▁vent ure ▁out , ▁instead ▁prefer ring ▁to ▁quietly ▁entertain ▁in ▁her ▁house . ▁ ▁While ▁att ending ▁the ▁opening ▁of ▁the ▁St . ▁Petersburg ▁School ▁of ▁Ex perimental ▁Medicine ▁as ▁its ▁main ▁benef actor ▁in ▁January ▁ 1 9 0 7 , ▁a ▁prominent ▁government ▁official , ▁General ▁von ▁La un itz , ▁was ▁assass in ated ▁before ▁Eugen ia ▁and ▁her ▁husband ' s ▁eyes . ▁The ▁general ▁was ▁standing ▁a ▁few ▁steps ▁away ▁from ▁her ▁husband , ▁so ▁that ▁Eugen ia , ▁bel ieving ▁at ▁first ▁that ▁Alexander ▁had ▁been ▁the ▁one ▁killed , ▁fell ▁into ▁a ▁faint . ▁ ▁Last ▁years ▁By ▁ 1 9 1 4 , ▁Alexander ▁was ▁almost ▁an ▁" invalid ", ▁travel ing ▁with ▁the ▁help ▁of ▁a ▁nur se ▁for ▁his ▁care . ▁Later ▁that ▁year , ▁while ▁driving ▁just ▁outside ▁Wies ent hal ▁in ▁Baden ▁with ▁his ▁v alet ▁and ▁nur se , ▁Alexander ▁was ▁in ▁an ▁auto ▁w reck , ▁sust aining ▁very ▁grave ▁inj uries . ▁His ▁gentleman - in - wait ing ▁and ▁others ▁who ▁were ▁travel ing ▁with ▁the ▁du ke , ▁either ▁in ▁his ▁car ▁or ▁another ▁driving ▁behind ▁them , ▁were ▁also ▁injured ▁in ▁the ▁crash , ▁as ▁it ▁involved ▁both ▁vehicles . ▁Alexander ▁surv ived ▁the ▁w reck . ▁Later ▁in ▁the ▁year ▁ 1 9 1 4 , ▁Alexander ▁was ▁chosen ▁by ▁Emperor ▁Nicholas ▁to ▁be ▁supre me ▁chief ▁of ▁medical ▁services ▁to ▁the ▁military ▁and ▁naval ▁forces ▁of ▁Imperial ▁Russia . ▁Though ▁his ▁selection