New-York tribune., 1918-01-22
Former Minister of Finance
and State Controller
Shot in Hospital
Assassins Force WAY
To Their Victims
Bolsheviki Explain Action
in Dissolving the Con-
stituent Assembly

PETROGRAD, Jan. 2O.-A. |. Shin
saroH, Minister Of Finance in the
herensEy Cabinet, and Professor f. T.
hokoshkine, State Controller under
kerensky, were murdered in their beds
last night in the Marine HOSPITAL
M. ShIngarof and Pro ofessor Kokosh-
kinc were removed recently to the hos
plta! from the Fortress of ST. Peter
and st. Paul, because Of illness. A
dozen armed men entered the hospital
and demanded that they be shown the
Dcds OF the former ministers.
Professor Kokoshknc was killed as
he slept, two bullets being fired. Mr..
S'hingarofi wakened and protested. Six
bullets were fired into his body. The
assassins then left the hospital.
After an all~night session the Con-
tr@l Executive Committee early this
morning promulgated a decree abolish
ing ihe Constituent Assembly.
at has killed ITSELF the committee
announccd. "by opposing the wishes Of
thc laborug masses represented by the
EolshcviN members"
NiiSolai LeMinc, the Bolshcvik Pre-
mier, was the chief speaker before the
committee, and was greeted with tu-
muituous cheering. He said:
~ conflict between the Worl<men's
and Soldiers government and the Con-
stituent Assembly has been growing
since the Russian revolution. The Feb
iuary revolution was n political bour-
EeolS revolution, IN which the cons,l-
tut!Onal Democrats scored a success.
oTerttroWing Czarism. IN October a
social revolution occurred and the
working masses, through the Work
mems and Soldiers delegates, became
the sovereign althorty.
Workmen and Soldiers Rule
"RsI cgeating the Workmcn's a"d Sol
(iers' Delegates the Russia proletariat
brought something new into the revo!u-
tom [hore Is no equal in the history
1f revolutions in Western Europe, cX-
ce2t the Paris Commune The Work
mems and Soldiers Delegates are not
bound by any rules or traditions to the
old bourgeois society. Their govern
ment has taken all the power and rights
Assembly is the highest expression OF
political ideals of bourgeois society,
which are no longer necessary in a
socialist state. the Constituent AS
acmbly VIII be dissolved. 1t has no.
met to-day and has, in fact, ceased TO
o,>lst."
"f,very REFUSAL" it adds. go recog
Nize =, authority of the republican
orkmcn's and Soldiers Councils and
to place ~ the hands Of the Constlt-
uent Assembly and the bouYgeoise the
liberty which had been won would be
Il step backward and toward the bank
revolution.
"Thc Constituent Assembly opened
on January is and for known reasons
gave a majority to the Social Rcvolu-
tionists of the Right-tho party of
Kcrensky. Tshernotf and Avksentiefr."
The Bolsheviki have not yet an
nounced any plans for legislative
body TO replace The Constituent AS
scmbly.
SDvicts to Meet
Tho aliRussian congress Of Soviats
Is expected to meet tomorrow, bat
the meetinG NAY be post t2oned to en-
able morc delegates TO attend This
body is looked to as ore which will
either declare itself sovereign body
OF desgnate the means for creating
ono.
Another proclamation to the people,
issued by the Bolshevik government,
says in part:
"Enemies OF the people spread the
report that revolutionary workmen and
soldiers have fired on peaceful labor
demonstration. This is done for the
purpose OF sowing trouble in the ranks
OF the workers, causing excuses and
ncitlng against the revolutionary lead
crS.
ut has been proved that the authors
OF these rumors fired at sailors, sol
diers and workmen, who are keeping
order in the city The central execu-
tive has opened a searching inuuiry
and the cuprits will be tried by revo-