The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-01-04
RUSSIAN PREFECT
IS ASSASS|NATED
Terrorist Shoots Himself While
Being Cut to Pieces
OFFICIALS TERROR STRICKEN
Murder Occurs at Institute of Medicine
and the Authorities Are Mystifed
at the Ease With Which
Assassination Is Done.
OFFICIALS TERROR STRICKEN

st. Petersburg, January 3.-The police
have not yet succeeded in identifying the
terrorist who shot and killed Major Gen
eral Won Derlaunitz, project of police OF
st. Petersburg, at the Institute of Ex-
perlmental Medicine this afternoon, and
who coolly turned his revolver against
himself while he was fenting under the
sabres of the projects escort.
The authorship of this crime, how
ever, like the recent assassination of
Count 1gnatieff, and the unsuccessful at
tempt to blow up Premier Stolypin with
bomb, has been traced to the lighting
organization of the social revolutionists,
who recently resolved to resume full ter
roristic activity.
The organization tonight issued the
customary proclamation avowing and JUS
tifying the killing of Won Derlaunitz,
which was accomplished with an ease
ssnd simplicity that has siffeB terror
into the hearts of all other Officials on
the revolutionary death list.
The man who committed the crime was
about 20 years of age. and apparently
belonged to the intelligent working class.
The police affirm he was Jew. He
was provided with card of admission to
the dedication of the church. but this
card bore no name The authorities have
not been able TO ascertain how he OBJ
tanned this invitation to the ceremony,
which was extremely select, only 150 in
yitS..ons having been issued
Prince Peter Alexandrovitch, Duke of
Oldenburg, is a patron of the institute.
Among the guests were his wife, Grand
Duchess Olga, youngest sister of the
Emperor Princess Eugenie Emilianova,
and number of other persons prominent
at court.
The fact that General Won Derlaunitz
was to attend the conservation of the
church was not generally known, and
the terrorists must have learned OF this
fact from sources within the police de-
partment.
1t has developed that the prefect was
accompanied to the church by his usual
body guard of secret service men, but
not one of these had the slightest sus-
picion of the murderer, although his
stained hands were out of harmony with
his faultless evening clothes. The fall
of General Won Derlaunitz was followed
by scene of indescribable hysteria and
confusion.
The Duke of Oldenburg was one of
the few men who retained their COM
posure. and he seized the assassin's hand
after he had fired twice. and several sue
ceeding shots were fired into the ceiling.
But before the duke could disarm him.
one of the officers who accompanied the
prefect drew his sabre and struck the
assassin a powerful blow which COM
pletely cut out a portion of his skull
As the man was falling he shot himself
in the stomach with the last bullet In
his revolver. His death was instantaneous.
several officers continued to pick at his
PROSTATE body until the Duke of Olden-
burg struck up their swords and forced
them to desist.
In addition to two arrests made with
In the church, the doors of which were
closed after the shooting. several other
persons were taken into custody in n
neighboring instrument factory. which is
believed to have served as headquarters
for the terrorists.
1t was during the time that General
Won Derlaunitz was governor Of Tambov
that there occurred the terrible repres-
sion OF the agrarlan disorders in Tam
bov province. and 1t was retribution for
these repressions that Maria Spiridonovo.
the Russian Joan OF Arc, shot Chief of
Police Luzhenofski. one OF the subordi-
mates of General Won Derlaunltz.