Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-12-28
RUSSIAN LADY CRIMINALS.
Interesting NIursserer4 and Fcrgers.

Female murderers seem to fare pretty wei In
Russia, or have done so hitherto at any rate
They, or the advocates who eSDOuSeSi their
cause, have invariably succeeded in finding the
way to the soft corner tnThe hearts or perhaDS
the heads, of the jury and verdict of acquittal
has been the result on all occasions Thus Kali
rova, who attempted TO slice up another We
man with carving knife. simply because the
latter happened to be the wife Of a man that the
nluriereSS had taken fancy tO.WaS found no.
gsilty. She 2fterWard distinguished herself in
Servfa, whittier she was sent as correspondent
OF a 81. feefSburS daily neTSp aper-and was
petted and clTeSSCd-in print at any rate-by
good many Of the Russian volunteers in Bel
grade, who expressed their admiration for a
being that had the courage of putting her prln-
case OF kinilOTa soon followed. This woman
murdered her lover while asleep by shooting
aim in the head with g revolver she had found
In his pocket. While awaiting the verdict OF
the jury she was in excellent spirits. and eX-
pressed her conviction that she would get of,
Just as kairoya had done. Her words turned
out 10 be too true. Some flaw, however, was
discovered By the Imperial Senate in the way
the case was conducted and she was again
tried. and by q new jury, and again acquitted.
The case OF Terra SaSSulitch differed from eitne'
OF the preceding In several particulars. She
had no personal feeling against the man whom
she tried to kill, while the victim-Gen. TrepoGf
was man heartily dtsltked by all classes O
society Tor his arrogance and yulgartty-1ualf-
ties not unusual In Self-made men. Then he
advocate very cleyeriy touched upon all he
sufferngs in the past; upon the many month
that the poor young girl had passed in prison
regarded as dangerous state criminal, ere she
was out OF her teens; upon the difficulties she
everywhere encountered in attempting to elrn
an honest livelihood after she was found .en-
tiraly Innocent" of the charges brought against
her as a political CTender-the Jury were
touched 10 the quick, aud in the sufferer lost
sight OF the criminal. She was determined to
be reyenged upon one Who had ordered de-
fenselcsS man TO be logged and had not been
punished for so doing. The verdict Of acqulttal
met With tie approval OF 8 persons out OF 10 in
Russian society, who certainly did not regard
Il as miscarriage of justice although it mi hit
have been Ct law.
Somuch for tie fate Of those among the GEN
tier sex in Russia who murder. or attempt to
murder, and who. even after avOwing their
crime, are found by jury OF their c0untrymen
not Ia have committed It. With female iorgeTS.
however, 1t has Jared mQch harder. The hearts
OF the JURY, where SWindnng is concerned are
as GnimniesSonab!e as hint. The famous Trial
OF Mother Metrophania, in MOSCOW, several
years ago. was case in point. This holy Alb
hess was regarded with feelings Of the deepest
Vcneration by the pedSaniry. While a large class
OF ladies and gentlemen whose outward piety
was uneECeptiUnable, lGOsed Up 10 her as sort
CT Pope IN petticOatS. The aristOcEatic repre-
SentatNeo 0i religious cant. however ia spite Of
bringing great influence to bear upon the ease.
were unable 10 save the yeDerate1 mother from
being tried fGT forgery. like criminals OF c0arScF
Clay. The signatures she initiated were those
of deceased persons, chiefly piJuS merchants,
whom she had known during life. The money
procured III forging wills she spent not upon
herself but upon the monastery OF which she
was ADbcSS: upon Tie construction Of an intirm-
airy. and the foundation OF school Everybody
was Of opinion that woman OF her high religious
standing, tie fav0fite OF the Gefunct popular
metropolitan OF Moscow. Philarct and one who,
is she drove up to court every day in her car
rage found large crowd collected in the
streets awaiting her blessing, would never be
condemned by Il orthodox Russians particular
y as seven OF the jury were merchants and
peasants. IN spite, however, of her wit and
talent, and OF the defence being conducted by
one OF the ableSt advocates in Moscow, the
poor AbbcSS was found guilty and seat to
Siberia. 1t was plain therefore, that Russian
jury would stand no nonsense regarding for
gerry, even when committed by a holy mother
for charitable purpoSeS-hoWever leniently they
might look upon homicide when hate or jeal-
ousy are the proinpters. 1t is strange that the
persons / have alluded to, who were tried for
murder, drove up to court In single droshky-a
juggling, rafting vehicle on springs and
found in no town in Russia except st. Peters
the same awkward, but inexpensive, convey
ance; whereas the two lady fOrgerS and Ovsyan-
nlkof-a merchant worth e1,03o,000, aud tried
for arSOn-all OF whom were condemned to
Journey to Siberia at his MajeSty'S expense,
had their SPLENDID carriages and horses wait
ing for them outside the court, so sure did they
seem OF the verdict being In their favor
The trial which excited so much attention in
st. Petersburg and throughout the whole OF
Russia last week was that Of Mrs Gulak-Arte-
mOvsky, widow OF so. according to her pass
port, but considerably older in the eyes of those
who have the bOldneSs to refuse pinning their
faith TO official docunentS.l who had received
tocratic government schools in st. PETERSBURG
who lived in splendid and Observation-Disclosures
nfShed house. and whose draWing-rOom was
frequented by highly-placed perSonages OF
the male sex exclusively, and in the morning
only. She was tried for forgery with an accom-
plce named Bogdanof. Bail to the amount OF
60.000 rubleS was accepted, SO that the curious
were able, during three successive mornings to
see the interesting prisoner drive up 10 the
court In one of the neateSt OF carriages, drawn
By a couple of noble-lOoking bays The last
a II
opened the door OF her vehicle when she ar
rived, helped her out, gave her his arm, and
led her into court, where the prisoner
took her seat On the hard wooden bench,
so 1nhOSpitaOle when compared to the we'll
stuffed cushions. covered with thick satin, of
her draWlng-room furniture or carriage. By
her side sat her accompiice in crime, short
biach, ScTaGgy, ugly. MISUNDERSTANDING crea-
ture, whose intellect seemed as narrow and
showed as little to his advantage, as his body
did. He was simply her cats paw, and was
forced by her to forge the bills for which she
had demanded payment. The personal appear
ance OF the female prisoner spoke neither in her
favor nor against her. Beauty she had none
head somewhat too large for a body of aver
age height: prominent eyes of o greeniSIl-blue
color; a Iturn-up' nose-not "tip-tilted,' but
c0arsely bent upward-and a heavy pendent
double chin. The forehead however was high
broad, and intellectual. The defects of her out
ward appearance were all forgotten-so every
witness shOwed-in the charm OF her manner
her conversational powers, her wit, and her
remarkable proficiency in the art OF 1lattery.
SHc vas We'll TSItl, du iliIllTaD-e performer
the piano, and good linguiSt.
The story of the interesting widow-in so far
at any rate, as her appearance as prisoner at
The bar was cOncerned-iS as follows: In the
month OF February, 1875, she was at an evening
party at the house OF Mr.. P0iey0y, q man well
known in Russian literary circles. She had
made POieyOy'S acquaintance through his Chill
dIen'S gOverneSS, (whO was an old school COM
pantOn OF hers, whom She occasionally visited
Nobody could have helped being fayOrabIy I'M
pressed by lady who, while able to drive about
in her own carriage, could still find time 10 cu-
ttVate the friendship Of poor gOyernesS Such
qualities are rare among The gentler.SeX Who
frequently suffer from deficiency OF mem )ry
when called upon to recognize poor friends or
needy relatives At Polevoy'S party the pris-
oner net three brothers PaStOuchof all of
whom 'Were charmed with her manner and
the admirable way in which she PLAYED
whist. She was particularly amiable with the
second brother "a single mani, and on going
nome, requested him to accompany her. When
they had reached her house she ordered her
carriage to drive PaStouchof home, and thank
ing him for his amiability, expressed hope
that he would soon pay her a visit Pastouchof
called next day, and thus commenced an ac-
quaintance which ended Ia his falling deeply in
love with the charming widow. year and
half after his first introduction he ceased to fire.
quent her house; was taken Ill next winter and
died IN the following Eecember. Some sixteen
months before hts death ne confessed to his
elder brother that he had lost 10000 roubies e.
G. 0,G0Ol to Mrs. ArtemOvsEy at cards; that he
had paid her In full, and that now he was eX-
frpInpN tn hrQ off fbn ainfap