National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-11-22
OLGA MICROSCOPES ESCAPE,
An Episode OF Nlhiiism.

planned that when these succeed in arrest.
ing nihilist they always leave In the
apartments of the captured person a few
men to take into custody any ono who
may come to see that person. In our lan.
guagc this is called trap. Owing 10 the
Russian habit of arranging everything NJ
home and not in the cafes, as in Europe,
the nihilists are often compelled TO go to
each others houses, and thus these traps
become fatal. In order to diminish the
risk, safety signals arc generally
placed in the windows, and are taken
away at tho first sound of the police.
But, owing to tho negligence of the nihi-
lists themselves, accustomed rs they arc
to danger, aud so occupied that they
sometimes have not time to eat u mouth
full all day long, the absence of these sig
nails is often disrogarded, or attributed to
some combination Of circumstancos-tho
difficulty, or perhaps the Typographical
impossibility, of placing signals in many
apartments in such manner that they
can be seen from distance. This meas
ure of public security frequently, there
fore, does not answer its purpose, and a
good half of oil the nihilists who have
fallen into the hands of the government
have been caught in these very traps.
A precisely similar misfortune hap.
pened to Olga, and the worst of it was it
was in the house of Alexander Kviat-
kovsky, one of the terrorist leaders,
where the police found perfect maya.
zine of dynamite, bombs. and similar
things, together with plan of the winter
palace, which, after the explosion there,
led to his capital conviction. As may
readily be believed, the police would re-
gard with anything but favorable eyes
every one who came to the house of such
o man.
Directly she entered Olga was imme-
diately seized by two policemen in order
to prevent her from defending herself.
She, however, displayed not the slightest
desire to do So. She feigned surprise,
astonishment, and invented there and
some drcssmakers (who had, in fact, their
names on door plate below, and occu-
pied the upper floor) for the purpose of
ordering something, but had mistaken
the door; that she did not know what they
wanted with her, and wished to return
to her husband, &C., the usual
subterfuges to which the police
are accustomed to turn deaf
ear. But Olga played her part SO we'll
that the pristav, or head of the police of
the district, was really inclined to believe
her. He told her that anyhow If she did
not wish to DO Immediately taken to
prison. she must give her name and con-
duct him to her own house. Olga gave
the first name which came into her mind,
which, naturally enough, was not that
under which she was residing in tho
capital, but as to her place of residence
she declared, with every demonstration
of profound despair, that she could not,
and would not, take him there or say
whore it was. The pristav insisted, and,
upon her reiterated refusal, observed to
the poor, simple thing thatlher obstinacy
was not only prejudicial to her, but even
useless, as, knowing her name, he would
have no difficulty in sending some one
to the Adressni Stol, and obtaining her
address. Struck by this unanswerable
argument, Olga said she would take him
TO her house.
No sooner had she descended into the
street, accompanied by the pristav and
some of his subalterns, than Olga met q
friend, Nine. Maria A., who was going to
Kviatkovsky's, whore meeting of ter
rorists had actually been fixed for that
very day. 1t was to this chance meeting
that the lterrorists owed their escape
from the very grave danger which threat
ened them, for the windows of Kviatkoy-
sky's rooms were SO placed that il was
impossible to see any signals there from
the street.
Naturally enough the two friends made
no sign TO indicate that they were &C
luainted with each other, but Mme
Maria A., on seeing Olga with the police,
ran in all haste to inform her friends of
the arrest of their companion, about
which there could be no doubt.
The first to be warned was Nicholas
as the police in short time
would undoubtedly go to his house and
make the customary search. Olga felt
certain that this was precisely what her
friend would do, and therefore her sole |
object now was to delay her custodians
10 as to give Morosoff time to "clear" his |
room that is to say, destroy or take away |
papers and everything compromising, |
md to get away himself. 1t was this |
hat she was anxious about, for he had |
been accused by the traitor Goldenberg |
Of having taken part in the mining work |
with tho Moscow attempt, and |
,y tho Russian law was liable to the pen. |
Ilty of death.
Greatly emboldened by this lucky |
Meeting with her friend, Olga, without |
aging word. conducted the police to the |
Polk, one of the quarters of |
he town most remote from the place of |
Ter arrest, which was in the Nevsky dis
riot. They found the street and tho
rouse indicated to them. They entered
nd summoned the dvornik (doorkeeper),
rho has to be present at every search |
made. Then came the inevitable explana-
ion. The dvornik said that he did not
NOW the lady, and that she did not lodge
n that house. Upon hearing this state
nent Olga covered her face with her
lands and again gave way to despair.
The sobbingly admitted that she had de-
eived them from fear of her husband,
Who was very harsh; that she had not
'iven her real name and address, and