Middletown transcript., 1881-04-15

priests and plundered by the tax
gatherer.
It is not necessary that enter into
any of the plots of the Nihilists. The
supposition of conspiracy at length
led to the arrest of several hundred
persons in one week. A commission
was appointed at Moscow for the trial
of these men, and M. Zhikhareff was
placed at its head. The persons first
arrested were principally artisans and
peasants, and it was thought the work
ingmen's association for mutual aid
might have been instrumental in diffus-
ing revolutionary ideas among the
laboring classes. Many of these insti-
tutions were closed, but as investiga-
tion proceeded, evidence was found
which implicated many persons of
superior education and social position,
and among these a large proportion
were officials of the judicial and police
departments. So numerous were the
arrests in November of that year (1S74)
that the head of the commission sug-
gested that the accused should be tried
in patches. The preliminary examina-
tion was not ended till June, 1875, when
the Minister of Justice made a secret
report to the Gar on the affair, and the
Minister of Public instruction issued a
circular, announcing that thirty-seven
provinces were infected with Nihilism,
and directing that the teachers of
schools should warn scholars against so
dangerous and SubYersive system. The
publication of this circular created
great sensation, as the facts of the con-
spiracy had been officially denied by the
Government when they first oozed out,
and the newspapers had been forbidden
to give publicity to them.
The extension Of the Nihilist propa-
ganda to st. Petersburg was unknown
to the police when the Moscow COM
mission commenced its labOrs. Trough
a letter written at that time states that
Shortly after Gen. Potakoff succeeded
Count SchovalOff in the direction of
the secret police there was considerable
stir among the Nihilists of the capital,
which caused a gentleman here who is
acquainted with them to say that he
should not be surprised to hear of
strange events before long. Soon after,
we heard of the arrests in the South. .
No immediate arrests were made
though many houses We're searched by
the police. The letter states that
'EThere was strong disposition in the
capital to pooh-poOh the affair, some
expressing the opinion that the arrests
are due to the desire of Gen. PotakOff
to show how clean new broom can
sweep, and others that the secret police
got up the alleged conspiracy with a
view to the return to power of Count
- If the Nihilists had any
intentions i'll mind they
were prevented by the number Of |
arrests, but the propaganda went on as
before. Arrangements made for |
printing a journal in London, the |
Tpered and its secret introduction and |
in Russia. The Nihilists of |
st. Petersburg worked with increasing .
Two students of the Uni
Versity, youth of twenty-both sons of
priests made themselves acquainted I
under assumed names, with several of |
,he workmen engaged in a factory and
hey frequently visited them at their
odgings where they read and comment
ID on the story of the four brothers. In
he same way they introduced the
books into the barracks of the Moscow
regiment of the Imperial guards, and
among the bandSmen. A
was employed at the same time
circulating books among the in
labitants of the villages near the CAPT
al. Unfortunately for the prOpagan-
lists some among their hearers were in
he pay of the secret police and COM
nunicated to the authorities what was
,oing on. The students were arrested,
;ogether with two others, the two
who had assisted in circulating
he books among the workmen, and two
)rivates of the Moscow regiment +; all
charged with circulating seditious pub
ications and melting the subjects of
he Gar to rebellion. The students
we're examined by separate inquiry.
No documents were found in the pos
session of the accused which would in
licate affiliation with the Nihilists, but
copies of books which have been NEIL
ioned were seized by the police, also a
Nihilist song book and an article of a
tendency from the Vpered,
IN the distress prevailing in the neigh
JoThood of Samara | need not enter
nto the particulars of the trials of
hese men. Suffice it to say they were
III convicted, deprived of their rights
md sent-most of them, at least-into
Siberia.
This was the beginning Of series of
rials which have lasted for several
ears, and during that time the sub
ects of the Gar have been sent into
,xile by the hundred, but very few ex-
.cutions have taken place. After the
Winter Palace had been blown up, a
title over a year ago, three men were
ranged, and the world had come to
hink that the society had been well
ligh, if not totally, broken up, when on
sunday afternoon, March 18th, Alex
.nder IL, Gar of Russia, was assas-
mated in the streets of st Petersburg,
S he was returning to the Winter
Palace from military review. This !
vas the sixth attempt that had been :
made within the past fifteen years to :
axe the life Of the Gar. On the 10th
f April 1866, student named Kara
ozof fired ON the Emperor. On June :
tn, 1867, his life was attempted by
'ole named BereZowski, while the
was visiting the Emperor of
he French, at Paris. On April. 14th,
879, four shots were fired at him by
etired functionary of the Finance De
named Skolof, as he was
aking his morning walk near the /
Winter Palace. On December 1st, 1879, G
n attempt was made to wreck his train
rhile he was travelling from St. Peters i
urg to Moscow. His train escaped, L
ut the baggage train was blown off the f
rack by the explosion tunnel having ?
cen dug under the road-bed and filled a
18th powder. On February 18th, 1880, b
mine was laid below the dining-hall
{ the Winter Palace, and fired about
le time the Gar and his family were n
i the habit of dining. Fortunately q
icy had been delayed on this occasion. y
hese attemps, which ultimately PROV u
l successful, were not all due to the h
lfiuence of the Nihilists, nor are the {,
Ieasures which have been used for 4
leir suppression the best possible. !,
The agitation still goes on. The :,
urnal of Nihilism continues to be is .
led from London, and it seems that 4
le Government can suggest no remedy
II the evil apart fnpm the terror of the