Los Angeles herald., 1906-08-12
ATTEMPTS LIFE
OF GRAND DUKE
IMPERIAL GUARDS FIRE SEW
ERAL SHOTS
Cartridges Loaded With Leaden Mis-
siIes Substituted for BLANKS"
Several Arrests Made, but
incident Unexplained
Nv Associated Press.

BY Associated Press.
ST PETERSBURG, Aug. 11.-Grand
Duke Nicholas Nlcholaevitch, presi-
dent of the council of national defense.
narrowly escaped assassination yes
terday afternoon at the hands of the
Imperial guards in the guard camp at
Krasnoye-Selo.
1t appears that the grand duke was
personally reviewing the maneuvering
and putting the troops through blank
firing practice when he suddenly was
startled by the wasp-like hiss of bull
let's about his head.
Fortunately neither himself nor his
horse was touched. The command to
cease firing was Immediately given
and the soldiers Of the regiment from
which the bullets came were marched
back to their quarters and an investi-
cation was begun in the hope of ascer-
tanning from the barrels of the rifles
which of the soldiers fired ball car
tridges.
One of the grand dukes aide de
camps, who, however, was not person.
ally present, advanced the theory that
possibly the bullets were fired by ac-
cident. but he considered that beyond
a doubt there was a plot on the part
of a number Of disloyal guardsmen,
grand dukes life under cover of the
general blank cartridge firing.
Wasn't an Accident
1T was no more an accident" the
aide de camp said, "than was the fir
ing of the charge of grape from the
saluting battery at the winter palace
on the occasion of the ceremony of
blessing the waters of the Neva by the
a nao n ho1 a
The bold attempt on the grand
dukes life caused an immediate
change in the plans of the emperor,
who had arranged to go to Krasnoye-
Selo today and spend a week with the
soldiers of his Imperial guards.
1t was learned that the troops were
in extended order and engaged in vol
ley firing when the accident" oc-
Cured rendering it difficult to deter
mine the regiment from which the bull
lets came. The grand duke, surround
ed by his officers and aides de camp,
was off on one side of the line of fire.
Creates Deep Impression
The affair has created a deep inn
preston in military circles and is the
one topic of conversation in the clubs,
but the attempt on the grand dukes
life is not generally known here, no
word of the subject having been pub
lished in the newspapers.
Afterward 1t was definitely estab-
lished that the shots were fired by the
first battalion of the sharpshooters of
the guard, who advanced in rushes
while making sham attack on an en-
trenched position.
Fully a hundred shots We're fired, but
the impatience of the conspirators led
them to open fire at such a distance
as to frustrate their object. Before the
maneuvers began all the ball car
tridges were taken from the troops
and the officers had taken the precau-
tion to make complete examination
of the cartridge pouches of the SOL
diers Immediately before inaugurating
the movement of the troops.
A representative of the Associated
Press visited the guard camp at Ksan-
oyoe-Selo. and Iound that while ar
rests had been made responsibility for
the shots fired at Grand Duge Nicho-
las had not definitely been brought
home to any particular culprits.
Shots Fired by Sharpshooters
1t was only after a long investiga-
ton that it was esta blished that the
ball cartridges were fired by the first
battalion of the elite corps of the Rus
sian army.
Suspicion was directed toward the
zone year volunteer" recruits, who in
consideration Of their educational quail
if1eations and social position escaped
with only one year instead of four
years service. Many of these men are
ex-students at universities and are
principal spreaders of the revolution
airy. propaganda among the troops.
The officers of the regiments involved
are extremely reticent concerning the
AFFAIR, but from a member of the
grand ducal escort the Associated
Press learned that the incident oc-
CURED during a movement of the
Ismalovsky guard and the guard
sharpshooters against position held
by the Seminovsky regiment.
Many Shots Fired
Grand Duke Nicholas was sitting on
his charger and observing the maneu-