The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-02-18
WAS CONDEMNED TO DIE
Work of the SOcialiStic RevC.
 lutiOniStS.
rihie Tragedy Differ in Dtseus- sions at the Russian Cap-

kremlin palace, ana almost unuSF- heath of the historical tower from which Ivan the Terrible watched the heads of his enemies falling beneath the axe on the famous Red Square, and within a stones throw of the great hell of Moscow, Grand Duke Sergius. uncle and brother-in-law of Emperor Nicholas and the chief of the reaction aries, met a terrible death shortly be" fore o'clock yesterday
 The deed was committed by single terrorist, who threw beneath the car riage of the Grand Duke bomb charged with the same high-power ex- piosive which wrought Minister von Plehve's death. The missile was packed with nails and fragments of iron and it's explosion tore the impe- rial victims body into ghastly frag- ments. which strewed the snow Tor yards around. Every window In the great, lofty facade of the palace of Justice was shattered and bits of iron were irnbedded deeply in the walls of the arsenal, a hundred yards away.
 The assassin belongs to the noted "nghting group" of the socialist reVo- lutionary party, which has removed other prominent officials and long since passed sentence of death upon Grand Duke Sergius.
 The Grand Duke knew that he stood in the shadow of death. He was the recipient of repeated warnings. and elaborats precautions were taken to insure his safety; but all the resources of the gendarmie. secret police and soldiers proved unavailing against an attempt almost exactly duplicating the nrocedure that caused the death of Minister of Interior von Plehve last Suly.
 Fate's Bitter Irony.
 It was the irony of fate that Ser Rius, after taking refuge in this coun- try villa during the strike troubles or a month ago, and later feeling even more secure in the palace within the KremNn walls, should be killed while proceeding to the Governor Generals house beyond 7tns walls which he had abandoned to enable the police to bet- ter protect him. .,.s@ 4.ss rt
 Grand Duchess Elizabeth. who has, been engaged daily in the task of pre- pairing comforts for th3 sick and wounded Russian soldiers in Manchu- ria, was about to drive to the palace to join her husband, When she heard of what had befallen the Grand Duke she was driven in haste to the scene of the tragedy and knelt hatless and coatless on the blood-stained snow and murmured prayers for the welfare ot the soul of her slain consort.
 The scene of the crime was the great  bounded by the arsenal, treasury and courts of justice, in one angle of which ia the Nicholas, or Little Palace, where the Grand Duke dwelt At the oppo- site corner Is the Nikolskl gate. A few minutes before the bell at the gate sounded the hour of 8 an equipage of the Grand Duke emerged from the gates of the palace and proceeded, fol- lowed by slelghs containing secret po- TS nj at a towards the gate, passing the Choudeff Cloister. Ivan's Tower, the great Czar bell and long rows of cannon captured from Napoleon in the winter retreat of 1872 In a minute the carriage was in front of the courts of justice, where the walls of the triangle approach. forming a narrow entrance to the Nikolsky gate.
 Explosion Terrific.
 There a man clad in wOrkman's at- tire stepped forward from the side walk and threw bomb which he had . concealed beneath his coat. A terrible explosion followed and a hail of iron pelted the grim stone walls of the ar senal and courts of justice.
 thick cloud of smoke, snow and debris arose. When 1t had cleared ghastly 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 a shapeless pulp and the trunk and limbs were fright fully mangled. A finger bearing a rich seal ring was found lying several yards away. The crimson lint and a sickening smell of blood were every where. Only a few fragments of clothes indicated that the body had moaning with palm beside a deep hole in the pavement The horses, drag Eing the front wheels of the carriage, had dashed off. maddened with pain, to sink dying before they reached the gate.
 heard throughout the city and even be- yond the river. A crowd began to as- semble and handled grim evidences of the tragedy while they discussed the affair in awe-struck voices. Police of ncials rapidly gathered. but before lectinE the scattered fragments of the body Grand Duchess Elizabeth drove up in an open carriage. She had dropped her work at the headduarters of the Red Cross and sped to the scene of the crime without waiting to don her outer wrapT. She broke down en- tirely at the sight and dropped to her knees. sobbinR bitterly After few minutes she was led away Then a stretcher was brought and, covered with plain soldiers cloak, the re- mains fSergius were carried to the Choudem Cloister, where officials and members of the Grand Dukes suite had assembled.
 AssuasiA Captured.
 The assassin was thrown to the . ground and stunned bv the force of the explosion. but he quickly 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 a ser geant Of police, who seized him before le could draw his revolver. The man lid not deny his crime, but on the con- .rary gIorihed in its success. He ex- pressed his satisfaction that he had oeen able to kill the Grand Duke with ,ut involving the latter's innocent wife Is avOwed his membership in the so-