ONE OF THE LATE CZAR'S ESCAPES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 6213, 15 October 1881, Page 7

ONE OF THE LATE CZAR'S ESCAPES.

Among many infernal machines employed by the Nihilists in Russia, the American applepie was much used. Four times in one week did the Lord Chamberlain detect this dreaded viand among the dishes on the Czar's table, where it had been placed by some unknown hand. About a month before his death the Czar was invited to attend the annual picnic of the United Order of Buttonhole Workers at Scadger's-park, on the other side of the Neva. After playing Copenhagen for seven or eight hours, the Czar was offered some suspicious-looking lemonade, which he. prudently declined. Noticing this, a baffled Nihilist approached, and, after walking earefully rouud the Emperor, said to him, with assumed respect, "Your Majesty wears light pants, I perceive." "As you see," replied the Emperor. "Is not that correct?" " Precisely," exclaimed the conspirator; "but it is the custom for wearers of light pants to sit down on a pie." "Is the custom imperative?" asked the Czar, gloomily. "Absolutely, sire; It is a matter of tradition." "Then let a pie be produced," said the Czar. This was instantly done, the great American cemetery - crowder being placed on a stump in front of the Emperor. "Is it vitally necessary that it should be a blackberry pie?" said the dictator of all the Russias, dividing his coat-tail with a shudder. "As you say, sire." "But I don't exactly understand," hesitated the despot. "Suppose you sit down first, just to show me how." "I—-your Majesty," stammered the conspirator; " I—I —er—you see my trousers are old and—and black —they have been half-soled—it —it would be no—" "Squat!" roared the autocrat, suddenly whipping out his revolver. The miserable wretch sat down with a groan, and instantly after vanished through the tree-tops. The pie had been loaded with nitro-glycerine. "I knew it," muttered the Emperor, aud, calling together his privy council with a dog whistle, he took the next car for the ferry.— Little Rock, Ark., Gazette.