Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-22
Russian Assassinations AS
Cribed to Performers"
OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
Secret Chamber of Social Revolu.
tionists Discovered.
POWERFUL EXPLOSIVES FOUND
Recent Crimes Ascribed to the
mobile Fighting Detachment of
the Northern District

ST PETERSBURG. February 22.-Ar
official announcement was made today by
the ministry of the interior concerning the
plot which was discovered and frustrated
two days ago by the police. the object OF
which was the assassination of Grand
Duke Nicholas Nicholaievitch. second
cousin of Emperor Nicholas and COM
mander of the Imperia! Guard. and NJ
Chtcheglovitoff, minister of jAstice. The
details correspond to those already given
in these dispatches.
The official announcement ascribes the
attempt directly to the social revolution
airy party, whose teri orist association was
reorganized in May of last year after hav-
ing been allowed to lapse since. the con-
gress held in Finland in the spring of
1906. At the time of reorganization the
sum of $4,000 monthly was assigned for
espionage and the preparation of bombs
and other instruments of death. The group
to which the execution of these latest
crimes was intrusted was officially desig-
mated as the mobile fighting detachment
of the northern district
Crimes of Terrorists.
The social revolutionary party four
months ago made an unsuccessful at
tempt to assassinate Minister Chtcheg-
lovitoff. on the occasion of the funeral
of Gen. Maximoffsky. director If pris-
ons OF the ministry of the interior. who
was killed in this city by Mile. Rago-
zinnikova and it is responsible also for
the assassinations of Lieut.. Gen. Nlndi-
mir Pavloff. January 8, 1907: Mai. Gen.
Won der Launitz, January 3, 1907, and
NJ. Guidema. governor of the political
prison on Basil Island, January 80 of
the same year.
The murderer of NJ Guidema. for
whom the police have been searching
In vain since the crime, is among those
arrested the day before yesterday. This
group of terrorists Is in no wise con
nected with the MaXimalist organiZa-
ton which executed the attempt upon
premier Stolypin at his villa in this
city in 1906. and which has put through
several big political robberles in ST
Petersburg and MOSCOW.
The selection of Grand Duke Nichoia'
and NJ. Chtcheglovitoff for assassination
has occasioned some remark. as neither
the grand duke nor the minister mas peer
prominent in repressive measures In M
ChtcheglovitOff the revolutionlsts appar-
entity were trying to kill. not the man. put
for the political trials of the last year. as
cell as the prison regime under which
thousands of revolutionists have suffered.
Grand Duke Nicholas, although not d.
-ectly connected with the administration
except by his position of nominal COM
mander of the troops i'm ST. Petersburg.
has been held up by the revolutionists to
the popular gaze as the patron of the
rea ctionary organization and malev-
client influence upon Emperor Nicholas
Secret Chamber Found.
The police have discovered on Basil
Island the headquarters of the northern
In secret chamber were
found in addition to a quantity OF re-
volvers and. cartridges. two powerful
bombs of the finest workmanship and
great quantity of a new explosive of
enormous force. The tenant of the build
ing where this find was made and who
was arrested on the street with bomb
in his pocket. has been identified as an
accomplish in the murders of Lieut..
Gen. Pavloff. Maj. Gen. Won der Launitz
and Gen. Maximoffsky.
Four dodgers in the building. two men
and two women. also were arrested and
are now confined in fortress. The two
women arrested yesterday in Finland are
shut ND i'm the same fortress. 1t is re-
ported the wife and sister-in-law of a
millionaire merchant named Meshkoff.
whose house was among those searched
nv the police are being held as members
of the organization. NJ. Meshkoff is the
owner of fifty steamers plying on the
VolSa.