Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1905-02-22
CARS UNCLE
IS MURDERED
Sergius, Head Of Grand Ducai Party
Shares the Terrible Fate Of Min
lister Won pIehve.
BLOWN TO PEACES BY A BOMB
Frightful Scene Enacted Under the
Walls Of the Far.Famed krem.
lin Palace at Moscow.

Moscow, Feb. 18.-Within the walls
of the far-famed Kremnn palace. and
almost underneath the historical tow
er 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 bell of Moscow, Grand
law of Emperor Nicholas, met a ter
rible death shortly before o'clock
yesterday afternoon.
Deed Of One Man.
The deed was committed by single
terrorist, who threw beneath the car
riage of the grand duke bomb charg-
ed with the same high power explo-
sive which wrought Minister Won
Plehve's death. The missile was pack
ed with nails and fragments of iron
and it's explosion tore the imperial vic
TINS body to CHASTITY fragments,
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
imhedded deeply in the walls of the
arsenal a hundred yards away.
The ASSASSIN belongs to the noted
fighting group" of the SOcialist-Rev-
olutionary party, which has removed
other prominent officials. and long
since passed a sentence of death on
fGrand Duke .Sergius. The grand duke
knew that he stood In the shadow of
death. He was the recipient of re.
.peated warnings, and elaborate pre-.
cautions were taken to insure his safe
ty, but all the resources of the secret
police and soldiers proved unavailing
against an attempt almost exactly dup
licatiug the procedure that caused the
death of Minister Won Plehve last
July
Irony Df Fate.
| It was the irony of fate that Sergius
utter taking refuge in his country vii.
la during the strike troubles of a
month ago, and later seeking even
more secure shelter in the palace with
in the Kremlin walls, should be kill
ed while proceeding to the governor
generals palace beyond the walls, and
which he had abandoned to enable the
police to better protect him. Grand
Duchess Elizabeth, who has been Ell.
gagged daily in the task of preparing
comforts for the sick and wounded
Russian soldiers in Manchuria, was
about to drive to the palace to join
her husband. When she heard what
had befa1len the grand duke, she was
driven i'm haste to the scene of the
nragettg, and k1fef 'hatless and coat
less on the blood stained snow and
murnured prayers for the welfare of
the soul of her slain consort.
Scene of the Crime.
The SCENE of the crime was the
great open triangle within the Krem-
lin, bounded by the arsenal. treasury
and courts of justice, in one angle of
which is the Nicholas, or little palace,
where the grand duke -awef. At the
opposite corner is the Nikolsky gate,
the exit to the town beyond the ram
parts.
A few minutes before the bell OF
the gate sounded the hour of 3, the
equipage of the grand duke emerged
from the gates of the palace and pro-
| ceeded, followed by sleighs contain.
ing secret police. 1t swept at a smart
pace toward the gate, passing the
Choudoff cloiSter, Ivan's tower. the
great cZar bell and long rows of can
non captured from Napoleon in the
winter retreat of 1872 In a moment
the carriage was in front of the
courts of justice, where the walls OF
the Triangle approach, forming a mar
row entrance to the Nikolsky gate
There a man clad in workmans attire
stepped forward from the sidewalk
and threw bomb which he had con
cealed beneath his coat. A terrible
explosion followed and hail of iron
pelted the grim stone walls of the
arsenal's court of justice. A thick
cloud of smoke, snow and debris arose
| when it cleared a ghastiy 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
frightfully mangled. finger bear.
ing rich seal ring was found lying
several yards away. The crimson
tint and the smell of blood were ev.
erywhere. Only few fragments OF
clothing indicated that the body had
been clothed. The coachman lay
moaning with pain, beside deep hole
in the pavement. The horses. drag
ging the front wheels of the carriage
had dashed OFF maddened with pain to
sink dying before they reached the
gate.
The sound of the explosion was
heard throughout the city and beyond
| the river. A crowd began to assemble
| and to handle the grim evidences oi
| the tragedy, while they discussed the
| affair in awe-stricken voices.
| The Widow Arrives.
Officials rapidly gathered. but before
anything could be done toward col
lecting the shattered fragments of the
body Grand Duchess Elizabeth drove
up in an open carriage. She had drop
ped her work at the headquarters Of
the Red Cross. and sped to the scene
of the crime without waiting to dor
her outer wraps. She broke down a,
| the sight and dropped to her knees
| sobbing. After few minutes she was
led away, then stretcher was
| brought, and, covered with a plair
soldiers cloak. the remains of Sergiu.
] were borne to the ChOudo6 clOister