The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1905-01-27
CzAR'S ARTILLERY
FIRES INTO PALACE
Desperate Effort by Army
Traitors to Destroy Entire
Romanoff Dynasty.
CAPITAL NEAR a CRISIS
Great Industrial Strikes, Together with
the Popular Demand for Peace
and M ore Libe rites, Makes
Situation Dangerous.
CAPITAL NEAR A CRISIS

st. Petersburg, Jan. 2l.-Il is now
stated in official circles that the carp,
was fired from one of the guns of tn,
Seventeenth battery of the First horse
artillery of the guard the most ariSto
cratic corps in the Russian army. II
seems that at gun practice on Tuesday
Il loaded shell was inadvertently left il
/ the gun.
The official account OF the shooting
affair is as follows;
During the ceremony of the blessing
| of the waters of the NeVa today in the
presence of the emperor, as the usual
salute was being fired, an accident hap
| peend A charge. Of grape instead of a
! salutinG charge. was fired from gun
! belonging to one of the batteries sta
| toned near the lourSc. Some bullets
| struck the facade of the winter palace,
near the qua ygard"ns breaking four
| windows. y policeman belonging to
! the st. Petersburg force was wounded.
| According To the Information to hand
at present no other accident occurred,
! Inquiry continues.
ST. Petersburg. Jan. 2l.-At the fcsti-
| val of the Epiphany the blessing of the
waters had just concluded at l o'clock
! this afternoon. when simultaneously
with Il salute fired from the st. Peter
and St Paul fortress, either a rain Of
|
the little chapel built over the frozen
NeVa in front of the winter palace,
where Emperor Nicholas and every
member of the Romanoff family were
participating in the service.
Palace Windows Were Shattered.
The missiles went high. entering the
windows OF the splendid row of salons
along the water front of the palace
from which the empress. the ladies of
tl,., ,J
lomatic corps, including Ambassador
Mccormick. Secretary Eddy and Sec
ond Secretary Bliss and all the high
digntarieS of state. army and navy
were Witnessing the glittcring spectacle
below.
Bullets Went High.
Fortunately the bullets passed over
the heads OF all present, striking the
opposite wall and gathering down on
the parquatted floor of the white salon.
The first impression of those who
heard the crash was that it was due to
the falling of crystals from the glass
chandeliers, caused by the concussion
from the booming guns. Everybody
had been laboring under more or less
nervous strain because of the strike
situation, and when the truth was real
lied the windows were hastily vacated
and the greatest excitement regned
within the palace.
Emperor's Nerve Was Good
Although the actual ceremony was
ended the emperor remained and ac-
companied the metropolitan and the
clergy as they circled the pavilion
around the chapel to bless the gor-
geous standards of the famous guard
regiments assembled there. Then the
procession moved back to the palace
and the original program WAS carried
out. The emperor displayed splendid
nerve. He did not show Il trace Of ex-
citement.
The police are actively at work try
ing to clear up the mystery as to
where the shots came from.
Strike Situation Critical.
The strike situation has not been
changed by the holiday. The men are
holding meetings in various parts of
the city and n test is expected tomor-
row, when the employers will make IA
final answer to their demands.
While no collision is reported, there
Is telling among all classes of high
tension. The news that an attempt had
been made on the enfperor'S life spread
like wi!dlire during the afternoon, lead
ing to all sorts of versions. and to gen
orally an increasing tension.
One Man Was Killed.
Additional particulars show that the
e..
There Is no longer any doubt that the
missiles came from the hourSe battery.
which was loaded with grape. Some
bullets actually struck the little open
chapel in which the emperor was
standing, cut the staff Of one OF the
standards and fairly riddIed the base
ment windows Of the palace killing a
policeman outright and wnlndinE an
officer and three marines
HAD the gun been aimed Il little low
er the charge OF grape might have
wiped out tie whole Romanoff dynasty. |
Deadly Plot.
Everything on the surface seems to
indicate the existence OF a deadly and |
deep laid plot against the emperor in
which the artillerymen were enlisted !
1t is understood all men and officers of |
the battery were Immediately placed
under arrest for examination. The no !
nee took charge of the spot where the ,
battery still stands and drew a double /
coraoh across the river, searching out |
everything in the line OF fire.
An Official Statement.
The Associated Press obtained the
following statement from the police at ,
O'Clock this afternoon:
With the second or third shot from I
lne Bourse battery on Basil island. "A
very large number of shrapnel bullets !
struck the chapel of the palace Two |
the interior where the emperor j
was standing. The bullets had very |
low velocity. The two which entered |
the chapel fell harmlessly to the floor.
several policemen about the chapel |
We're struck.
Romanoff Was Hurt.
With the exception of one man
named Romanoff who was severely
wounded, they all escaped with con-
tuslons. 1t has not vet been estab-
llshed whether it was an accident or
due to pgemediation"
From an authoritative source it APP
pears that the doubt of the existence of !
a plot arises from the fact that the I
shrapnel was distributed to the battery
IN anticipation of possible trouble with
rioters, most alarming reports having
reached the authorities last night of a |
attempt on the emperor's life
today. Upon this fact rests the. theory |
EVIDENCES OF DESIGN.