The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-02-21

Moscow February 1S-(Saturday)
100 a. m.-Within the wall of the far
famed Kremfin Palace, and almost IN
derneath the historical tower from
which Ivan the terrible watched the
heads of his nemies falling beneath
the axe on the famous Red Square, and
SAithin a stones throW of the great bell
- Moscow, Grand Duke Sergius, uncle
and bpother-in-law OF Emperor Nicho-
las and chief of the reactiOnaries, met
q terrible death shortly before 3 O'CLOCK
yesterday afternoon. The deed WGs
committed by a single terrorist, who
threw beneath the carriage Of the
Grand Duke a bomb, charged with the
wrought Minister Von Phheve's death.
The missile was packed with nail n
fragments of iron, and it's explosion
i. tore the imperial victims body 70
ghasuy fragments, which strewed the
snow for yards around. Every window
in the great, lofty facade of the Palace
OF Justice was shattered, and bits Of
iron were imbeded deeply in the walls
OF the arsenal, a hundred yards away
The aSSaGsin belongs to the noted
Fighting Group" of the Socialist rev.
dictionary party which has removed
ether prominent officials and long since
passed sentence of death upo Grand
Duke SergiuS. The Grand Duke knew
that he stood in the shadow of death.
He was the recipient of repeated warm
ings, and elaborate precautions were
taken to insure his safety.
It was the irony OF fate that Sergius,
after taking refuge in his country villa
during the strike troubles, of a month
ago and later seeking even more secure
Shelter in the palace within the krenl-
lin walls, should be killed While pro-
ceedipg to the governor generals palace
beyond the walls and which he NAG
abandoned to enable the police to bet
ter protect him. Grand Duchess Eliza
beth, who has been engaged daily IN
the task of preparing comforts for the
sick and wounded Russian soldiers III
Manchuria, was o to drive to the
ralace to join her husband. she
heard of what had befallen h Grand
Duke she was driven in haste to the
eene of the tragedy, and knelt hatless
Vand coatless on the blOodstained SNOW
and murmured prayers for the welfare
of the soul of her slain consort.
The scene of the crime was the great
open triangle within the kremlh1,
bounded by the arsenal, treasury and
Courts of Justice, in angle OF "hlcn
is the Nicholas, or Little palace where
the Grand Duke dwelt. At the oppo-
site corner is the Nikolsky gate, the
exit to the town beyond the ramparts
A few minutes before the bell of the
gate sounded the hour of 3 the equlpage
of the Grand Duke emerged from the
gates of the palace and proceeded FOL
lowed by sleig}ls containing secret po-
lice. It swept at a smart pace toward
the gate passing the Choudeff cloister,
Ivan's tower, the great Car bell ana
long rows of cannon captured from
Napoleon in the winter retreat of 1917.
In a minute, the carriage was in front
of the court of justice, where the walks
of the triangle approached forming a
narrow entrance to the Nikolsky gate.
There a mar clad in workman's attire
stepped forward from the sidewalk.
and threw a bomb which he had con-
cealed beneath his coat. A terrible ex-
plosion followed and a hail of iron pei
ted the grim stone walls of the arsenal
and courts of justice. A thick cloud Of
smoke. snow and debris arose. When
it had cleared a ghaStly sight vas pre-
scented. On the snow lay fragments OF
the body of the Grand Duke Sergius,
mingled with the wreck of the carriage.
The Grand Dukes head had been torn
from his body, and reduced to a shape
pulp and the trunk and limbs were
EeHfully mangled. A finger bearing
a rich seal ring was found lying sew
eral yards away The crimson tint and
a Sickening smell of blood were every
where. Only a few fragments of cloth
indicated that the body had been once
clothed. The coachman lay moaning.
with pain beside a deep hole in the