The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-09-10
A NIHILIST'S STORY.
A Member of the Black Hand Society Lives in
Newark, Nj.

A Member of the Black Hand Society Lives in
Newark NJ.
Especial to THE NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Dispatch. !
New YORK, Sept 9.-Alphonse Won Os-
troja, Russian Nihilist, lives in Newark, N.
j. He is twenty six years old and well
educated. This is the story of his life
II was born in a suburb of the city of Mos
cow, Russia, in 1864, and attended school in
that city. My father was considered to be
quite wealthy. At the age of eighteen l
was sent to Moscow university, d medical
college, and began my studies for physi-
clan. Many of the students were in sym
pathy with the Nihilists, and it was there
that the sympathieS of my youth were resur-
rected. joined society composed princi-
pally of young men. The name of this So
ciety, translated, means .'Black Hand, y
and IL is In existence 10 this day. There is
but one oath taken by the members of the
society, but it could be taken by many men
motives OF the society. 1t 8 no secret.
The breast is barred and the point of a
sword almost plerces the breast while one
is being sworn, and the penalty for be-
traylng the secrets of the society is
death. The executive committee of the
Nihilists consists of fourteen members, and
they are always chosen from residents of
ST. Petersburg. Shortly after l became a
member OF the "Black Hand,'' Alexander
Degajeff, an exceedingly intelligent
mechanic, also Joined. Two months after
his Initiation he was appointed gendaeme
by Chief Sodejkin. Then we became fast
friends, and Degajeff soon rose to the
rank OF captain. During one of his conf
dental talks, Sodejkln pfofessed to be in
sympathy with tue Nihilists, and Degajeff
unfolded his Secrets but did admit he him
self was opposed to thepgovernment. In
less than ten days, ten of the fourteen
members of the executive committee were
arrested at st. Petersburg and some of
them were hanged or shot, while two of
them, if they are alive, are now in Siberia
The only reason that the fourteen mem
bers OF the executive committee were not
arrested was due to the fact that Degaieff
only knew ten of chem He knew he had
betrayed the secrets of the society and he
found the remaining four members and ad-
mitted his guilt. He was told that unless
he killed Sodeikin his own life would be
taken. He returned to Moscow and five
days later he drove down to Sodeikin's of
flee and, being an officer, he was admitted to
the chiefs private Office, and when Sodejkin
rose TO greet him Degajef shot him dead
He made his escape and until two months
ago lived in Philadelphia. He made his es-
cape in the garb of Grecian monk There
is standing reward of $4,000 for his
body, dead or alive. About week before
Sodeikil's death the government granted
him pension for cleverness in arTesting
the members of the executive committee.
When the students attacked the news of
flee and were disposed of by Cossacks 1
was one of the students. Myself and chum
fired at the Cossacks and 1 was seriously
wounded. Our landlady was a Nihi-
list. She hid US for two days when [
was taken to another Nihilist's house and
kept six weeks. On forged passports sue
ceeded in making my way to Koenigsburg,
Germany, from where l went to b erlin,
then to Hamburg and on to Liverpool,
where | remained six weeks, and then came
to America.