Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1881-04-20
Execution OF the Assassins or
the Gear,

ST.. PETERSBURG, April 15.-All
the nihilists, except the woman
TTessy Hoffman, condemned to
death from connection with the
Cars assassination, namely, Rus
sakoff. Michailoff, Ribaltshitisch,
Jeliaboa and Sophie Pleo fsky,
rope broke twice. Order was not
disturbed. There was an immense
concourse of spectators. Hessy
Helfman, who is enciente, will not
be hanged until after her confine-
ment. The appeals for mercy Of
Russakof and Michailoff were sub
mitted to the Gar, but he replied
that the sentence Of the court must
be carried out. The condemned
men were escorted from the fortress
to the place Of execution BY cossacks
and infantry, with drums and tife''
Detachments of all the regiments OF
the guards stationed in st. Peters
burg surrounded the scaf0ld. All
tbe nrisoners received administra :
tons of the priests, and kissed the
cross and each other. They were
very firm, except Russakoff, who
tainted at the last moment. Many
thousand people passed the night
at the place OF execution in order
to obtain a good view. The execu-
toner was a reprieved convict. The
prisoners were conveyed from the
fortress in two carts, with their
backs toward the horses and their
hands tied to boards on their
breasts, bearing the word ''resicide"
in large letters. When the prlS-
oners mounted the scaffold the
head of each was covered with a
rack. They were then placed up
on stools, which were drawn away,
and they were lett to strangle.-
After hanging twenty minutes the
bodies were cut down and taken to
cemetery outside the city.
THE EXECUTED NlHILTSTs.
Andrsy Insanovitch Jeliaboff a
peasants son, studied law in the
Odessa University. In 1872 he
was expelled for the arrangement
OF an inimical demonstration
against one Of the professors. Then
he entered the ranks of the nihllists
among whom he was regarded as
one OF the leaders. Jeliaboff mar
ried the daughter Of a wealthy al
derman Of Odessa Twice he was
tried for political ofenses, but
managed to escape unpublished. In
October, 1879. in company with
his two comrades (ssnt to Siberia }
and Mile. Iakimoff mot found, he
went to Alexsndrovsk, where he
made a mine under the railroad, and
on October 80 tried to blow up the
imperial train. The mine, however
did not explode, on account Of the
bad quality of the conductors used.
Jeliabof was not seen again until
March IL, when he was arrested at
St. Petersburg, In his possession
was found large quantity OF
dynamite and other explosives.
The digging OF the mine under the
Malala Sadoyaia Che Little Garden
street, WAS conducted under his
supervision, which fact he readily
admitted, as we'll as the entire ar
rangement of the plot against the
Car. But he has undoubtedly to
divide the fame and responsibility
for that deed, with girl.
Mile, Sophie PleOasky was the
daughter OF state councillor, and a
granddaughter Of a former minister
Of the interior in the time of Car
Nicholas. She received the best
possible education. She WAS OF
small stature, modest in appearance
and neat in dress. Twice in her life
she waved her dainty handkerchief
tor the destruction OF the Czar. On
December l. 1879, dear Moscow,
train was blown up, having been
mistaken for the imperial one. That
was the work of Hartman and
Sophie Pleoasky, Whom the Mos
COW mine was ready Sophie was
sent to signal the approach OF the
supposed imperial train. She made
the sign and the train was blown
up. Sophie and hartman escaped.
Now it appears that it was Sophie
who, on March ID, made the sign
to Russakoff and his comrade to
throw the bombs that proved fatal