Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-05-16
ANOTHER GIRL NIHILlsr.
The Romantic story Brought Ont ~
the Recent Trial in st. Petersburx.


tried in this city, and in Odessa 26 members of
the same party are now on trial The idea Of the
government was to show the people that at
last the Russian revolutionsts, or nihilists, had
been crushed. But on looking over the testi-
mony Of the accused persons and Of the wit
nesses. the cars officers realized that the effect
would be just the contrary to what they Intend
ed, II publicity was given to the trials. There
fore the minister of the interior and the minister
of justice combined their efforts to make these
trials as secret as possible. Not emily the public at
large, but the relatives Of the accused persons
and even civil officers have not been allowed
to enter the court room. All the reporters
those Of the official publications included. have
been strictly forbidden to approach even the
building in which the court sits. For the sake
OF decency, however, the government deemed
1t necessary to publish at least the verdict Of
the court. The Prdcitelstuenny Testnik (the
government messenger) also contained the fol-
lowing:
"After the crime OF March 10, 1881, the victim OF
which was the late emperor, the party though
nevertheless decided to continue its criminal acts
Having filled its ranks with new recruits 1t re-
| sumed its operations On March 80, 1882, Major
was Investigating political crimes, was Killed in
Odessa. In the summer of 1882 depot was dis
intended for future criminal acts were I'm manuiac
tured."
Thus, thanks to the cars own organ the
Russians are now aware that the nihilist ranks
are newly recruited and that they are as active
as ever before This is not pleasant piece Of
official information for the guests invited to the
coming coronation. - ..-..
Though the. terrorists have been tried or
rather condemned with the utmost secrecy, vet
| have found means of learning of the proceed
ings at the so-called trial The energy aud au-
dacity OF the nihilists are indeed surprising
With tenacity unprecedented in the history of
conspiracies they stick to this capital as the
principal place for their preparations and
operations. The dynamite factory. the counter
feit-pass bureau. the secret printing press, the
conspiratOrs' rooms, the model bomb factory
the executive committee. the finance bureau. in
short all the principal nihilist departments are
kept In this city, and that in spite of the stand
Ing army, over 100000 strong, stationed here,
the enormous body of triple police, legion of
dvorniki. and the Draconic municipal regula-
lions. There Is SENSE In what the head OF q
civil department recently said to me in fun:
Nowadays, this city Of st. Petersburg is the
capital of the nihilists rather than of the car.
and his majesty tacitly admits the tact by keep
ing away from here"
All the seventeen men and women were
proved to be terrorists, and were condemned
for various criminal acts committed in the last
five years. So it seems that these men and
women for five years successfully evaded all the
snares OF the police. The same holds true OF
hundreds OF other nihlists. What an encour-
aging demonstration Of the efficiency Of the
cars police!
romance. Last year Michael Grachevsky, a
terrorist, was ordered by the executive COM
mittee to establish chronological school
wherein nihilists could be taught to manufac-
ture explosives and make bombs. He per-
suaded a successful veterinary surgeon. Alex-
der Pribyleff. and his intended bride. Miss
Raissa Grossman, to rent separate house for
him. In order to accommodate the nihilists
| the surgeon and his bride hurried up their
wedding In their new house they received
lr n.n their s friends many queer wedding pres
OF dynamite, electric batteries, and the like
The committee sent them the daughter Of q
priest, Mary Youshkof. as an Experienced
COOK" Besides attending to the gastronomic
glycerine. Thus the Pribylefrs began their
married life: They had a small circle of Sc
lected friends. among whom were Prof. Ora
chevsky, who delivered lectures in their house
on explosives, mines. and bombs. with de-
m mons Lieutenant Of the Imperial
Navy Alexander Butzevitch. specialist on
mines; Michael Kllmenko, terrorist, who ran
away from the Siberian mines Miss Christine
Grinberg, and Mrs. Anna Korba, who proved
successful students in the chemistry of dyna-
mite.
When the house Of the Prbylefis was entered
by the police laboratory was discovered in
perfect working order. There was an ample
supply of glycerine, sulphuric acid, pyroxilne:
three demgohns full of nitro glycerine. and so
on. But the attention of the cars detectives
was nailed to some queer looking tin boxes,
which proved to be bombs ready tor use They
were found to be decided improvement on the
one by which the late car was killed. They
were made In the shape OF square fiat boxes
with cover, and were said to be very convent
ent to carry concealed in the clothing. The
former nihilist bombs could not be convenient
ly carried about the person, and had to be car
ried in the hand wrapped up in handkerchief
or paper. On the cars day the Ivans usually
throw up their caps At the coronation festiyi,
ties there will be veritable cloud Of caps
thrown up Now, who can guarantee that some
OF those caps shall not be bombs in disguise?
And this Is what is now greatly worrying the
coronation committee. The gendarme officers
suggest that at Moscow the Ivans shall be kept
30 lar away from the car that he shall be out of
the reach Of their caps But everybody who
knows Moscow Is aware that such plan would
be 1mpracticable. And so his majesty, instead
OF 9eing cheered by the caps, will tremble at
their very shadow.
Grachevsky and the daughter of a priest.
Prascovia IvanOvsky were arrested under the
assumed names Of Burgher Prishbin and wife.
IN tnelr rooms were found nine jars filled with
black dynamite, several bombs Of the old style
a grenade charged with gunpowder and grape.
shot, pistols. daggers, and pOisons, and print
Ing press. Miss PrascOvia told the court that
she was member Of the executive committee
Ills eiulplo DECLARATION caused sensation
among the highest dignitaries Of the empire
who were present in the court. Miss Prascoyia
Is OF small stature, pale faced, and of delicate
health: Her hands look like those Of a baby
Yet her hand signed the orders which conyuIsed
the huge empire Of the autocrat and paralyzed
a score Of regiments of the giantlike Imperial
guards. A tiny girl at the head of score of
nihilist agents on one side, and Alexander III.
Goliath Of seven feet, at the head of an army
q million strong. on the other-which of these
stunned the battlefield Upon that girl thew
have already placed chains, whose weight IL
greater than her own; but the car viii get
golden crown, that IL, provided some Of the
agents OF Prascovia do not spoil the ceremony
But fools are lucky" says Russian adape.
Upon arresting Ivan Halujny and the daugh-
ter OF priest. Nadejda Smirnitsky. the gen
darmes discovered large collection Of govern
ment seals and many official pass blanks. Here
was nihilist pass bureau. In another bonse
where two women were arrested, there was .
printing press with fresh copies Of The VIZ OF
the People, -
1t took only seven days for the cars court to
try and condemn seventeen prisoners to the
gibbet and the Siberian mines. The accused
persons were not allowed to speak ONLY Boz
danoVitch, an artillery officer, the famous
cheese dealer in Little Garden street, managed