Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1883-11-10
IN BLOOD.
Netck aiefY's Letter to the Czar-HOw
n Prisoner Valued q Glimpse of the

Netck aiefY's Letter to the CARLOW
Prisoner Valued q Glimpse of the
Sky.
A st. Petersburg dispatch of Oct. %
says that the new Nihilist journal, the
Messenger of the Will of the People, con-
tains a letter from the Nihilist prisoner
Netchaieff to the Gear. The original letter
was written in blood. 1t says:
'SIR: On taking charge Of the fortress,
the new Commandant Ganetsky addressed
his subordinate officers in the ravelin on
the event of March ID. The character of
the speech, and also the fact that it WAS
made in the hall not far from my cell.
showed to me that it was intended for my
ears. And, indeed, / heard every word of
it. But his intimidation did not reach its
aim. The indirect threatening of Gen.
| Ganetsky did not brighten 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 dig
nifty. l would not mind the trick Of his
Excellency if, for no fault of mine, he did
not aggravate my lot which has already
exhausted my endurance.
"The Alexis ravelin is q secret prison. No
super vision is allowed there. The late
| Commandant, Baron Meidel, used to
restrain to q certain degree the thievish
Warden Philimouof. While fulfilling his
hard duty he did not torture the prisoners
to crafty his personal cruelty. But after
that speech Of Ganetsky, the thief Phili-
monoff 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 Commandant
the officers of the ravelin have tried their
utmost to Cypress political prisoners in all
possible ways. For months they have
kept me in my cell without permitting me
to see daylight. Ganetsky ordered that
even the wa~rming-holes in my cell should
be closed. on the pretence that / might
there get SCOT and make ink OF it. The
upper pane of my window was clean, and
through it l could see a part Of the sky.
1t is necessary to experience the horrors
of long solitary confinement in order to
understand what relief a prisoner gets
from the sight Of passing clouds and shin
ing stars. Ganetsky closed that pane.
Tho two Commandments, six of the chiefs
Of gendarmes, and even the chief of the
Supreme Commission, Gen. Melikoff,
while visiting me, saw the clean pane and
did not think the State was in danger on
account of it. Here the letter was illegi-
ble]. Ten years already I have
suffered here. The further aggrava-
ton Of my lot I'M proceed from
any political consideration, but only
from thea! cruelty of the man
to whom you have intrusted the fortress.
Gen. Mezentseff was my personal enemy.
For two years he had kept me in heavy
chains, and yet he did not shut up out of
sight of the sky. 1 had another enemy.
Gen. Potapoff. He insulted me in words.
and I slapped his face. OF course he hated
he, yet he did not take revenge. He knew
that to take revenge on a man who is
bourd arms and legs would be an action
fit only for q wild beast, and Gen. Potapoff
was a man anyhow. Ganetsky enjoys the
sight OF suffering prisoners. Perhaps he
expects to bring me into q 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 l hear
from q neighboring cell, where q comrade
at the end of a long confinement has be-
come a lunatic. Oh, no, l will not treat
Ganetsky to such a pleasure. I hope he
win preserve even a hundredth part of
the calm and self-control l possess when he
shall be carried to . scaffold.
SIN 1875 the Government requested me
to 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 the unlim-
tied monarchy was undermined, and that
a liberal Constitution might yet save Rus
Ella from the horrors Of revolution. l
insisted upon the need Of liberal institu-
tons, which, and which only, could stop
the series of daring attempts. I said then
that in q few years even o Constitution
would be too late. Subsequent events
have justified my views. The reaction
which set in after the catastrophe of March
IS was q matter Of course. 1t was in the
nature Of things. But, being carried too
far, even the reaction will bring about
quite unexpected results. I do not expect
any relief from the new ADMINISTRATION l
shall not be surprised If my lot becomes
still harder on account Of the present
letter. Louis XVI. realized the Horrors to
which the prisoners Of the Bastile were
subjected only when he became himself q
| political prisoner. SERGE N~ErcHAIEFF.
II write this with my nail in my
blood. s. N"
In December. 1882, Netchaieff was tor
tured by the warden, and soon after was
found dead.