ceived through mysterious channels considerable sums from the landed gentry for the purpose of making an attempt on Stolypin, and were furnished with a complete plan for his assassination. Even the most cautious and suspicious revolutionary leaders, who, however, ignored the fact that the terrorist "comrades" who put the scheme forward were agents of the police, approved of the scheme as possible of execution.
The attempt was put into execution in Stolypin's villa situated in the most fashionable quarter of Petersburg. A young and enthusiastic revolutionary, slightly cracked, and entirely under the suggestion of one of his comrades, exploded a powerful bomb in front of Stolypin's study. The villa was considerably damaged, the Premier's son was wounded, and a large number of officials, gendarmes, and private persons killed. The assassin himself perished in the explosion, but Stolypin escaped unhurt, having left the villa a few moments before the explosion. But the police failed to discover either the initiators or the accomplices of the attempt.
Then the Tsar, fearing a second attempt, counselled Stolypin to leave the capital for a time. The latter, who had already received private warnings, agreed, and under the pretext of studying the conditions of colonisation of Asiatic Russia, went to Siberia in company with the Minister Krivoshein. During the journey two attempts to derail the train were made by revolutionary railaymen.
