The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-03-22
THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTI0NISTS.

KILLED BY ORDERS OF REVOLUTIONARY CON-
MITTEE-A REMARKABLE DocuMENr-THE
ASSASSINATION OF PRINCE KRAPoTKINE, THE
GOVERNOR OF KHARKoFF.
LONDON March 6, 1879.
The cable will have informed you of the strange
proclamation which placarded on the walls of
ST. Petersburg in reference to the murder Of the Gov
ernor of Kharkoff. The document conveyed the open
declaration that the death of the Prince the work
of an emissary of the nhsts, and that the blow was
inflicted in revenge for the acts of cruelty attributed
to him at the time of the disturbances among the
university students. Prince Krapotkne. as you will
remember attended "the ball Of the daughters of
the nobility" in Kharkof. He was returning from
the festivity, at about eleven O'Clock. and
had almost reached the Government House in
his carriage, when. in rounding street corner.
he was shot with revolver by some person who,
apparently had stepped lightly up the step of the
carriage in order to take deliberate aim. The Prince
lying back in tho carriage and received the bull
let through his cloak and left epaulet and the further
course Of the shot splintered the collar bone aud
penetrated deeply the unfortunate Governors
breast. On reaching home the best medical assist
ance was sent for, but the state of the Prince
critical from the beginning. and he died.
BOLD PROCLAMATION.
That the nihilists at the bottom of the affair
was not doubted from the first the placard already
mentioned and later printed proclamation distrib-
uted at Moscow, and probably throughout the
whole Empire made 1t clear that the Governor Of
Kharhotf was assassinated by orders of revolution
airy committee. Tho printed proclamation reads a.
follows:-
The Russian socialist revolutionary party has dis
posed of one of its deadiest enemies-one of the
most inhuman jaiers Of its condemned and impris-
n,,A11 ~nf hrar I'm nj
Krapotkine, the Governor of Kharkof, was danger
ousy, and no doubt mortally, wounded with re-
volver. This execution was carried out by the Rus
sian socialist revolutionary organization, which is
also responsible for all the executions i'll 1878. AS
before the public frankly and sincerely tho
that have compelled 1t to nave furher recourse to
PRINCE KnApoTxINs CRIMES.
Krapotkin had committed the following crimes:-
~ At the end of last year he sanctioned and ordered
the barbarous treatment which political prisoners
were subjected in the prison OF Kharkof. (2 He
falsely reported to the Minister of the Interior,
the subject Of the last disturbances at the university
of Kharkof, that the police had been attacked by
the students, whereas in reality it the latter
Who by his own orders, had first been logged with
hs ferSoops and bsrbaroas of
political prisoners ut Borisoglebsk. and his
name is intimately connected with the history
OF the Central prison in that town. where he
guilty of the following acts:(a) After the invalid
prisoner Plotnikof hsd been put in chains. the
other prisoners transmitted Krapotkin memorial
in which the revolving conduct OF the chief ailer
was forth The jailer irritated at this STEP de-
prived the prisoners Of the privilege OF obtaining
food from outside reduced the time allowed for TAX
ing exercise, put chains on sick prisoners abolished
their extra ratons and at last caused the openings
the cell doors to be boarded up to the exclusion
OF all ventilation.
xnApoTK1N AND THE STUDENTS
In reply TO the prisoners memorial Prince Kra-
potkin issued the following der:-"Although the
chief jxiler not justified in putting chains on
the prisoners who had undergone the period of pro-
bation nevertheless, as q punishment Tor insulting
tho tailnr by making COMPLAINT to the Governor
the refractory prisoners shall be locked up i'll the
black hole of the prison for periods of one to three
days. while those who have already passed the re-
qured period Of probation shall be restored to the
list Of prisoners undergoing probation. and be put
in irons" 10y On the ID OF July six OF the
political prisoners resolved to put end to the in
supportabe existence to which they were condemned
unless some relaxation OF the prison discipline were
granted and determined to cut short their misery by
starving themselves to death Prince Krapotkin not
only rejected their petition. but after they had
several Of them were no longer able to rise from
their beds he sent to the prison an officer who
them BY fs sSs
Sresned existence s Which sSey haa previously
ures Prince Krapotkin reduced the prisoners to q
condition which was equivalent to that Of being
buried alive such are the crimes 0omm aS ny
sderations that have compelled the Russian socialist
party TO sentence one Of its enemies to death
Death for DEATH execution for execution terror for
terrorl This is to the threats the perse-
cuons the oppression of the government. should
the latter in its old course, the bodies of
Heykipg and Mesentzof will not have turned into
dust before the government will hear from us again.
ASSASSIN HEARD FROM.
Some days before the attempt was made letter
written to the Revolutionary Committee by tho
man who undertook the execution Of the sentence.
This letter is printed with the manifesto. He says
''You can well understand the feelings by which
am agtated when think Of the many martyrs and
their fortunes. think of my haif-starved ILL.,
used comrades. disngured by the executioner.
am haunted by the image Of the powerful official
who tramples on humanity and who deceived the al
most lfeless martyrs into . continuance OF their
wretched existence. The bitterness of my heart
be understood when ponder the fact that such
barbarities remain unpunished; that nothing inter-
fers with the quietude of that mans life and with
his enjoyment Of all earthly bliss. The Russian
public must be informed that o similar indignation
and . similar desire stir the feelings OF every
honest man. II must be told that long
its lethargy it only participate in the funeral
rites OF persons in high places" 10 all appearances
the revolutionists bold. and determined TO pro-
coed in the conflict they have commenced. The
police has far been thwarted in its attempts to
discover either the murderers OF Prince Krapotkin
or Of General Mesontkon.