More Bad Shooting.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7718, 21 January 1905, Page 3

More Bad Shooting.

SHRAPNEL H A SIGNAL CHARGE. The Czar Under Fire. t (Received Jan. 20, 9.23 p.m.) St. PETERSBURG, Jan. 20. The Czar, Czarina, and Dowager Empress were present with a brilliant company participating in the ceremony of blessing the waters of the Neva., When the Metropolitan was uttering bis -benediction the guns of the fortresses of St. Peter and St. Paul saluted simultaneously, and something crashed through an upper window of St. Nicholas' Hall in the .Winter Palace. This was at first attributed to the concussion produced by the guns, but soon there was found an iron -bullet an inch in diameter, which had penetrated the window. , The Imperial party retired to the Palace. The crowds were greatly excited, but later it was officially cxpla+ned that a charge of shrapnel instead of a saluting charge had been fired from a gun belonging to one of the batteries stationed near the Bourse. Some of the bullets struck the facade" of the Palace, breaking four windows, and a policeman was wounded. Apparently it was the 17th Battery of the First Horse Artillery, the most aristocratic corps in the army, that fired the, shot. After gun practice on Tuesday a loaded shell was inadvertently left in the gun.- It is popularly considered highly suspicious (that this gun should have happened to be pointing in the direction of the pavilion .where the ceremony- was proceeding. (Received Jan. 20, 11.56 p.m.) ST. PETERSBUTG, Jan. 20. i Sinister rumours are current that the incident was the outcome of a military conspiracy. The whole bat- - tery is»implicated, and has ixen arrested. The Court officials admit that they were warned something untoward would happen. The Court is startled, because the regiment is officered entirely by noblemen. The Czar exhibited marked coolness, and -held a diplomatic reception afterwards. LONDON, Jan. 20. The Russian Embassy in London " states that it hats üßofficiaJly heard that an agitator fired a shot in tho direction of the Palace from across the river, hoping to create a der monstration. Some accounts allege that tho missiles cither killed or wounded an officer and some soldiers.