Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1878-06-20
Vera Zassulitch,

Vera Zassulitch.
| This youog lady whose recent trial anG
acQuittal for ATTEMPTED assassination at st
Petersburg has attracted so much Interest
| throughout Europe. Is the daughter OF
| Russian officer, aud Is about eight -anC
| twenty years OF age. For the past clever
| years, however, she has endured continual
| aud apparently unactountable persecution
| at the hands of the police, and it Is TO the
| sympathy universally evoked by the &C
| count OF her sutierings that she mainly
owes her acquittal from the crime OF whict
shs was guilty, and that the great popular
| enthusiasm with which the verdict ha.
| been received in Russia Is due. AT the az,
| of seventeen, while trying to support her
| self as book binder at St. Petersburg, she
was arrested, owing TO being the greai
school friend Of young lady named Netch
| aieif whose brother had just been impli
| Gated in some conspiracy at Moscow Ac.
| cording to some accounts, Vera Zassul
| itch acted as species Of go-between auC
| letter-carrier. but this Is net confirmed
| and, be her offence what it night, she was
| closely Imprisoned for two years, withon
| the slightest shadow q trial. A few day.
| after her release. moreover, she was ayaI
arrested, for no ostenslbe reason, and car
red of this time to Eastern Russia, anC
might have perished with cold on the jour.
ney had not Kind gendarme lent her hi.
| CLOAK. She remained st kretsi, iu the pro.
| vince OF Noygorod, under police supervis.
! Ion. for two more years, and in 1871 WA.
allowed TO go 10 Tyer to live with broth
| er-in-law, also Il political exile. The lat
ter, however, getting into trouble, owing
10 the discrimination of prohibited books
! Vera Nassultich was once more arrested
afaI hrAn - bnfa
J she was transferred to kharkof and In
1873 was at last liberated.
From that time she appears to hav,
lived in retirement until last July when hel
feelings we're excited by the details of the
cruel treatment OF political prisoner
named Bogolubon, who had been fogged
BY order OF General frepoff, the Perfect o.
Police at st. Petersburg, tor some act oil
INSTRUMENTATION, but mainly because he
had neglected to take of his cap on meetin %
that official for a second time in the prison
precincts. AS Vera Zsssulitch well knew
the hurdshtps OF prison life aud the tyranny
OF the officials, this story made an intense
Impression on her mind, and, after waiting
s"me time To see II any official notice would
take Ia: matter tf'i Ia hai7d fefseif. and, IN her
own words, 'at the price of my own ruin 10
draw public attention 10 the affair, aud
prove that human being may not be In
suited IN that way with impunity. 1t Is a
terrible thing To raise ones hand against a
fellow creature, but | could nod no other
means. IL was all the same TO me whether
killed or wounded the Prefect, and when
fired a, hin did not aim at any particu-
lar place" To be brief Vera Zassuiitch h
sought an interview with General Trepoi
IN his reeeption-room, and then and there
shot him In the side With revolver For
this she was brought TO trial early In the
month, the jury before whom she appeared
being half composed OF government otfic-
ials, the remainder being formed of per.
sons IN good position. The result was a
verdict OF Not guilty"-a decision greeted
with tremendous enthusiasm by an audi.
ence composed of some six hundred per-
sons, the applause being taken up by the
crowd outside. On her appearance a per-
feet tumult ensued, and numerous arrests
were made by the police, several OF the RI
oterS being shot. The verdict has since
been set aside, and new trial ordered 10
take place In a town remote from St. Pc.
tersours; but She has not been re arrested.
his trial has excited considerable alarm
III official circles In Russia, as the general
enthusiasm which has hailed the verdict
plainly msnifests a popular sympathy With
the Nihilist and other revolutionary socie-
ties for whose cause Vera Zassulitch has
suffered. Moreover, corporal punishment
IS now abhorred most intensely 10 Russia.
We hear Of school boys computing suicide
on account OF tlogging, and the tlI:a,''..."t
OF Bo.olubof has provoked the r,tualh
from the st. Petersburgians theInsely yes
that there are ''Bashi Bazouks nearer
home than Bulgaria. .'-Harper's Weekly.