Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1881-04-27
IFrom Our REGULAR Corrsspondsnt1
1T. Petersburg Letter
ST. Petersburg, April 9th,

81. EeteTsDuIS' hPih SNh' 49,
The trial of Ryssakoff and his accom-
plices, charged with the murder of the late
czar, will have begun to day at half-past
eleven. The act of indictment is divided
into chapters or paragraphs. The hrst
gives an account of the facts connected
with the assassination, which are in &C
cordance with what was published on the
subject at the time. Paragraph two re-
lates the history of the conspiracy. and
proves that those involved in in were the
authors of the previous plots against the
late czar. Paragraph three deals with
the apartment in the Teleznaia Utica,
where the preparations were made. IL
relates the circumstances of Navrosskis
arrest and suicide, which have likewise
been published The police found bomb
shells, together with plans of the winter
palace. the Michael riding school, and the
neighboring streets, in Navrosski's apart
ment. Paragraph four gives particulars
of the antecedents of JessieHelfmann. Ae-
cording to Ryssakof, she used to live with
man calling himself Nikoajeff. who has
since absconded. This paragraph further
refers to Michailotf, who fired six shots on
the police The address of a confectioner
was found at the chambers of Michailoff
which led to a perqnisition and to the ar
rest of student named Orlof. Paragraph
five describes the mine discovered in the
Sadovaja street. Paragraph six states that
the persons under arrest had not only the
same object in view, but were i'll close
communication, whence it is concluded
that they were members of the same So
ciety. They met at the residence of Rys-
sakoff and of Jelnikoff. who threw the
second shell. A week prior to the assina-
ton Ryssakotf offered to do the deed, and
was at once taken to the head centre in the
Telmaia Four individuals volunteered
their services for the cars as sassination.
Sophy Perovska was the soul of the whole
plot. Experiments were made with the
explosive apparatus before it was used
Mdlle. Perovska undertook the delivery of
the two shells that served to kill the car,
together with the accompanying instruc-
tons. Different objects found at the homes
of the accused are then enumerated. Pat.
ngraph seven gives an account of Ryssa-
koffs confession, beginning with his con-
version to nihilism down to the prepare
tons for the assassination. If the mine in
the Sadovaa street had been used and had
failed, hand-shells were to have been after
wards employed, and men stationed for
the purpose along the different roads the
ear might have taken to reach the winter
palace. Ryssakoff declares that the reign
of terror is the sure,t means of preparing
revolution. The car S murder, he says,
was the only means of securing better con
ditions of existence for the socialists, and
Of improving the strained situation. The
socialist carries his rights at the mouth OF
his revolver He expected, As the result
of the cars assassination, first, the aboli-
| ton OF the reign OF terror secondly, the
free development of socialist propaganda
thirdly, the removal Of the causes for a
revolution among the peasantry, the con-
sequences of which are dread d by the
nihilists themselves; fourthly. the sup
preston of the enemies of socialism. Par
agraph eight treats of previous attempts
on the czars life, and of the share taken
in them by Schel, Jaboff, and others. Par
agraph nine concludes, from the revolu-
tionary proclamation issued after the
cars assassination, that there is close
connection between all the attempts made
on his life. The prisoners, who stand
charged with the assassination of the car
high treason, and belonging to a secret
society, are Andrew Zelj ,boff, Sophy Pc
rovska, Nicolas Ryssakof, Timothy Mi
chailof, Jessie sHelfmann, and Nicolas
KiraIcie. Sophy Perovska is also charged
with being implicated in the Hartmann
conspiracy at Moscow, and Mchailoff will
firing upon the police.