The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1884-03-27

ordinary ability, was sent to st. Peters
burg, where he taught religion in the
Sergius School. He was self-educat-
ed man, studied deeply in German
philosophy, and learned French from
Rochefort's Lanterne. He first became
known to the world as the head of
school for murder, and was associated
with q student named Ivanoff, whom he
killed because he talked OF quitting the
organization. He then fled to Switzer-
land, whence the Russian Government
procured his extradition. He was tried
for the offense in st. Petersburg and
convicted. but for some inscrutable
reason the government did not hang
him, did not even send hin to Siberia,
for fear, it was urged, that he might es-
cape, but confined him in the dungeons
Of the Fortress Peter-Paul under
q sentence of twenty years i'm
prisonment. 1t was conceived by
the Government that there he
would be absolutely secure, and that by
approaching him in the right way it
would get valuable secrets from him.
Never was Government more COM
pletely disappointed. He was visited
by several eminent persons who at
tempted to sound him, but to no pur-
pose. On one of these occasions he had
an interview with the Gar himself, to
whom he boldly declared that absolut-
ism was out of date, and that the only
remedy for the existing difficulties was
a constitution. That remedy has been
the constant demand presented by Nj
hilism ever since. Nechayeff was load
ed with chains for his offense, and was
riveted to the wall in such o manner
that he had scarcely any freedom of
motion. He was whipped with wire
rods, but it had no effect upon him.
In his manacled condition he actually
made converts of his guards, though
they were not allowed to speak to him,
and he carried on correspondence
with the conspirators. At last a plan
was matured by one Jelaboff, at Mocha
yeff's instigation, to murder the Gar,
and Jelaboff was actually introduced
into the dungeon to confer with him
about the details of the deed. A ques-
ton arose among the Nihilists whether
Nechayeff ought not to be released be-
fore the murder was committed, and
plot was made to seize the fortress, but
as Jelaboff declared that the murder
would have to be adjourned il Mocha
yeff were set at liberty, the latter de-
cided to remain In COZ inement, and,
chained and riveted to the walls of the
deepest dungeon in the fortress, actu-
ally issued his order for the kill
ing of the Gear. and that order
was obeyed shortly after. The watch
upon the prisoner was made the more
stringent, and at last, in the summer
of 1882, the Government succeeded in
interrupting all relations between him
and the outside world. The soldiers
and guards who had been friendly to
him were arrested and punished, and
the Times correspondent says: Moth
ing more was ever ascertained about
Nechayeff beyond the fact that he was
cruelty beaten in consequence of dis
pute with the Inspector of the prison,
and died shortly afterward, in Decem-
Der, 1882. Some suppose that he COM
mitted suicide, others that he was
killed by the effects of the blows, but
in all cases his untimely end-for he
died in the prime of life-was keenly
lamented by all the Nihilists." With
the killing of the Gar and the death Of
Nechayeff, Nihilism. was quiet for q
time, but recent events, particularly
the murder of Gen. Soudeikin, show
that it was only resting for time to
see if its demands would be granted.
No answer having come to them,
the society is once more active, and it
may be expected to remain so until the
Gar comedies representative govern
ment and a constitution, or, failing that.
he falls victim to its revenge, as his
father did. The records of history
hardly furnish a parallel to the specta-
Gle of powerful absolute government
and great nation kept for years in a
state of abject terror by a prisoner riv-
eted to wall in one of its deepest dun
geons. The organization which he
founded still exists with all its old
strength and activity, and Alexander
III. breads it's secret agents to-day as
Alexander III. dreaded that whipped
and manacled prisoner.
Promise to Pay.
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