the
act that the gun was laid directly
lgainst the imperial pavilion. Had
he gun contained a service charge or
ocular shell, the pavilion would have
)een destroyed. 1t is clear, however,
hat the saluting was done most reck-
essly as the flash of the blank shots
rom st. Peter and st. Paul fortress
bowed the guns were directed
traight at the winter palace.
Accident Mars Ceremonies.
st. Petersburg, jan 20-The official
ccount of yesterdays shooting affair
as follows:
During the ceremony Of the bless
ng Of the waters of the Neva yester
ay, in the presence of the emperor,
S the usual salute was being fired an
ccidenth appened. A charge of grape,
instead of saluting charge, was fired
rom a gun belonging to one of the
,atteries stationed near the bourse
some bullets struck the facade of the
winter palace, near the quay gardens,
breaking four windows. A policeman