Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1879-06-20
ALEXANDER sOLOyIEFF.

ALEXANDER SOLOllEFF.
The Career OF the YOung NihiIist who At
tempted TO AssassInate the CEar-His
Execution.
Alexander Solovieff, who attempted
the assassinat'o on ofthe Emperor of Russia
on the 18th of last April, and was con-
victed before the Supreme Tribunal at
st. Petersburg of belonging to an associa-
ton for the overthrow of the State, was
hanged at ten O'Clock in the morning, on
the Smolenski field. Fully eight thou
sanrs persons were present. A force of
military was called out to preserve order,
but there was no demonstration. The
troops formed in a square around the
seatiold. Solovieff met his death with
tlrmness and composure. He refused
the priests entreaty to kiss the cross.
Alexander Solovieff was twenty-three
years of age. He was the son of ply
stefan, received his primary education in
a gymnasium in the capital, and entered
the st. Petersburg University in 1870.
AT that time Russian students had come
to attend more to politics and schemes of
revolution than to academieal lectures,
and Solovief quilted the university in
the second year of his course. He be-
came a village school teacher in the pro-
vince of Pscoff, in order the better to
propagate the sentiments of the Nihilists,
whose party he had Joined. But the
police soon discovered his revolutionary
connections. and he lost his position.
After that he busted himself wherever
his services were demanded. On April
18th, in st. Petersburg, he attempted to
assassinate the Emperor Alexander while
the latter was walking in the gardens
not four hundred feet from the winter
palace. Just before the attack he swal-
lowed a large dose of cyanide of potas-
SUM, and persons who were spectators
noticed thatsas SSolovieff fired upon the
emperor he was affected by the poison.
He fired four shots, none of which reach
ed their object. At the first shot the
emperor turned and fed. Several sol
diers ran to Solovieff, and one of these
struck the would-be assassin on the neck
with his saber and brought him to the
ground, where he lay senseless and foam
ing at the mouth. In this condition
Solovieff was carried to the house of the
chief of police, whittier skillful physi.
clans were summoned, who gave him
antidotes and saved him from death.
When he had recovered he was told that
his attempt to poison himself would have
been successful had it not been that he
had carried the poison so long about his
person before taking it that 1T had lost
its virtue. Tie exclaimed: :" am sorry !;
| did not suspect that" and of one of
the physicians he piteously inquired !:
Why did you try to save mep"
SoloVietf was incarcerated in Fort
Petropavlovsky, and was not removed
From &c ,N,.sdN G., 49,, ,,,.A1 he
was led out to execution. His sentence
was. long since determined on, and he
was kept only in the hope that he might
discover his accomplices. He was tried
withoutjury and was not allowed coun-
sci. He was sentenced to be hanged.
The sentence was executed in the same
field where thirteen years ago was hang
ed Karakozoff, for a similar offence. In
Russia, as in France. although executions
are public, no notice is given of the day
on which they are to take place. The
prisoner is led out in the early morning
regiments march with him to the field
of execution, which is about four miles
removed from the city, He makes the
journey in cart, which is painted black,
and(he is also dressed in black through
out, and chained hand and foot. A priest
sits by his side in the cart. Mounted
soldiers surround the cart, ard at the
scaffold soldiers form in a square about
the prisoner, so that the people are kept
halt a mile away, and may not hear him
when he speaks. These precautions are
especially observed at this time in order
to guard against an uprising. There are
always double as many soldiers as peo-
pie at an execution, and no chance occurs
for a demonstration. IF the condemned
man is privileged, as was Solovieff on
account of his educational grade, on the
scaffold a sword is broken in two pieces
over his head. After that sentence is
read, the priest addresses the prisoner
and he may speak. At nearly all of the
political executions recently some dem
onstrations have been made. Women
have thrown flowers toward the. prison.
ers in many instances Soldiers and the
police patrol the city throughout the day
to prevent disturbance. 10 D. a4f
Solovieff revealed nothing. Kara
kozof while a prisoner was kept for days
without sleep in the hope that, as he be
came stupefied, he would speak and be
tray his accomplices. He was treated
with the utmost severity, not to SAY
cruelty. What measures were taker
withiSolovie.,' is not known.