Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-04-10
HARTMANN'S sENsATIONA1 srORY.
The Alleged Nihili>t'S Alleged De-
scfiPtiOm Of the Attack on Alex.
aMdeFs

The Alleged Nihili>rs Alleged De-
amder.
London Standard. March 1914
The Central Ne,cs is responsible for the follow
1t will be recollected that after the release of
Hartmann by the French authorities he came
to this country. We have to-day received from
his attempt to take the Cars life by blowing
up the train In which the Emperor was travel
Ing to MOSCOW. He seems to be a medium
manner is somewhat reserved He has devoted
his life to the Russian revolutionary or
Nihilist cause and had prior to the Moscow
deeds directed by his party. He was once ar
rested and thrown into the prison at Kieff. brlt
the reyolutionists held his services TO their
cause to be of such value that an extraordinary
plan to accomplish his release was concocted.
A Russian officer went one morning accom-
panied by eight NihilistS dressed as soldiers. to
the prison where Hartmann was confined,
and. producing an official document, told
the director, Wladestf. that by Gen. Todleben's
orders the prisoner was to be surrendered to
him. The plan succeeded and In few minutes
AFTER emerging from the prison Hartmann and
the Russian officer twho is now self-exiled) were
driving towards the frontier Hartmann's ac-
count OF the Moscow attempted regicide Is as
Hartmann nor Mayer. have used many aliases
while carrying out our plans. Ny true name,
however, Is by no means unknown to high Rus
and even to Loris Melikoff. After conducting a
propaganda in different parts of Russia last
summer which led to my arrest and escape
the Cars execution. have a practical know
ledge OF military operations and the force
explosions, and suppose it was on that accoun
to Moscow, hired a small house few miles
outside the city and situated within some
forty yards Of the main line Of railway
The house was In a wretched condition. /
Iah0rpT mix
went about for some time as IL attending to INV
place. After had satisfied myself that all slls-
plclon was averted, set to work, aided by two
colleague. The nearest house was barely visi-
Bile, and In the evening while two stood on the
watch, me third undertook to dig. little trench
WIN SPADE In the frozen ground. The trench
was Dug out spade deep and wide, or five inches
oy nye inches. 1t raa from the railway to the
small clubhouse attached to my dwelling. The
ground was very hard, and as we had to pro-
ceed cautiously the digging occupied several
days. In the trench as we proceeded with it
four insulated wires were laid and every night
That had been cut, carefully removing all traces
OF excavation. The trench was dug along a
1urrOW in the open field. The dynamite we
made ourselves In the house, and put 1t 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 bat,
teries to fire the mine This occurred the day be-
fore the explosion. My comrades and myself
almost despaired, when but few hours before
we mad congratulated ourselves on the compile
ZION OF our task. The TASKS containing the dy-
Mantle had been safely wrapped up and LAID In
a deep hole dug between the metals and beneath
one of the wooden sleepers My resolve was
soon taken. / 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 1ttle dliilculty persuaded the electrician
TO tItrust them to me- and l at once returned
and passed the night alone in the solitary house
on the Steppe. The wires ! soon connected and
all was in readiness for the coming train. The
Gar l had been warned to expect. would travel
by the goods train, so you see at least did not
stupidity blunder about the train. My explana-
tlon Is simple enough we were kept thoroughly
by official friends OF the Cars move
ments. We received warning that pursuing his
usual custom he would leave the Official train,
10 winch inquire representing the Gar would
be seated at window of the saloon Carriage.
While the Car himself, expecting thus to
escape all danger travelled disguised as rail-
way servant. A telegram told me all was right
and the Car was coming, and as the train
passed fired the mine. hoping to see the EN-
peror blown to the winds. The wreck of the
traln was blown away from the house, but to
my chagrln soon learned that the Gar, think
ing himself safe. from danger, had changed
Trains a few miles Off, so as to enter Moscow Ia
state. at once set Off In sleigh and reloined
my friends We remained quietly within twenty
miles or the scene for one week, and then tray-
eled TO kherson, going thence to friends at Cd
eSsa. Here we all shipped for Turkey en- board
I ne itailan steamer Florentfna, being In fact
employed as an engineer. From COnstantinopIe
we took passage to France by way OF the L.
want ON arriving in Paris went about with
my friends When walking in the Champs Ely
sees, February "a, with three friends, the n,oa-
cho1'dS who had been following us came up.
Three OF them seized me and was arrested.
NY companions succeeded In knocking their
captors down and escaping, and was taken to
MaZaS- My friends went to NJ. Clemanceau.
who advised them to employ Englehart, mum,
cipal counsellor, which they did, and eventually
l was conducted by a ntOuch1rd to Calais and
put on board the steamer for Dover. Although
expelled from France, no official paper was
issued. My friends waited in wine shOp I'm
the Avenue vincennes for my release, and With
out making themselves known accompanied me
10 London" In response to several questions
Hartmann said he espoused the Nihilist cause
because no means but force could avail to
secure some degree Of freedom for the toiling
Russian millions against whom brute force was
USED py cruel, selfish Gar and his myrmidOns
that they might revel In the fruits OF their
labor. He held his life light If he could further
me proletarlans' cause. For himself, he de-
SPARED Of being OF further use to his party in
Europe, and he meant to emtgrate to America