The Blandford and Wimbourne Telegram. — 1879-12-12 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

ATTEMPT TO MURDER THE OZ %R.  The train conveying the Emperor left the station at Simferopol at midnight, the time appointed for its departnre. The luggage train, consisting of 14 carriages and two locomoti• es, had been despatched half-an-hour previously, but by a fortunate chance the train in which the Czar travelled overtook the luggage train and, passing it, left it some distance behind. In the luggage train were altogether fifty persons When it was still about two and a half versts from the Moscow station a loud report was suddenly heard. The carriage in which the narrator was seated oscillated violently and then came to a standstill with a sharp jerk. The writer immediately left the carriage and, looking round, perceived clear traces of an explosion. The first engine was detached from the train, and the other had left the rails, together with some of the carriages, while the remainder of the latter were standing right across the line. The fourth luggage wagon lay with its wheels upwards. At the side of the line was visible a large cavity several feet deep. - •  The noise of the explosion had attracted the police and a crowd of people, who loudly expressed their horror at the intended attempt to destroy the life oc the Emperor. The narrator hastened to the nearest telegraph station in order toi forward a despatch, but found that communication was interrupted in consequence of the telegraph posts having been thrown down by the explosion. A pointsinan awl another railway official who were in the immediate vicinity animated ti be badly injured, but all the OfTlipant f the train escaped with nothing more serious than the fright. The perpetrators of the crime doubtless thought that the Emperor was in the second train. The Public Prosecutor awl a magistrate arrived at two o'clock this morning at the scene of the -atastrophe, and, led by the traces of the devastation left by the explosion, proceeded to the nearest house, which was empty. The magistrate discovered in the courtyard, concealed under the snow, some wires connected with a battery placed in an out-house, from which the passing trains could easily be seen. From inquiries inade, it appeared that the house was bought in Semeinber last by a young man, who stated that he was a citizen of Tamara. Ile had been observed digging in the cellar by the neighbours, declaring as his reason for doing so that he wished to obtain some sand. In this way a passage for the train of powder connected with the mine was hollowed out. The house itself was poorly furnished. More wires were found behind the wall papers. From the wearing apparel left in the house, it is supposed that several persons had been engaged in the work. The remnants of a supper which had only been partaken of recently were also found in one of the rooms. It appears that the house from which the tunnel was dug under the permanent way stands by itself, a few i paces from the Andronieskoi monastery, n one of the suburbs of Moscow, if not within the actual precincts of the city. I hear from a good source that the house was purchased in September last for 2500 roubles by a person of gentlemanly appearance, who immediately took up his residence there with a lady. The tunnel ran for 25 sajenes, say 150 feet, from the house and underneath the permanent way. The first part of the tunnel was built with stone. The latter part is not described, but presumably was timbered. The battery with which the mine was fired was placed in an outhouse behind the main building. Persons were standing on an embankment as the baggage train passed, and imagining it was the Imperial train, cheered. This was the signal for exploding the mine. The chief train, with the Emperor and suite, had already passed unobserved and safely. Nobody, it is said, was injured. The locomotive and the first three carr ages passed before the moment of the explosion, and were not damaged. The fourth carriage was completely destroyed. The three remaining carriages were thrown off the rails and heaped together in confusion. The criminals appear to have succeeded in effecting their escape.