The New York herald., 1878-07-11
VERA ZASSOULITCH.
A Herald Correspondent Discovers
and Interviews Her.
THREATENED RUSSIAN REVOLUTION
Popular Feeling and Private Purses
Shielding and Aiding Her.
H Il r. II . G A p e.
How the Police Hounds
Hunted Her Down.
THRILLING STATEMENTS
How the Womany Instincts Triumphed.
Even IN Court.
HI ER e s @ A p E +.
How the Police Hounds
Hunted Her Down.
THRILLING STATEMENTS
How the Womany Instincts Tnumphed.
Even IN Court.
ST. PETERSBURG, June IA, 1878

ST. PETERSBURG June IA, 1878.
Such is the interest taken in Vera Zassouich that
everybody here, Irrespective OF party, seems de.
termined support opposition TO the govern
ment aud TO shield hor from the new torments With
which they threaten her. People bsgn to realize
that the notorious Third Section-the Police Depart
partment at the Chancciierie-ha descended to tho
msauesg methods IN this case; while II has been
brought UNDER condemnation 1t has also lost prestige
and Is charged with Incompetence AS knew
that Zassoulhch free, in imitation OF
the police l started to ind her. Before
going further l may be permitted to make
lev personal observations The correspondent OF q
newspaper cannot always disclose the means he ON
ploys In his endeavors information for the
public, and generally he does not make such dis
closures Neither can tell your readers how. during
my stay in 81 Petersburg. succeeded IN following
clcw after clew, securing the prints issued clandcs-
timely from printing establishment Tor which the
entire police iorco Is searchiDg-i E., nearly
halt OF the entire population OF the capitaI-with =
zeal which Is prompted most By reward Of 5000
roub t$3 950) and special preerment tho hands
Of the government, how obtained these documents
in city where q man 10 almost afraid
Of his own shadow and where simple
suspicion he bo arrested and banished to
Siberia. cannot. therefore, explain by what
mansged TO place myself in comm uncation with the
head The government has set price OF 1000 roubes
(S1 5S0) and ho is pursued with all the fury known
10 the Third Section, whose late chief she wounded
RUSSIANS ALARMED on READING ABOUT SOCIALISM.
Some two or Ihre. Russians TO whom showed the
,ociaistic documents were positively frgh tcnsd and
ny they shudder NJ the xnowIedge oil having read
thcm. IL made them sick that was perfectly u.s.
tonisned; and POSITIVELY had almost 10 vi
olence TO get them translated from the Russian.
Every known 10 have aided Zassouli,ch Is
condemned In advance. You will be surprised to
learn that the young man who TO get n car
riagc alter her acquitlsi. who personally ac-
quanied with her, been transported Siberia tor
bis servise In her bchslL am therefore compelled
to omit the details as TO what occurred between the
time wben left my hotel until was brought face TO
face with the now celebrated Vera Zassoulitch
Boar In mind that IL concsrns brave but per-
secuted lady, whom | have neither to dsicnd
accuse, hunted with all the fury OF q race Of
which IL Is said, "Scratch . Russian and you
And the Cossack; scratch the Cossack and you ind
sns bear" such is the feeling OF this lady and
frtsnds who hide her that tho smallest indiscreon
might bring you unpIeasantly soon TO the muzzle Of
q pistol. WHAT would ieliow-tnat you would no
longer have interest in From all that / have
said l suppose II will mot require much reason
ing TO convince the reader that by the
time he has read this article IL will probably
be tsegraphsd back here TO ST. Petersburg by one of
the Russian agents IN New York. Sufhco say then
that Zssseutch, having secured tna notorissy which
may yet bring glory or ignominous death, sought
after by me. SO tha. might lcarn from herself
Of those interestng details which, TACT only she
could tell
THE RUSSIAN HEROINE APPEARED
The curtain being raised, behold your correspond
snt a handsomely furnished parior, with ono lady
and three men. rho lady was Zassoulitch. Who the
men were cannot tell Vera Zsssoulitch 10 u woman
si medium height, slightly bu prsposscssing, iair in
eompexion, about iwenty-three or twenty-our years
oil aga There 10 moth Ing remarkable about her figure
Her lips strong and her nosrils indicate lively
aspirations. But from the camnsss OF her glance
lhe observer readily understands she 10 OF strong
will almost ood IN her manner. quite the reverse OF
the character ot young women Of nsr ago Al twonty-
eight you may sometimes notice this cool confidence
Her eyes are nearly gray-chcsnut think she called
Them nerscf-and her glance Is ordinarily Glow the
dulncss and restraints Of the prison have driven all
the youhiuness out OF this heroine, and have pre-
vented the eye acquiring that snap curosIty rcst-
lsssnsss. which usually look Tor In women. Her
hs,r which OF hight brown, up IN two braids
10 simply oo'Icd into handsome plat bacx Of
tho head, tsed up a. tho tips. apparently. with deli
cate blue ribbons.
HER IRREGULARITIES AND DRESS
Vera Zassouiiioh prefers 10 listen rather than to
talk. IL semewhss diGcult TO get her 10 speak, but
whom she decides 10 DO communicalvs her whole
system seems TO DO In movement. Her gestures, hke
her phrsseology, havo immense vivscity ana her
ideas are clearly, suocincty expressed. When she
has stated all she wishes TO say upon any point the
animation recedes IRON ber lace and the almost
stecsi glance returns Once or tw,oe only did she
move during our conversation, when she became sud
deu Wak Il M twc lvc An
nervous and ssrode across tho wne taking.
Aitcrwsrd sns cat down and became quiet
and pensive. Her voice 10 ful. coming from the
ches,; poct might say perhaps that IL comes from
the hesr- she seems have only very slight regard
for her personal appearance and coquctry Is ca.
tirciy ignored 81 her Sue 10, In fact utterly indi.
.crent aer exterior She vas attired In a black
silk robe very simply trimmed with wnite and blue
Later saw her don a long brownisb mantle, broad
brimmeo straw ns, without flowers. but with long
os,r,ch ieaIncr she did not put hcr gloves, aud
her features htudcn beneath short ven reach
ing just below the lips.
GREETING LIKE A DfPLoNArisr
Extending her hand 10 me sne said, "My friends
have told me that you will pront by your stay IN
Russia TO study the effects OF their Efforts. have
learned 10 tho coarse Of conversation that you
doubted The power OF the socialist association and
that you showed yourself incredible before the srms
ton had been given you that was Tree. II have
sent Tor you ~ Is 10 snow you tnat have gcnd-
armes running alter me- You will also DO convinced
that IN this city, Infested is with police,
sufficiently powerful 10 move about aud live IN
parative peace while waiting ior better timea" she
sald all this, very unaneciedy, IN French had
previously heard her speak in German. English,
sne SAID, she was utterly ignorant oL Aner this
sea vas served In glasses little siri, almost an In
liant. pcrlormipg the service.
yrEKEsrise isrgRyIEw WIN zAssorLircn
4 then sought permission 10 ask the isscultch a
few questions, the aps~crs TO which were 10 DO Tor
pubhc@,ion. she ssid she was willing to sa,isiy my
suriosny and that Of my readers condition. that
no one was 70 be compromised 'it 10 on tots 10