Los Angeles herald., 1906-01-31
ASSASSINATION OF eRlAzNoFF
Murder at Tifis Was a Particularly
Audacious Crime

|
| Rv Associated Press
| TIFLIS, Caucasia, Monday, Jan. 49,
via st. Petersburg, Jan. 30-The mur-
der today of Gen. Griaznoff, chief of the
staff Of the viceroy of the Caucasus
was most dramatic and audacious The
assassin evidently had studied the
habits of his victim and lay in wait
behind the wall of the Alexander gar
den, opposite the entrance of the pal
ace, where carriage was drawn up
to take the general for his daily drive.
AS all suspicious persons are liable
to be searched in the streets by the
police and military patrol, the assassin
impersonated a painter, carrying the
bomb with which he committed the
crime concealed in a paint can He
was thus able to pass the sentry posted
at the gates of the park and reached
his place of ambush without arousing
suspicion. Gen. Griaznoff, clad in a
crimson uniform and the white lambs
wool shapka or cap worn by the vice.
roy's aide de camp, made a shining
target for the crouching assassin when
he emerged from the palace.
AS the general stepped into the car
riage the man sprang ON the wall,
swung the can by cord and the bomb,
81
velous precision sped straight to the
mark and struck the general on the
neck. A flash of fire and a terrific ex-
plosion followed and Griaznoff was lit
orally blown out of the carriage and
with-~his -coachman,- Cossack orderly
and the latter's horse was instantly
killed. A lady who was passing at the
time of the explosion was mortally
wounded.
yUbap +ba oorraeno,doa+ 80 A. A.
sociated Press reached the scene i'm
mediately after the tragedy the CHASTITY
dead still lay in the mud. Griaznoff
shapeless body, surrounded by soldiers,
presented sickening spectacle. 1t
seemed as if his crimson uniform had
melted into the pool of blood in which
weltered his head, torn away from the
trunk. The generals distracted widow
knelt in the blood and mud beside the
mutilated body. The assassin had al
ready been caught, beaten into insen-
sibility by the infuriated soldiers, and
after being loaded into a drosky was
being carried off to the ancient fortress
above the city, where, as Tifis is un-
der martial law, he will probably be
executed at dawn.
The most intense excitement followed
the assassination, as terrible punish
ment is meted out by the troops to
bomb throWer. The population fled in
terror before the Cossacks and other
troops, who were soon out in force
to clear the streets. Shortly before dark
a fusillade exchanged between Tartars
and Armenians produced a veritable
panic, as it was feared that the hor-
rors of the recent war between the
races had been renewed.
Instantly all the shops We're closed
and thousands of troops poured into
the streets.
So far as ascertainable there was no
relation between the crime and a re-
newal of the race war. The crime un-
doubtedly was 81 political act of ven-
geance decreed by the terrorists. The
identity Of the assassin has not been
established, but he is a Georgian and
was probably selected by lot at a meet
Griaznoff as retaliation for the latter's
severity in repressing the revolution
lists and arresting the leaders. Accord
ing to reports, the general was the
head Of a faction which believed in not
showing mercy and he is charged with
setting the native people against each
other. He had received repeated letters
of warning and for months past until
today had never ridden out without
his wife
Advices from Kutais say that the
revolutionists there have been sup
pressed They have been driven from
the railroad line into the mountains
and it is hoped to enclose them in a
trap between the troops advancing from
the seaboard and the expedition from
,rflis Troops have been landed all
along the Black sea.