Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1881-05-18
SOPHIE PerOwsky.

IL is said that the new empress OF Russia
lives in mortal terror lest the nihilists should
avenge on her children the execution Of
Sophie Perowsky, the woman nihilist con-
victed OF completely in the assassination OF
the czar, and executed with her co-conspir-
ators. The extraordinary precautions taken
by the car for his personal safety, and also
for that OF the czarina and her children,
evince the terror inspired in the royal family
by the nihilists, either as regards their in
finite capacities to compass the death OF q
sovereign, or to avenge the fate Of their un.
fortunate comrades. An especial interest all
over Europe has attached TO the tate OF
sophie Perowsky. Doubt has been ex-
pressed whether the Russian government
followed the dictates of wisdom in sending
her to the gallows. 1t has been argued that
her life, preserved and held as a hostage for
tne cessation OF hostilities oy the hidden
Toes that environ the Russian autocrat
would have been a stronger defence than
secret police or Cossack cordons. Although
her history, her character, and her personal
qualities, might have strongly appealed to
nihilists TO stay their uplifted hands, still,
when 1t IS considered that more than the
Spartan spirit OF obedience to the mandates
OF their order and OF contempt for death
animates the members of this organization,
the history OF Perowsky herself is sufficient
guarantee that she, as a hostage, would have
disdained to stand between some future
nihiiistic decree and Its victim.
she is the Charlotte Corday oil the present
century. The tragic act which made the
name OF the young French heroine immortal
mad Tor It's victim leader OF the terrorists
In the French revolution, but her compeer
In tne annals oil ASSASSINATION, nearly CEN
Jury later, hgures In the death stroke OF the
car oi all 'ne huSSias' uentie piood ran
IN .ne veins Oh eacn each imoioed the virus
Oh european liberalism and Allied herself
WIN reVoiu'iohis's; each was impelied 10
choose her course ny acts Oh numerous
tyranny anu eacn was tne victim OF tragic
ia'e INC one Oh .he gullotihe' the other on
"
'oricai incidents IN her periious career are
not wanting 70 Suggest the name OF another
riencn maiuen whose s1range' weird lie,
wne.nei iact OF hc'ion'is intertwined with
'ne history Vi france beyond the power Oh
skep'ics 70 unraVel H. and whose name mas
become tne synonym Oh pious and patriotic
devotion,--Joan OF Arc, the Maid OF Orleans.
SOPHIE ferowsky joined the nihiiists In
her sixteenth year. Her parents had be-
slowed her hand upon son OF the Russian
general whose fidelity to his masters inter
ests had won for him the title OF the
Butcher OF Poland" Sophie's teacher, be-
witnessed those atrocities which wrought
that historic "quiet in Warsaw" She
spurned the proffered marriage, and when
her parents pressed it upon her she fled from
her luxurious home to instill socialist doc
trines into the minds of peasants and work
ingmen. She is described as girl of Pc
culiar beauty and rare intelligence, "having
a naive, innocent, wondering expression in
her young face which confirmed the suspi-
cion of her unavowed relationship to the
car" She was a girl of slender form, and,
as she occasionally wrote her parents saying
she was well and happy, they received the
impression that she had married and was
maintained in hiding by her husband, and
did not dream of the life of peril and hard
ship she was leading. BY word OF mouth
she propagated her doctrines along the line
OF the Volga, the people Of which from
their mercurial disposition were specially
susceptible to her teachings. About five
years ago the news That sophie ferowsky
had peen arrested In the southeastern prov
inces as the mead OF socialistic society
startled the upper circles OF Russian life.
one was conhned In a prison cell on the
BANKS Oh tne NeVa Tor Two years, suffering
Intensely from cold In the winter FROM
ner prison sne was panished 70 town on
sne "h''e sea- one escaped returned to
oO' IeterspurS, ieii III anu iaooreu Win that