National Republican., 1883-11-16
WRITTEN IN BLOOD.
The letter Russian Nihilist Wrote to the
Car from Prison.

st. Petersburg dispatch of recent date
says that the new nihilist journal, The Messen
ger of the VIII Of the People, contains letter
from the nihilist prisoner, Netchaief, to the
czar. The original letter was written in
blood. 1t says:
SIR: On taking charge of tho fortress the
new commandant, Ganetsky, addressed his
subordinate officers in the ravelin on the
event of March 10. The character of the
speech and also the fact that it was made in
the hall far from my cell showed to me that
1t was intended for my ears. And, indeed, l
heard every word OF it. But his intimidation
did not reach its aim. The indirect threaten
ing of Gen. Ganetsky did not frighten me. 1t
showed me only that under the influence of
the late events even the highest representa-
tives of the administration have lost their
heads and their feeling of personal dignity. 1
would not mind the trick of his excellency il,
for no fault of mine, he did not aggravate my
lot, which has already exhausted my en-
durance.
The Alexis ravelin is a secret prison. No
supervision is allowed there. The late COM
mander, Baron Meidel, used to restrain, to u
certain degree, the thievish Warden Phili-
monof. While fulfilling his hard duty, he
did not torture the prisoners to crafty his
personal cruelty But after that speech of
Ganetsky, the thief Philimonoff took from us
the last crust of bread, saying impudently
that such was the order of the commandant.
| In order to get in favor with the new COM
mandant the officers of the ravelin have done
their utmost to suppress political prisoners in
all possible ways. For months they have
kept mo in my cell, without permitting me
to see daylight. Ganetsky ordered that even
the warming holes in my cell should be
| closed, on the pretense that might there get
SCOT and make ink of it. The upper pane OF
my window was clean, and through it could
SEQ part of the sky. 1t is necessary to
experience the horrors of long
solitary confinement in oider to understand
what relief q prisoner gets fromtthe sight of
passing cloud and shining stars. Ganetsky
closed that pane. The two commandants, six
of tho chiefs of gendarmes; and even the
chief of the supreme commission, Gen. Nell
lIoff, while visiting me saw the clean pane,
and did not think the state was in danger on
account of it. Here the letter was illegible.l
Ten years already have suffered here. The
further aggravation of my lot cannot proceed
from any political consideration, but only
from the cruelty of the man to whom you
have intrusted the fortress. Gen. Mezentsetf
was my personal enemy. For two years he
kept me in heavy chains, and yet did not shut
me out of sight Of the sky. l had another enc
my, Gen. Potspoff. He insulted me in words
and | slapped his face. Of course he hated
me- and yet he did not take revenge. He
knew that to take revenge upon man who is
bound arms and legs would be an action fiji
|
n man anyhow. Ganetsky enjoys the sight OF
suffering prisoners. Perhaps he expects tC
bring me into state of despair in order to see
tears and the passion of helpless Madness and
to listen to insane shouts of rage from me like
those hear from neighboring cell, where q
comrade at the end of a long confinement has
become lunatic. Oh, no; | will not treat
Ganetsky to such pleasure. / hope he will
preserve even a hundredth part of the calm
and self-control l possess whom he shall bG
carried to n scaHold. l'l f
In 1875 the government requested me tt
express my views on the state of affairs In
Russia In my memorial sent to your late
father explained that the time of absolute
power was gone; that tho unlimited mon
archy was undermined, and that liberia
constitution might yet save Russia from the
horrors of revolution. l insisted upon thu
need of liberal institutions which, and which
only, could stop the series of daring attempts
/ said then that in few years even consti
tuition would be too late. Subsequent events
have justified my views. The reaction which
set in after the catastrophe of March 10 was
matter of course. 1t was in the nature o
things. But, being carried too far, even thu
, reaction will bring about quite unexpected
, results do not expect any relief from th
new administration. / shall not be surprised
IL nv lot becomes still harder on account o
the present letter. Louis XVI realized th
horrors TO which tho prisoners of the Bastil
, were subjected only when no became himsel
political prisoner
SERGE NETCHAIEFF.
. writo this letter with my nail in m!
blood .. N.
In December, 1882, Netchaiolf was torture,
by the warden, and soon after was touA