Omaha daily bee., 1906-07-12
BULLET FOR VICE ADMIRAL
Commander Of Russian Black Sea Fleet
Fatally Wounded BY Sailor.
THIRD ATTEMPT MADE ON HIS LIFE
Act Due to severity OF Discipline
and His Part in Trial aud Ex-
ecution of Lieutenant
Schmidt.


snate Vice Admiral Chouknin, commander
OF the Black set feet. The admiral was
wounded and taken to a hospital.
Vice Admiral Choukuin has been blamed
for his severity and It was to his treat
ment Of the crews Of the ships under his
command that the mutiny on the battleship
Kniaz Potemkine i'm June and July last
year was attributed. The admiral dis
played considerable activity in attempting
to capture the mutineers at that time and
in suppressing the sailors mutiny at
Sevastopol in November last.
The would-be assassin is a sailor who hid
I'm the bushes and shot at the admiral as
he was walking in the garden OF his villa.
The culprit has not been apprehended.
Admiral Chouknins condition is ex-
tremely serious. The bullet lodged in his
lung, making breathing difficult. The doc
tors hold out no hope Of his recovery.
The admirals assailant is thought to be
one OF the sailors Of the battleshlp Otcha-
kofr, and his act Is supposed to have been
in revenge for the execution of Lieutenant
Schmidt, the revolutionary leader
universally Hated by sailors.
Admiral Chouknin was universally hated
by his sailors and at the time Of the exc
cutiOn of Schmidt the revolutionists con-
demned him to death. 100 of their number
pledging themselves to carry out the sem
tence. This is the second attempt since
Schmidt's execution on March 10 of this
year The first attempt was made by a
woman and after her effort had failed Ad-
miral Chouknin ordered her to be killed
on the spot and his orderlies brutally car
ried out the sentence in the courtyard. For
this the admiral was again condemned to
death by the revolutionists. His name was
never mentioned among his sailors unless
1t was accompanied by curses on account
of his overbearing and severe manner.
Second Attempt ON Life.
An attempt was made on the life Of the
admiral February last. \ woman ap-
peared az his official residence during the
afternoon of that day and sent in her card,
saying she was the daughter Of a rear
admiral at St. Petersburg who was an old
acquaintance OF Chouknin. On entering the
admiral's office the woman drew rapid
| fire pistol and fired four shots at him, each
bullet reaching the mark. As she turned
to escape the woman was killed by the
orderly on duty at Chouknin's door.
The crime, beyond doubt. was political.
When the sentences imposed on the sailors
for the Kniaz Potemklne mutinies were
before the admiral for review formal notice
was served on him that IL he approved the
death sentences he would share the same
fate Chouknin, however. approved the
sentences and several intimations afterward
reached him TO the effect that the terrorists
were merely waiting for favorable oppor-
tunity to kill him. Some time elapsed be-
fore the police were able to establish the
identity Of the woman who attempted Ad-
miral Chouknin's life but it finally became
known that she was Hebrew named
Cecilia Shabad, 25 years old and a former
member of the Hebrew bund of Minsk
where her father was a well-to-do mer.
chant.
Admiral Chouknin has had a good dea
OF active service and for time was be.
lieved to be under orders to take to the fai
east during the war with Japan, the Second
Pacific squadron relieving Vice Admira
Rojestvensky. Chouknin was port admira
at Vladivostok from 1896 to 1901. Later ht
was appointed director of the naval col
lege. which post he held until he tool
command of the Black sea fleet Will,
Chouknin was recovering from the wounds
inflicted upon him by Cecilia Shabad 1t wa
reported that he had been offered and hat
declined to accept the post of minister o
marine to succeed Admiral Avellan.
Preparing TO Defend Cities.
ST. PETERSBURG, July Fla a. M
The preparations which the War Office ha
been making at all the principal cities L
meet an armed revolutionary movemen
? prove TO have been very elaborate. TIL
7 plans for the defence of Riga have falle
into the hands of the revolutionary pape
, Misla, which this morning publishes tn
entire plan of defence. AS given, the garri
/ son is divided into three divisions OF tw
battalions of infantry, half a company q
Cossacks and three machine guns each, I
prevent the Invasion of the city from il
! three open sides; namely, the canal, IN
dam and the river Duna. Two battalion
of infantry. 200 Cossacks and four machin
guns constitute the reserve. The con-
; mander. in framing the plan of defencI
even designated his successor in the ever
of himself being killed or incapacitatet
Similar plans. IL is understood, have bee
drawn up by every commander OF a CARR
son or city. In addition, special troo
: trains, equipped with machine and hel
: guns. are in constant readiness at 8
. Petersburg, Moscow, Kiev, Warsaw an
a other strategic points.
$ The emperor, in his speech to the d,
1 tachment of fortress artillery recent,
r brought to Peterhof from Cronstadt tol
% them that guardians OF the entranC
. of the capital they must show an examp
n OF loyalty and fidelity to Russia.
Defends Death Penalty.
= One of the curious features OF the debat
u in the upper house of Parliament yeste
= day on the bill OF the lower house provl,
ing for the abolition Of the death penalt,
: was a speech made by Father Butkavic
v a priest elected by the orthodox clergy
i which he seriously defended the death PEI
. atty on the ground that II was justihe
> both by God and Christ. citing the Law
u OF Moses and Christs statement befol
PLATE as recognition OF the right TO ia
: pose punishment.
= The Rech today declares that the tor
> of the debate in the upper house yeste
y day leaves little hope that this "assemb
Vi of bureaucrats, land and commercial ma
= mates and representatives OF the reaction
airy nobility and clergy. with a sms
= leaven OF liberals. will ever be able
~ work in harmony with the progressi,
ideas represented in Parliament"
~ The Novoe Vremya, on the contrary, d
D. fends the conservative spirit OF the upp
house and appeals TO the emperor not
~ entrust power 10 the constitutional dem
~ Gratis OF the lower house, who. the pap
~ insists. are "augumenting the danger
y an explosion by their cowardiy refus
either 10 clasp hands with the right