The San Francisco call., 1905-02-18
GRAND DUKES
SLAYER PROUD
OF HIS DEED
Murderer Boasts When AT
rested and Conveyed
to a Prison.
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Continued From Page 1. Column 5.
He was the recipient of repeated warn
ings, and elaborate precautions were
taken TO insure his safety; but all the
resources Of the gendarmerie, secret
police and soldiers proved unavailing
against an attempt almo~t exactly
duplicating the procedure that caused
the death of Minister of the Interior
Won Plehwe last July.
GRAND DUCHESS OVERCOME.
1t was the irony of fate that Sergius,
sfter taking refuge in his country villa
during the strike troubles of a month
ago and later seeking even more Sc
cure shelter in the palace within the
kremlin walls. should be killed while
proceeding TO the Governor Generals
palace beyond the walls, which he
had abandoned TO enable the police TO
better protect him.
Grand Duchess Elizabeth. who has
been engaged daily in the task of pre-
pairing comforts for the sick and
wounded Russian soldiers in Man
Churia, was about TO drive to the pail
ace to join her husband When she
heard what had befallen the Grand
Duke she was driven in haste to the
scene of the tragedy and knelt, hat
less and coatless, on the blood-stained
STOW and murmured prayers for the
welfare of the soul of her slain con-
scrt.
The scene OF the crime was the great
open triangle within the Kremlin,
bounded by the arsenal treasury and
the Court of Justice, in one angle of
which is the Nicholas or little palace,
where the Grand Duke dwelt. AT the
opposite corner is the Nikolsky gate,
the exit to the town beyond the ram
parts.
ASSASSIN HURLS BOMB.
A few minutes before the bell of
the gate sounded the hour of the
equipage of the Grand Duke emerged
from the gates of the palace and pro-
ceeded, followed by sleighs containing
secret police. 1t swept at a smart
pace toward the gate, passing the
Choudof Cloister, Ivan's Tower, the
great Car Bell and long rows of can
non captured from Napoleon in the
winter retreat of 1912. In d moment
the carriage was in front of the Court
OF Justice, where the walls aof the
triangle approach, forming narrow
entrance to the Nikolsky gate.
There a man clad in Workman's at
tire stepped forward from the sidewalk
and threw a bomb which he had con-
ceaIed beneath his coat A terrible ex-
plosion followed and hail of iron
pelted the grim stone walls Of the ar
senal of the Court of Justice. A thick
cloud Of smoke, snow, dust and debris
arose. When it had cleared a CHASTITY
sight was presented.
On the snow lay fragments of the
body of Grand Duke Sergius, mingled
with the wreck of the carriage. The
Grand Dukes head had been torn from
his body and reduced to shapeless
pulp, and the trunk and limbs were
frightfuly mangled. A finger bearing
a rich seal ring was found lying several
yards away. The crimson tint and the
smell of blood were everywhere. Only
a few fragments of clothing indicated
that the body had been clothed The
coachman lay moaning with pain be-
side a deep hole in the pavement. The
horses, dragging the front wheels of
the carriage, had dashed off, maddened
by pain. to sink dying before they
reached the gate.
MURDERER is CAPTURED.
The sound of the explosion was heard
throughout the city, and even beyond
the river crowd began to assemble
and to handle grim evidences of the
tragedy, while they discussed the af
fair in awe-stricken voices.
Officials rapidly gathered, but before
anything could be done toward collect
ing the scattered fragments of the body
Grand Duchess Elizabeth drove up in
an open carriage. She had dropped
her work at the headquarters of the
Red Cross and sped to the scene of the
crime without waiting to don her outer
wraps She broke down at the sight,
and dropped to her knees, sobbing.
After few minutes she was led away.
Then a Stretcher was brought and
covered with a plain soldiers cloak,
the remains of Sergius were borne to
the Choudoff Cloister, where officers
and members of the Grand Dukes suite
had assembled.
ground and stunned by the force Of the
explosion, but he Immediately arose
and ran toward the gate. attempting
to escape. His haste and the blood
streaming from his face where he had
been wounded by fragments of the
bomb attracted the attention of SER
geant of police, who seized him before
he could draw q revolver.
The man did not deny his crime, but,
on the contrary, gloried in it's success.
He expressed his satisfaction that he
had been able to kill the Grand Duke
without involving the Duchess He
avowed his membership to the Socialist
revolutionary organization, but refused
to give his name and at the jail his
pdPtlc were " be lOIBSQ
CROWDS ATTACK STUDENTS.
The revolver with which the assassin
was armed was an automatic magazine
pistol Of the same type as the weapon
employed by HGhenthal, the assassin
Of Soininen, Procurator General of Fin
land. The assassins wounds are not
serious.
The Grand Dukes coachman, who
was severely injured, was removed to
hospital. Late last night he was still
living.
closed.
Immense crowds gathered near the
Kremlin, where some factions began
, to attack the students and the situa-
tion began to look threatening, but so
far the police measures to preserve
order have proved effective and last
night the city was quiet.