, 1881-07-31
HARTMANN.
Ills HORRIBLE I.EC1TAI..

| i
ist, furnishes the Herald with Il letter sever
columns in length, detailing the part lie took
| in the attempt to blow up the late Cars
| train ut Moscow. After giving his ;reasons
| for joining thei Nihilist society, he sets
forth the particulars of tie condemning
the Gar to death. and relates how the plans
! were laid for comprising the end in view
| from the purchasing nf the house from the
cellar Of which the tunnel was dug, to the
| day when the train was fired. lie says
After having determined the shortest line to
the railway.
WE BEGAN OUR WORK.
We used large steel knives for the tunneling-
work, and spades for throwing the earth out
Of the gallery into the vertical pit or cellar.
The only other Instruments we used were a
water-level, two yard measures, and several
blind lanterns. In the gallery there was
room for but one man at time who was
OBLIGED TO SIT In A CKouCHING POSITION,
his feet bent under him. When he had dug
out a sufficient quantity of eartll lie
threw it out with a spade into the
vertical pitt where another of our
men filed it into iron pals,
and third carried these out and emptied
them into dark closet, situated at the back
Of the house. When the gallery was dug
out so far as to render the throw
ing out Of the earth with spades
impossible, light sheet of iron
with its sides bent so rs to form fiat box
and with rope attached to it and wound
its other end around 4 windlass, was used to
draw the earth out Of the gallery. D.
" SOPHIE pEnovosKY
bore her part of the work, which was ex-
hausting in the extreme, with extraordinary
and calm heroism. She had to be at work
constantly, from O'clock in the morning till
midnight. She had to cook the meals three
times a day for the four men working
at the mine, to sweep and clean the rooms in
the upper story, to be always on the lookout
for visitors, to entertain them in the dining
room, and to warn US by means of bell COLL
municating with the cellar, of every possible
danger. This was her ordinary work, but
when
PRISE
began, she insisted on taking Part in the act
ual work, like all Of US. She sat in the mine
digging, worked at the windlass, besides at
tending to all her ordinary duties, and
kept her spirits up in a man.
her that cheered and encouraged all Of lis.
And now the 18th of November, old style,
the day before the explosion has come, To-
morrow, tomorrow, an event shall happen
whic. shall perhaps be the first step
toward freeing our unhappy Russia
from barbarous despotisn. Tomorrow
the destiny of Russia and our own
is to be decided. The latter circumstance Is
certainly but Of secondary importance. Yet
we all wish to take leave Of each other.
Perhaps we must now see each other for the
last time Perhaps our next meeting
MAY BE ON THE scAFFoLD.
Therefore, let us celebrate the termination Of
our work and say good-by to each other
cheerfully,-with bottle of wine
one of us suggests. The proposition
is accepted. The night has come.
all is still around. The windows of our
house are closed, and covered by thick
draperies, leaving no chink through which q
treacherous ray of light might creep.
AROUND THE D1S1SG-TABLE
eight persons are seated,-seyen men and a
young woman, Sophie Perovsky. Two
Of the Administrative Council OIL
their way from the South to the Capital, are
our guests for tonight. III the middle Of
the table eight daggers are stuck crossNise
into the boards. Eight revolvers lie under
meath. By the side of this pile
a Lu1uD FLAME,
alcohol with salt, burns, casting ghastly,
light on all the pale, elnaciated
figures sitting around the table. The effect
Of this flame may truly be called horrible. It
gives TO the face livid hue, as that Of a
CORPSE We had all naturally
SUFFERED MUCH EY OUR MINING WORK.
Our faces were deeply furrowed with
wrinkles The slecpless nights, the con-
slant anxiety and suspense, had left their
marks on us. And now, in that chastity
light, the table seemed to be
not by living men,
but by corpses, who had arisen
from the grave for midnight festival The
instruments Of death before us, the deathly
hue Of our faces, all this spoke Of the grave.
Only the eyes cleaned and glittered with a
greenish light, perhaps more ghastly to look
1t than the ilnmoyab1e, corpse-like paleness
If the faces.
AT THE CLOSE OF QUE SHORT BANQUET
we separated. All but two of us left Nos |
,ow that very night. The morning Of the |
syeltfu1 day tiawned. The two who were to
accomplish the explosion were alone in
he house. They were Sophie Perovsky |
md another. The former had to observe |
he approach of the imperial train, and to
give the signal for closing the chain. The |
after was posted IN the barn near the conf
nutator, and had to close the galvanic
hain on hearing the signal. Who was
hat other one The Russian Govern
nent doesn't know who he was, and
do not consider it expedient to dispel its |
ignorance. Moreover, / fully expect to re-