The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1905-02-23
THE GRAND DUKE
ASSASSINATED
ny THE EXPLOSION OF A BOMB
NEAR THE KREMLIN.
TRAGEDY NOT UNEXPECTED
AS Sergius Was Known to Have Been
Marked for Slaughter by the Rus
sian Terrorists After the Tragedy
of January.


Moscow.-While Grand Duke Ser
gius was driving from the Nicholas
Palace through the senate quarters,
his carriage was followed by two cabs.
At the law courts sleigh IN which
were two men, one Of whom was dress
ed as a workingman, went quickly
ahead of the grand dukes carriage.
The sleigh then slowed up to allow
the carriage to pass and at that mo-
ment bomb was thrown beneath the
carriage. The force of the explosion
broke all the windows OF the law
courts and the report was heard out
side the city. The carriage was blown
TO pieces, nothing but the four wheels
remaining. The horse were not hurt
and bolted
The grand duke was instantly killed.
His head was blown off, actually
being separated from his body which
was frightfully mangled. The coach
man was also killed. He was so fright
fully burned by the explosive with
which the bomb was charged that he
died while being taken to hospital.
On arrest of the murderers, neither of
whom was known to the police one OF
them coolly said:
81 don't care. | have done my
Job. -
An immense crowd gathered at the
spot and made demonstration
against number Of students who be-
gan to scatter revolutionary procla-
nations.
When the Grand Duchess Eliza
beth, widow of the Grand Duke Ser
gius, was informed of the occurrence
she Immediately went to the scene OF
the assassination without waiting to
put on her hat or cloak. The gates Of
the Kremlin were closed as soon as
the news Of the assassination was con-
veyed to the authorities and the re-
mains of the grand duke were taken
to the Nicholas palace.
One Of the assassins was arrested
by a policeman who overlook him as
he was running from the scene of the
assassination. The man carried re-
Volver, but made no attempt to use it,
He expressed qualification that the
Grand Duchess Elizabeth was not ac-
companying her husband, Grand Duke
Sergius, when the latter was killed.
The assassin refused to reveal his
identity but admitted that he was a
member of the socialistic revolution
airy party.
At the moment Of the explosion the
Grand. Duchess Elizabeth was at the
Kremlin experimenting work for the
wounded at the front, and was about
to proceed to the residence of the gov
ernor general, expecting to meet her
husband there. Her carriage was wait
ing outside the Kremlin.
The body of the Grand Duke Ser
gius will be inferred in the cathedral
of the Fortress of ST. Peer and st.
Paul.
ST. Petersburg Shocked.
st. Petersburg. The news Of the
tragedy in which Grand Duke Sergius
was blown up created a tremendous
sensation In st. Petersburg. The trag-
edy In reality was no great surprise
as it was known that terrorists had
already condemned the grand duke to
death and ever since the affair Of
Jan. % the Inauguration of bomb
throwing campaign had been antici-
pated.
Grand Duke Sergius, who was
brother-in-law as we'll as uncle Of the
emperor, and who had exercised i'm
mense influence at court was regarded
as the most reactionary Of the grand
dukes. AS governor general Of Mos
COW, he was intensely unpopular. His
advent as governor general Of Moscow
was followed by expulsion of the Jews
from the central provinces and
throughout his administration his Wig
orous and harsh measures aroused the
greatest hostility, especially among
the students. Two years ago after the
student riots in which many were
killed or wounded several hundred ex-
pulsions to Siberia followed under the
orders of Grand Duke Sergius and Gen
Trepof, now governor general of ST.
Petersburg, but who was then chief of
police Of Moscow As there were many
threats against his life, the grand
duke was obliged to flee to his summer
residence twenty miles from the city.
During the recent strike disturbance
the grand duke left the Diskouttohny
palace on the outskirts Of the city
where he had been living and took
Panama Canal Commission.
u ~ n