New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-12-12
manner rs he glanced over his papers and prepared
himself for great effort.
lIo spoke in substance az follows:

client we're to dispitc the poiuis ably brought
forward by the prosecution inc inr, ma , p' ~,
mc,lltatcd and deliberate attempt ms pr"h no 10
ass issiaa!c high fuctinnary Of tie fAnlite ~ VI
diSputallc. All cndeavoIs on my part 10 icsN Wv
gravity q the deed itSeH Woniu De "m :;
b.. there are cirt umStanocS IN cnhh"cll'h wen "
that should command your attention. aud there
fore claim your Indulgence" even at me r1sA "t Ne
inc charged with irroleVancy- To stat" t' following
narrative Of facts which bear IN manner upon
Vera SassuIitch the prisoner before YOU was born
and brought up in the town of kharbov. Her
father a brave army captain whose breast was
decorated with the Cross of st. George shed ms
h0O fer C6aT and country IA the brClling deserts ~
Tnikcstau. behind the freeing rampa;tH oi SehaS
topol. aud among the rugged mountains OF Uir-
caS>,a When The prisoner was eighteen yeals ~
age her father died, leaving Wife ana enid alone
to battle with life. You may imagine hcr POSITION
when tell You that until then the family had been
maintained the fathers pension, and that win
his life this allowance ceased. With all the aror
! OF a warm and generous nature, Vera now DEVOTED
herself to the care and ,upPof. ol hcr dcafy oNeu
OF early wo,nanhOod To face the VlclsSl udeS ana
| druigcry of a life of toll Many were the hu'niia-
lions She had to cndure-hunnilaiionss uch ~ ony
| those experience who are srddenly thrown upon q
cold world for support But 4e did liot d'spall
| Couragconsly she I,'ioubled her exeitions hifef
| every failure. until comparative success crowned
| her efforts She obtained few pupils in mathc-
| matics which enabled her with the most ngid
econOm; to provide the necessities of lie for her
aged mother and herself. Mother and daughter
| lived in n miserable attic where the Wind swept
| through the crevices in the walls ana me ram
|
their existence however only brought them closer
| together and strengthened tho bonds OF love ana
confidence which united them. H. .;.4,r ot
| Among Neras few friends was the SISTER Oh
Nctclaief the notorious leader OF a revolutionary
society. who for TIC safety ot ms organization as
| saSsna.ed suspciouslv lax member alH amer
| s.rr.tiup the corpse III we'll sought SAFETY III
! flight 10 Switzerland. When MS papers were SUI
! sequcutly examined, let'er Mfit'ch nv , era
| l'0on this fraii evidence of her athhaton to
| Nctcha.cas oTganlzatiOn she was one cNehlh"'
.aken fran her mothers side. aud dragged - cen
in the kharkOV prison. Picture to youfSell eS ern-
| ilcncn. this unfortunate creatures c"hti'Iti''
| Maddencd by tho knowledge that htr lee'lo
! mother was now without any means VI Su'IiNt''.'
and without friends 20 ptOVldc !o0d or iuci 4o h'f
Size endured the horrible solitude OF her inlinlseh-
| ,oclt-nnw walking frantic to ana no, WearAin
Heaven ,yith her ulaNcrs. now wing IN at cot mis-
cry upon the stone pavement bailcd III Dl'tef Wafs.
| Three weeks after her arrest she was taken ont
| ot her cell and given i'll charge of tWo functicn-
aries 10 be Transports TO another PRISON, J"J ihlie5
! distant Sh. begged pltcousJN TO see h'I i9"thcI
! once bnt she appealed to hearts OF stone ana th'l
! NIGHT. with only thin mantle I" ,plo'tot H'r
AGAINST the wintry blast, she was taNih 20 ME-,
more dead than alive. separated tnuS rom we .io
| outside world, from her mother ana ron inc
scenes of her childhood, at a time Whoh caithly
/ lows and pleasures are most ielt ana apprcclafu'
when the beauty oi nature has It's luiiet i'StIha-
,on when liz. charm ul existence Is at ~ height;
! and when the bud Of WolnAhly love ilaI o@Eiis 30
| blossom and 10 mature mo affections '4I4t '''i 20
Ill.,. Lnrlcr Of the grave, this poor young pcat ne
! ,,a4 CONSIGNED to the 'horrlh'e monoiohN oi puh-
.non cell there 10 aneui.h without sympathy
! without con ISOLATION. without hope!
! For thr,. long weary years vera renamed III
nrsru Seeing one, save no" and then some
poor wretch whose existence ""s hu, I,a'.' '
! of her own she sought To forget her sorrows D4
so(trlinr the erciS Oi others; and III HSlihg com,
Tort into the broken hear;s.aroun her her o" SOU
rou,d rn~t. while thus engaged poor colf .ct re-
| l,t.d n her IN incident ne had Witnessed dullNg
his prison lite lie hal been inc"rceratcd lGr par
| .;,;,of,on IN The street troubles near the kasan
/ Cuur. IA I'D 1t. Petersburg at tho conmenrenNl' OF
| the year 1871. On this occasion lew lo,liidf,N
! stuGentS. who il viii be remembered, DISPLAYED
revolutionary ilaG. were arrested ana bl'I0H' 10
the City Ja The P9llc'ma,ter General Wn liel"1Ii
Vera was told visited the place W men ne p'nciu
the prisoners he fIGWned 4ary iiI , nS (% ,Ec
! grew harsh. for he Iongcd - crush lHeih 10 me
| c,rrb Ont Of Difference 10 his rank. they ail m
covered their heads with the exception OF in"Gi-
I cal student named D0eoiionboh. lItpoH HtlIeI te
onportuuity to vent AL his pent-Gp rage, ana ap-
! uroacbing the yoHng man, hc uIut"l.y hdo..td ms
! cap 20 tic ground Iogohohp0i oiooi rushed /"
hi face With Indignation 40 the dliont. ana ia cut
| tug words lac rebukea tho Foilcem"s.p before
! ncar!r all the lail officials.
/ =. A;ynv with that dog was IrcpoIS reply.
! d. AVN with INN to cell ard keep INN an bread
I aud water" The order was Immediately oofNcd.
and the .tnlout NAs uIa7-cG 10 ah HLdeiAiou'H
H.t tie worst was sin 10 come. Furious at Lis
! mpr.tci rebuff the Io.ltCa".itf ot!ric" LOO
! TonuoIT 10 lee secretly lasA,d with tho hnout pas
'orors and ILLEGAL ,ruuShmtu was promptly In-
fic-,d upnn the unhappy Young man. "illlii h'tr-
/ inc Of many of the prisoners IN tine i"L lc"
/ biooI curilcd when they s"W tic pr'para IONS
made for the execution OF tho ,ioncenaatol COM
ranls and when tie efoaus o. sho ma. 'Ei"n man
1.t4t a. q
| Li,,e nj The lash us ( cut deep into tire victim $
/ le-h were not the weak Whi1r trllr-s OF ~
/ ioui,nity-they wsrc the GConzet protest OF
| hnIuon being whose dignity IS man was beng
! grossly outraged ana Nioiatcn' .- VT,
/ sThiS story gentlemen, sunk deep into Neia's
! hort While alone ia her cell, tIe gIoauS OF rae
nnhat,,. man rang i'm her ears and his blood, mcr-
r;.sSiy spilled. appeared to hcf llolpI liihd 10 C4A
aloud :or yengeahcc. continue nt,@"o'n3 "t las,
horn a 4 ran 20 and terrible purpose-not 20 revenge
inc decd bun 10 expose 1t to the whole country
in all its hideOus detail and thus forever 20 prevent
its recurrence. Sleeping or waking, Inc ldca never
forsook her. but gathered strength hourly uniIl IL
became the one 0bicct 9i heI empty oNIs,enee;
For This She waited f0r release. when hope seemed
,rnst futile; for this she lived, when l!ic grew IN
toleruIlc; for this she was willing to die, If By
death she could accomplish It.
Two months after her resolution was formed
she was liberated ny the intervention OF charit-
allie magistrate. who remembered her commit al
and discovered that nothing was proved against
her She Was free free, :Pchtl,iiheh, 10 ufeatHe
line bany breeze in the sunlight OF heaven; Tree 10
60 whittier she listed but rot iTee rom me tEt-
Tihle vow she had made before GOD between the
four stone walls of her prison. Her ffst thought
was for her mother. and ,sne returned to kharkov
| Rut here renewed sorrow awaited her Her
| mother was dead, and had died IN an aimshonse.
| Now indeed her way lay clear before her, Two
Months aro she came to st. Petersburg, and-buJ
Iip"tn9 t - bnr sforv u told gentlemen II is Tor
! Won to decide whether woman VINO has mus sac,
rifced herself for principle 0, Iight an'i
! hnmanitv a principle tOstcred by long years ot
Crnel captivity. is dcscrI ing OF n miserable exist
| cnce At the bottom OF "a Siberian nine!
! III. VERDICT OF ACQCITTAL.
For fully a moment after tho lawyer had finished
sn,a,iDp a dead silence prevailed, interrupted only
by the suppressed sobbing of women. Gray-haired
mrn tnrtively wiped the tears from their wrinkled
checks; in the whole Courtroom there was scarcely
dry eve. Even the Judge, Injured rs he was to
scenes OF this description, had lost himself in Alex
androh1s burning words and only by visible
effort did he command his voice IN few words
! lie summed up the case and addressing the Jury
demanded whether they wished to retire for con
sideratioh OF the verdict. After ahhcrt conSnIta-
tion the foreman arose. and looking with slightly
fus,e.l countrnance at the Judge, replied
3" We have already found verdict"
DTnenr said the Judge. will you look on thc