SHOOTING OF RUSSIAN PREMIER

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 74, 18 September 1911, Page 5

SHOOTING OF RUSSIAN PREMIER

HOW IT WAS DONE. TILE CZAR'S COURAGE. By Cable—Press Association—Copyright. St. Petersburg, September 15. M. Stolypin was leaning over a ledge in front of his seat when his welldressed assailant approached and fired twice, at two paces. M. Stolypin put his hand up to his chest, and fell back on the seat. He was carried out amidst shouts of reprobation from the audience. The Czar advanced to the front of the box, and the artists on the stage sang the Xational Anthem. The kneeling audience joined in the Anthem, and gave an ovation to the Czar, until His Majesty and daughters withdrew. M. Stolypin, from the hospital, sent a message to the Czar, assuring him of his readiness to give up his life for him. M. Stolypin was wounded in the hand and near the spine. He is suffering violent pains, and passed a restless night, but showed improvement in the morning.

LESS SERIOUSLY-INJURED THAN ANTICIPATED. CZAR'S PLUCK SUBJECT OF GENERAL ADMIRATION. ASSASSIN'S REMARKABLE CONFESSION. Received 17, 5.5 p.m. St. Petersburg, September 16. M. Kokovtsoff, -Minister for Finance, is discharging the duties of Acting-Pre-mier. iM. Stolypin is less seriously injured than was at first supposed. The bullet lodged in the muscles of the back. It struck a crucifix that M. Stolypin was wearing. The bullet slightly grazed his liver. The Czar's facing the audience undaunted of fear of a possible lurking assasin has aroused general admiration. Bogroff is the son of a well-known property owner at KiefT. Interrogated, he confessed that St. Petersburg Anarchists deputed him to kill M. Stolypin. He secured admission to the theatre by telling the police that an Anarchist was coming to kill the Premier, and offering to point out the assassin if admitted. The police thereupon gave him a stall. Enquiry revealed that Bogroff, like the celebrated Azoff, combined terrorising methods with .'•' 'tive service, be being employed as a/i ;,gent political by the police at Ki. IT for two years. He was specially assigned to protect high personages. He confessed that he was entrusted to watch the Premier's safety, and intended to attempt the murder of a more exalted personage. He was deterred through fearing that the outrage would be followed by a massacre of Jews. He joined before the attack in the greetings and ovationing of the Czar.

THE LATEST ADVICE. INJURED STATESMAN RECOVERING. Received 18, 1 a.m. St. Petersburg. September 17. SI. Stolypin is making satisfactory progress. If this progress continues he will be convalescent in three weeks. SI. Stolypin's life has heen attempted on numbers of occasions. A recent writer says of him: "A tall, powerfully-built man of great physical strength, M.'Stolypin might pose for a statue of strong and ruthless autocracy. Never in its long history lias the Tsiirdom had a fitter mouthpiece, a more suitable representative. M. Stolypin is a man who never smile*. I have never seen him otherwise than stern, ' fixed, tense, like a crouching lion, like a pilot steering a ship -between deadliest rocks. His grimness seemed to be rather to be that of a man facing death every hour of the twenty-four, and facing it at very close range whenever he addressed the second Duma Outside the Duma, in the theatres, in the parks, at political gatherings, no man had ever seen that iron visage, lor exposure meant death. ''Nobody save, members of the secret police had even seen the president of the Council enter or leave the Duma, but we Know that he sometimes slept night after night in the legislative buildings in order to disappoint the emissaries of revolution who were awaiting him outside. When he did leave, he never went straight home. Wherever he slept, a small army of police and soldiers watched. One could not help feeling some admiration for a, man whose lust for power led him to brave the terrors of a life like this."