The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1880-04-14

The alleged Nihilist's Alleged Description

of the Attack on Alexander.
London Standard, March 1871
The Central News is responsible for the
following narratives:
1t will be recollected that after the release
OF Hartmann by the French authorities he
came to this country. We have to-day re-
ceIved from Hartmann the following anthem
tic version of his attempt to take the cars
life by blowing up the train in which the
emperor was travelling to Moscow. He seems
to be q medium-sizsd man of the better
working class His manner is somewhat
reserved. He has devoted bis life TO the
Russian revolutionary or Nihilist cause, and
had prior to the Moscow affair been con-
cerned in many of the desperate deeds
directed by his party. He was once arrested
and thrown into the prison at Kieff. but the
revolutionists held his services to their cause
ID be Of such value that an extraordinary
plan to accomplish his elease was concocted.
Russian officer went one morning, accom-
panied by eight Nihilists dressed as soldiers,
TO the prison where Hartmann was confined,
and, producing official document, told
the director, Wladesti, that by General Tod
lebon's orders the prisoner was to be sur
rendered to him. The plan succeeded, and
in q few minutes after emerging from the
prison Hartmann and the Russian officer
(who is now self-exiled) were driving toward
the frontier. Hartmann's account of the
Moscow attempted regicide is as follows
"Of course my real name is neither Hart
mann nor Mayer. 1 have used many aliases
while carrying out our plans. My true
name, however, is by no means unknown to
Russian officials and members of the Third
Section, and ever to Loris Melikof. After
conducting propaganda in different parts
of Russia last summer. which led to my ar
rest and escape from Kieff Prison, 1 was de-
tailed to carry out the cars execution. /
have a practical knowledge OF military
operations and the force of explosions, and
| suppose it was on that account /
was selected to conduct the attempt.
Going to Moscow. hired a small house
few miles outside the city and situated
within some 40 yards of the main line of
railway. The house was in a wretched con-
dition. l was dressed as a laborer, kept
quiet and went about for some time as il
attending to my place. After l had satisfied
myself that all suspicion was sverted, set
TO work, aided by two companions, one OF
whom has long been my colleague. The
nearest house was barely visible, and in the
evening while two stood on the watch, the
third undertook TO dig little trench with
spade in the frozen ground. The trench was
dug but spade deep and wide, or five inches
by five inches. 1t ran from the railway to
the small clubhouse attached to NV dwelling
The ground was very hard, and as we had to
proceed cautiously the digging occupied
several days. In the trench as we proceeded
with il four insulated wires were LAID, and
every night as we finished our work we
filed the trench that had been cut,
carefully removing all traces OF ex.
cavation. The trench was dug along
furrow in the open field. The dynamite
we made ourselves in the house, and put il
into four strong iron TASKS. each of which
held little over an English pound. When
everything was nearly completed, our plan
all but fell through. owing to the failure OF
the Moscow electrician, whose suspicion was
aroused to deliver the batteries to fire the
mine. This occurred the day before the ex-
posion. My comrades and myself almost
despaired, when but few hours before we
had congratulated ourselves on the compile.
ton of our task. The TASKS containing the
dynamite had been safely wrapped up and
laid in deep hole dug between the metals
and beneath one of the wooden sleepers. Ny
resolve was soon taken. l sent my comrades
away to a friendly peasant, some 20 miles
Off, In the South, and set out myself TO
secure the batteries. With some little
difficulty persuaded the electrician to IN
trust them to me, and l at once returned
and passed the night alone in the solitary
house on the steppe. The wires l soon con-
nected, and all was in readiness for the
coming train. The car, had been warned
to expect, would travel by the goods train,
so you see / at least did not stupidity
blunder about the tram. My explana-
ton is simple enough. We were kept
thoroughly informed by official friends of
the cars movements. We received warn
ing that pursuing his usual custom he would
leave the official train, in which a figure
representing the czar would be seated at a
window of the saloon carriage, while the
car himself, expecting thus TO escape all
danger. travelled disguised as a railway serv
ant A telegram told me all was right and
the car was coming. and as the train passed
| fired the mine, hoping to see the emperor
blown to the winds. The wreck of the train
was blown away from the house, but to my
chagrin soon learned that the czar, think
ing himself safe from danger, had changed
trains few miles off, so as to enter Moscow
in state. / at once set off In sleigh and re-
joined my friends. We remained quietly
within 20 miles of the scene for one week,
and then travelled to Kherson, going thence
TO friends at Odessa. Here we all shipped
for Turkey on board the Italian steamer
Florentina, | being in fact employed as an
engineer. From Constanunople we took
passage TO France by way of the Lsvant
my friends. When walking in the
Champs Flysees, February IA, with three
friends, the mouchar6s who had been fol-
lowing us came up. Three of them seized
me and was arrested. My companions
succeeded in knocking their captors down
anu escaping, anu was thkeu tO maLtS my
friends went to NJ. Clemenceau, who advised
them to employ Englehardt, municipal
counsellor, which they did, and eventually
was conducted by mouchard to Calais
and put on board the steamer for Dover.
Although expelled from France, no official
paper was issued. NV friends waited in q
wine shop In the Avenue Vincennes for my
release, and without making themselves
known accompanied me to London" In
response to several questions Hartmann said
he espoused the NihIlist causa because no
means but force could avail to secure some
degree OF freedom for the toiling Russian
millions against whom brute force was used
by cruel selfish car and his myrmidons
that they might revel in the fruits of their
labor. He held his life light If he could
further the proletarians' cause. For him
self, he despaired of being of further use to
his party in Europe, and he meant TO emil