, 1880-12-18
VERA SASSUL1TCII.
Justice in Russfa-An Interesting
Chapter Of Muskovite E,
History. =: !,
Pen-Picturcs of the 'FRONT.'
ncnt Characteristic the
Court. -
A Specimen OF StaYonic Eloqucncc-Trl.
uuirhant Acqutttal Of tho
Prisoner,
Nt,t 1frt Trft,t,nt.

EurAted by 1}nkmin during the reign 0f tho
Czar Nfcl,olns, atld has brought Russia to
tho verge Of q revolution, has received no
more powerful nn impetus tl,aM Trom tho
Vera Sassullteh mltrttur trial nj tho cont
nlcltce1nul,t Ut thu year 1s1s. Owing IN the
lsusso-Turkisf war, tflcn III full progress,
this Important case passed by cO1nparattvely
linn0ticetl In the rest of Europe. Uutnm0tlg
all classes In tile Czor's Emp1ru its influence
WIS inuneasuruhle, 1,y disclosing ihe rot
fe,l'less nnl corruption Of Kussinn off!cinls 1t
fHnhWt il!c stnllIcrlng etl1ers Of popular
dtsconlent tnto flame which MI the Efforts
Of autocrucy f!ayH been unable to cxtIngutsll.
III tic first days of February. l57s, tho
Grndonacha1nick, or Chief OF Police, Of st.
Petersburg, l,leutcnant-Icneral Feudor Feo-
d0rowitch Trcnoff, was shot md severely
wounded I'll his pr1vutc study by IL young
country girl named Vera Snssulitcl. This
w0nhl-b0 ass,lsin wns Immediately arrested
md confined III the citadel OF st. Petersburg.
Size refused 10 confess the motive Of her
crime to tho Instructtng magistrate, ami 1t
WIS then concluded that slu must b. tic it,
strumcnt Ut n secret Niltii1st organization.
This theory prevailed In official circles until
tic dny Of hcr trtnl III tie following
month. On Tint dny, from TIC early morn,
black clouds hung heavy OIL tho lIosizuti.
threatening tho city with n more terrific
snow-storn than had visited 1t since the h.
ginning 0f tile winter. But iad II tornado
swept over the Capital OF the Czar's Empire,
II Is safe to say TINT It would not buye etl,nned
by even ol,c imam the vast throngsof noisy
and excited citizens who blocked up nil the
streets uid nyenues leutllng TO tho Court
atnss 3n te iteintayn p,rnspeet Shori'y
lnuts Fortress III u coach. escorted BY 4
hncl; glazed helmets. 1Ialf MI hour litter
the Court openc.l; 1t was packed to snf!oca-
ways Of thu building, the guards oil duty
having found II impossible to resist the nd
vnI,cinE tl,rD.lE,s Of eager 'neil anu women.
PROMINENT rEIssoSAnEs 1S COURT
The clock ut tho further end of the hull had
llhrdIy struck l0 when II tnil tlsMtl, wearing
embroidery, entered aud se.stetl l!flnsrlf 4. =
tahle u' Il slight y eleyntcti platform. This
wHs SeMator kuni, tho President OF tlle Court
Of ASsizes. Closely, ut hfs ',ecls followed tho
Inl,ic Prosecutor, IN black lroek cunt md
CLERKS, tlo stellograpIsers. and other Court
directly below tic Judges bgncl!. The Jury
hox WIS a few feet TO the LIFT. uiiil on
rnnjs was Stato Counselor. Nothing
scell.ed MiOrc evident tliali that these pcaplU
Ind beum "p!ckul" for n conviction. The
G,ehss ;hu ist II the dg rsalIxe H. IT. n!d I'D
est dg,tiLaries of tlle Empire were present.,
Srs'!: TAs 'ss iapyriai Jha'ecisr, ys'ts u rrles e
M1claSl Gorsskoil, rSillns III ayKe
from tho rest. liz bcArs,n strong fnclai re-
senlblaueo 70 tho luto Ii. ,,rlllcrs is.uI it ins
been said Of hl,n lint te trlrs u l,lltaic tho
na!Iler anu i%eG!iali}tss of tllc, great Frelc'!
llgil intellectual fofuhead. Two small peli-
ottat'lE gray eyes, sparkle through q
pnIr 1f gYlt-rim,,'su spectacles. Around
ms thin but well-forlnea lips 4 sur
fnsIs nve s'G & to Il skeps. sF3 81 is 5aesS ssynS
tl.o Prince wns dressed III his customary suit
Of black, n lurgc star glliicrlns on Ills breast.
!iis wllnte attention seemed to ,bo given to
tl!b clise. ntld t'lat Ito word should escape lin
tho entire trlni. Next to tho Chancellor sat
tho Grfllt! Dukes Coustnntl,se anl Alexni, tho
former brother MID thy hitter SON OF tho
Gzar. I Tho Graud Duke Constantine, ns
!lntiress uniform of lis rank. In al,,wara,ice nee
l!n CONVEYS Il FAR lhore CORRECT llea Ut iii Eli
E!isl gentleman tarIMcs thMli OF Il Russian
!l1sli Admiral. l'ls faeg ls round al.l full Of
eo!ns, ltis eyes soft l llcay1'g. a.nl sls mus
hN<tH y 7tthts AA&o IENhA]Eo AlU
lnuctl like those Of the Cur, anti nrD nftel
covered with q shade nf lnclHnclIoly,-a
,iarkGd cllAracterlstle OF tho 1lU,lIanotT fnlnl-
y. prlncu Atexel. with wl!en l,u ruinai.Icd
~ conyersntlo'i for T. long tine, even after
tho procee!lings had begun, .wns lnore en-
!Sr0ssed III tug cultivation q. llts llnstachu
tlaaI ~ hllyt!l'hs t!iat w1!s aat Or s!ol!e. 10
,"n1 "n2 'u ~, ~ H., " .,! 81 lo IT,
tvn In,u.rn, ~ ,mrsn,nrs su sai oora,,I ,t, ~
tro a,, n,' H. auf"s ,,,, . n"s sGss % ts'
ter,, tern @ w. tt,s N;sta ~! k atuk uuh !Ie Ken
t,,r !i, nam ny 1i 1,rIns tiiitiMo N r ~ ntty.looK
iuE Wsr 1 n'" lt.,Go ;.t tMt,"n, ta9 il!ster OF
,,r,'a " ~ s",s%ia ;ni HILL. uo Sioy.
vur,, v, ~. ,fa.rt.i,Is 1, 1s 1ese, na IN
" sTt{ utsyto,s'S 1;i, ts,n postao, atn GepoFtGls
- 35,usf .J is.: Lio noeoM 'f1 mu tlG
ch,nS ,attr T., H. WV sIr,., auf ue
sn''i IL ,!,, nn ~ .t,,,,, a,tn,,, W,s ~
~, III '.I,,, - ~ eaE!
trial ~ T. ~ "amw ~ a e1ao"s at1eaalhs uo
tfiGt ss e,n911at'!a1aniant. 9a1att. - t., u M
rsi.3y,.t iy.HE ~ Il, pests iGw ,,, IN IGna'ncss. tno
i,, WIZ. 'u9 S1 s.eI pe!!. a 'noilells
n.,as ,1 fm ~, sss,, nveWpaeu ny ner
GolSea a n,, inM. EvltM1nles ,.1. laae ler n
!i1astIance: !1s Mna WalkeM Wltl nf1h s!eptpWnt!t
,ani p nw .htc Moous W. t [.a va' ameans to fost
netn 'tat t@oe. ntte MH1 "tiaMil " atpalelt-
y r. yeitas ~ r.. WY, VII! IL typ9 ot luce pe-
ind'a nnai " ILL., !stshu' !uulo etass. Het
lHIGK NIlg Mts UFHsIlel! ult:K, ntlu cHt cl1BH