Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1881-04-28
Msistsl!
The Nikilists

>,r>E> Al tuF ~kEr,itt~ or
TN c,N-rIRATuK>.
On lhur>da, Ky.akod A,kcd fog three
u4A tApyr,. such 4, AZ, carried 10 church, a
cop, Of the Ne~ Testament and one Of the
small ouu,ecra,cd loa,r. made and .o.d b,
TIA, monks. When no, pras,ng he smoked
c..arcJte, IL the course Of the daY he
offered his service, 10 the GOV rTnment a. a
,p,. Materially enough he met With 4 re-
f,l,al. for he bclouged ou!y To the outside
circle. and could b, uf little u,e Jrl.aboti
spent h.- Tine ia debating page after page
abo4, the trial, aud committing 10 paper
- hat be would not be allowed 10 utter IA
speech. Sophy reroVsky wrote to her moth
rr tu waste no time or trouble in as,uag-
l1.g the wrath Of her father for ~hai had
been done be would never forgive. X b.
a!tch!tch. the maker of the bombs and. in
>unlt respects, the most remark able figure
among the condemned, devoted his la;
hours To drawing up ! memoir on the sub
lect Of hi, Pacific di>coVrric> which he al
dressed 10 the high court uf justice. In the
document he ayoWcd hIs de.!re that hi>
name should be immor,alized. and he made
q gIft a. h.s invention. to the state, on tie
condition that a.. the profit should 70 to the
amcilOrAtion Of the lot of the children Of
political criminals The execution took
plac, al Q O'Clock on FRIDAY morning on
Simonof>ky Plain. the same spot Oh which
NoioGetskl Mas executed. The scaif1ld
was rough wooden structure. painted black
consisting of high platform. upon which
were three posts. each with a chain and
manacles, and one long horizontal beam
with irOn rings for ropes, supported by two
perpendicular posts. In front vas a low
platform for the officials The large plain
around was covered with snow and ice
which was melting in the warm sunshine.
By : O'Clock many thousand Of people had
collected around the plain and swarmed in
the various streets leading TO il. Ten thou
sand troops kept them back and formed two
squares around the gallows. First were
the Cossacks. with couched lances, and then
detachments of the guard. The infantry
we're massed in deep columns. leaving one
side of the inner square open for the pas
sage of the condemned prisoners and escort.
The coTtege entered the eastern side of the
plain few minutes before 8 O'Clock, having
passed through some Of the principal streets
on the way from the fortress. The con
demned criminals were seated in the centre
Of two wheeled platforms, tightly strapped
to iron rods, with their backs toward the
horses, and having on their breasts large
cards with the words ''IsaTeoubiest' (mur-
derer of the Czar) in black and white. Sur
rounding them was strong escort of Cos
sacks and infantry, with drums and ffes
PLAYING d lively tune. and preceded by
mounted gendarmes. The condemned per-
sons were dressed in black and wore a sort
of black hood, covering their heads and
shoulders. On the FIRST tumbril sat Ry
sokoff and Jeliaboff, both Of whose features
we're nearly concealed by heavy hoods.
Jeiaboff-s dark, piercing eyes seemed to
shine with even intensified brilliancy and de-
fance as he looked on the scene around
him. On the second tumbril were seated
Kibaltchitich, Sophy Peroysky and Michael
of, the woman occupying the middle seat.
OF these three the features of SOphy Per-
oysky were alone distinctly visible, her
extraordinarily high and broad forehead
being unshrouded by the hood. Her slightly
flushed face betokeBed great mental excite
ment. but there was no sign either of fear
or remorse Gen. Becanof, the executioner
and his four assistants were waiting under
the scaffold The condemned were unbound
and led up the steps. With the exception
of Rysokoff, who seemed very feeble, all
showed remark able frmness and resignation.
Sophy Perovsky appeared the calmest of all
the FIVE prisoners. They were then placed
in front of the three posts, with their heads
bare. the woman being in the middle. While
the clerk of the Senate read the sentences,
the civilians uncovered and the officers
saluted. During this formality, five priests
in purple caps mounted the scatfold and
presented the cross, which all the condemn
ed reyerently kissed. The prisoners we're
then allowed to kiss each other, and word
or two passed between them, but the beat
ing of the drums, which now began and
lasted until the execution was finished,
drowned every other sound. The prisoners
were then placed under the beam. Each
prisoners head was covered with white
hood, attached to kind Of sack. Each