The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-01-20
SHOTS RATIFIED DOWN ON
FLOOR OF The CORRIDOR
Affair Is Surrounded With Mystery,
Which Is Heightened BY the Fact
That the Shot Came From
Gun on the Fort.

St. Petersburg, January 19.-The cere-
mony of lne blessing of the waters this
year was accompanied by an event more
mysterious unprecedented and extraor-
binary than any afforded by the annals
of Russian history. For Russian SOW
ereign to fall by the hand Of an assassin
is no new thin- in Russian records, but
that the Emperor should narrow escape
death by a shot from his own artillery
while he was engaged in a solemn religi-
Gus rite, surrounded by priests of his
church, is so difficult to realize as to be
almost incredible. Yet this is what hap
pened today, and the Russian public is
left wondering and mystified.
By the merest chance the imperial fam
lily 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 canon shot, which yesterday might
easily have wiped out the whole of the
Romanoff family, was the result of care
lessness in leaving a shotted cartridge in
the breech of gun after target practice.
the mysterious case is still under the
combined investigation of the military
and police, and the public seems as little
inclined as the authorities to accept the
published version.
Officers Not Arrested.
The officers and men of the battery
have not been arrested, but are confined
to barracks, and by the military regula-
tions are so closely under restraint that
it is impossible for the culprit or culprits
to escape until the responsibility is de-
termined 1t cannot be said definitely
whether the affair was an accident or the
result of design. The general belief is
4 IL a rfrt 1,4t
evidences of design are so apparent that
the statement attributing the presence Of
a loaded shell to previous target practice
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 impossible that a sec
nnd cartridge could have been inserted
for saluting purposes behind the first; and
It is certainly a startling coincidence that
the gun containing this missile should
have been trained directly on the imperial
chapel.
Was Crack Regiment.
Whatever may be the solution, 1t is a
strange fact that the shot came from the
Bourse Esplande, where was stationed
the First Artillery of the Guard, the
premier artillery organization of the en-
pire and one of the most noted regi-
ments In the whole Russian service. The
roster of this organization of arstocratic
tradition has included grand dukes,
princes and some of the mozt illustrious
names in Russia. Lieutenant General
Grippenberg was formerly an officer of
the regiment, and Grand Duke Sergius
Machelovitch. the chief artiAery inspector
of the Russian army. whose duty it is
to conduct the investigation, was himself
formerly a colonel of the regiment
The two Investigations are proceeding
independently and both are guarded with
the utmost secrecy.
Military experts say indications point
to a discharge consisting of grape having
been inserted surreptitiously In a salut-
ing cartridge. If this was the case, prob
ably one man was involved. Certainly.
If there was an extensive, deep-laid plot.
or If an officer was involved, 1t was bad
Iy executed. 1t was pointed out that 1t
was hardly probable that an expert artil-
leryman should have prepared, weak,
scattering charge which could hardly
carry across the Neva. At the same time
indication of design Is the fact that the
gun was laid directly against the i'm
perial pavilion. Had the gun contained a
service charge Of regular shall. the pa
vilion must infallibly have been destroyed.