The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-01-04
THEORISTS | GET ANOTHER |Prefect of Police is
 Killed. 1, YOUNG MAN THE ASSASSIN Won der Launitz Shot While in Chapel. After Omeers of Guard Had slain The Revolutienist They continued Te Hack Body With Their Swords.

7
 St. Petersburg, Jan. s--The police have not yet succeeded in identifying the terrorist who shot and killed Major General Won Der Launitz. Prefect of Police of St. Petersburg, at the Insti- ute of Experimental Medicine this af- ternoon. and who cooly turned his re- volver against himself. while he was falling under the sabres of the prefect's escort. as
 The authorship of this crime, how ever. like the recent assassination of Count ISnatieff,' and the unsuccessful attempt to blow up Premier Stolypin with. q bomb, has been traced to the fighting organization of the social rsv- oluttonists, who recently resolved to resume full terroristic activity.
 The organization tonight issued the customary proclamation avowfng and justifying the killing of Won Der Laun- itz. which was accomplished with an ease and simplicity that has struck ter TOT into the hearts of all other of1- cials on the revolutionary death list.
 The man who committed the crime was about 22 years old. and apparently belonged to the Ignorant working class. The police affirm he was a Jew He was provided with card of admission to the eldedication of the church, but this card bore no name. The authorities have not been able to ascertain how he obtained this invitation to the cere- mony. which was extremely select. only one hundred and fifty invitations having been issued.
 Prince Peter Alaxandrovitch, Duke of Oidenburg. is patron of the Instf- tifte. Among the guests were his wife. Grand Duchess Olga, youngest sister of the smperor; Princess Eugenia Emil ianova, and number of other persons prominent at court. ~ The fact that General Won Der Laun- itz was to attend the c0nsecratfon of the church was not generally known and the terrorists must have learned of this fact from sources within the police department
 Ts has developed that the prefect was accompanied to the church by his usual bodyEuard of secret service men, but not one of these had the sliEhtest sus- piei6n of fi1e murderer. aItnough hfs Stained hands were out of hsrfnony with his fAultisss evening clothes.
 Seeme of Confusian. The fah of General Eaunftx was fof- lowed by d scene of indescribabIe hys- teria and confusion. The Duke of sOidenburgh was one of the few men who retained their conposure, and he seized the assassin's hand after he fired twice and several succeeding shots were discharged into the ceiling But before the Duke could dlsarm him, one of the offieers who accompanied the prefect, drew his sabre and struck the assassin a powerful blow, which con- pletely cut out portion of his skull, As the man was falling. he shot him. self in the stomach with the last bull let in his revolver. His death was in- stantaneous, but several officers contin- ued to pick at his prostrate body until the Duke of oldenburg struck up their swords and forced them to desist.
 In addition to two arrests made within the church. the doors of which were closed after the shooting. sey- eral other persons were taken Into custody in a neighboring instrument served as headquarters for the Ter rorists.
 It was during the time that Gen. Won Der Launitz was Governor of Tambov that there occurred the tWrl- ble repression of the Agrarian dfsor- ders in Tambov province, ond 1t was in retribution for these repressions that Maria Spiridonovo, the Russian Joan of Arc. shot Chief of Police LYzhenoffski, one of the subordinates of Gen. Won Der Launitz.
 ' Prince Peter Aiexanderovitch. duke Of Oldenburg, brother in law of the ern- peror, was attending the conservation of the institute chapel During the services and while mingling with sev- erai oficia1s, the prefect of police was approached from behind by the man who drew a revolver and shot him in the base of the brain.
 Won Der Launitz fell forward and died in two minutes.
 Was of German Descent'
 Vladimir Won Der LaunttI came of an old family of the German nobility in the Baltic provinces He served with distinction during the Turkish war of 1sS7-SS was decorated for bra- very and in addition to holding the rank of major general, one of the equerries of the court.
 Previous to his appointment as pre- feet of police in January. 1904, Won Der Launitz was Governof of Tam boy for three years. He stood high in the favor of the emperor who last spring issued a special rescript thank : ing him for his services in maintain ing order In St. Petersburg. Though Won Der Launitz acted with severity against the revolutionists. he was not specially exeerated personally like the late General Trepoff.
 The aSsaSslnatlon or the prelect or police was preceded by an attempt to kill Dr. Dubrovin, president of the reactionary league of the Russian peo- ple. A revolutionjst attacked him on the street while he was returning home last night. ~
 Gendarmes on duty at the Tsarskoe Selo railroad station last night ar rested a suspect, who was oisguised in A police uniform. The prisoner Is thought to be a member of the organ. ization which is responsible for the assassination of Prefect Won Der Launitz. ..