The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1905-01-26
DANGER NEAR GEAR
Shell Strikes Church Where
He Was Attending Service.
DIRE PLOT is ALLEGED
Sensational Affair Might Have Been
Only Accident, But All cireum'
stances Point in Opposite
Direction.

Direction.
A St. Petersburg dispatch says: fne
festival of Epiphany, the blessing q
the waters, had just been conciuaea
at ! o'clock Thursday afternoon wnen
simultaneously with the salute nreo
from the st. Peter and st. Paul tort
ress either q rain Of bullets or -
sbrapnel shell swept over the little
chapel built over the frozen NeYss s.
IN front of the winter palace, Wness
Emperor Nicholas and every smemDef
Of the Romanof family were paruci.
pating in the service.
The missiles went high, enter1nSs
windows of the splendid row ,m sae8
Ions along the water 'front.' ron
which the empress, the ladies O. tneS
court and members of the diplomats
CORDS including Ambassador McCor-
mick, Secretary Eddy and Second SEQ.
retary Bliss, and all.the high dignitaar "a
rles of the state, army and navy tweres
witnessing the glittering spectacle oss
low. Fortunately, the bullets passed
over the heads Of all present, strikinS
the opposite walls and Gathering down
on the parqueted floor OF the Wnite
salon.
The first impression Of those who
heard the crash was that 1t was due
to falling crystals from the gas
chandeliers and caused by Conclusion
from the booming guns. EVERYBODY
had been laboring 1nder a more oE
less nervous strain, because OF tho
strike situation. and when the truth
was realized, the windows were has-k
tily vacated and the greatest excite
ment reigned within the palace.
From the holes passing through thes
double windows, 1t Is certain that tne
bullets came from the direction OF tne
bourse.. In the meantime, there is no
evidence outside OF what occurred.
The. crowds Of people who formed
black lines along the qrays, the PAL,
ace bridge, the steps OF the bourse
and every other point OF vantage %
the white Arctic landscape did notI
betray the least excitement. Neither
did the imperial party in the chapel
below. 81.
Everything on the surface seems tos
indicate the existence Of deadly and
deep-laid plot against the emperor N
which artillery men were enlisted.
It is understood that all the men
and the officers OF the battery we're
Immediately placed under arrest for
examination.
The police took charge OF the spot
where the battery still stands and
drew double Gordon across the river,
searching out everything in the line
of fire.
An old barge frozen in the ice was.
thoroughly examined to ascertain
whether the bullets could possibly
have come from 1t. but no evidences
was dicovered tending to substantiate
such a theory. s
From an authoritative source It anf
pears that doubt Of the existence OF g,
plot arises from the fact that shrap-
mel was distributed to the battery In,
anticipation Of trouble on this occa-
sion. Under this fact rests the the
oy Of a possible mistake made by q
gunner.
IF this was a deliberate plot," said,
an official especially charged with the
safeguarding Of the person OF his mai
esty, 'ft was very ingenious. I have
been prepared for an anarchist at,
tempt in any form We could conceive
but an attempt to kill the emperor
with one of his own guns, under the;
guise Of firing a salute was never
dreamed of. It is new departures
against a repetition Of which we must
take precautions. II gunners OF the
emperor's picked guard can be en-
listed in sucn a>dastardly conspiracy.
serious possibilities are presented"