The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-05-07
TREACHEaY EXTRAORDINARY.
The Astonishing Story of the Russian
Mill ST, DeRaief.

/ Inc Astonishing Story OF the huseisr
Mill ST, De2aief.
Prom the Ne,g York sun.
[ The recent ar est of the nihilist, Degaief
[ in South Russia for the murder of Sou
dielkin, was the termination of as remarka-
bic a career as a Russian nihilist ever ran,
Eleven years ago Degaief was captain
Of the Guar Is. He was keen, entuusi-
astic, well educated, and disconnected
He was an idealist and a firm believer
in the badness of the state of affairs in
modern Russia He was not then a nihilist,
but he had IN him all the materials from
which nIhilists are made. He drifted slowly
and naturally into the society of radicals.
and became steadily more extreme in his
political views, till a day came when he
found himself at the head of a conspiracy
against the lie of the car. The con-
splracy was discovered, all the con-
spiratJrs were arrested, and Degaief was
condemned to die. He accepted his fate
without whimper. Three days before the
date set for executing him the door of his
cell was opened TO admit Soudieikin, whom
Degaief recognized Immediately as a old
and lOng-forgotten comrade in arms.
How are you. old fellowF' said the chisf.
For a moment Degaief felt hope, then re-
laxed into a state of resignation, aud an
swered: My last opportunity to speak for
myself, isn't it!'
"No, comrade," was the reply. 81 bring
to you The pardon Of the car"
"Whatl What Then ne requires from
me some service in return
Nothing at all. You are free, uncondi-
tionally free. Come home with me and we
will talk about il"
Degaief went. In his study Soudieikin
said: You know our old friendship. Well,
that saved you. went to the car and in
terceded for you, giving my word of honor
that, If t eed, you would quit your old ways.
have the good fortune 70 enjoy the czar's
confidence, and he granted me the life Of
my friend"
Degaief sank in tears at the chiefs feet,
and protested bis determination never again
to make common cause with the nihillsts.
The chief continued:
What do you expect to do nowl Your
return to the army is impossible l can
offer you my secretaryship, with salary
enough to pay for your daily bread. You
WIN be, In case you accept this, member
OF the secret police and my right-hand man.
20 home, think about it. and decide with
out undue attention to my ADVICE
The full significance of this promise can
hardly be comprehended without an under
standing of the position of Soudieikin at
that time. He was at the height of his
power. He was only nominally dependent
on the third division. He came and went
as he pleased, had constant access to the
car, was master OF agents answerabe only
to him, and had unlimited credit at the In.
perial Bank. He was, in short, nearer to
omnipotence than any other officer of DO
lice before or since his time and all this
power he applied with all his amazing
energy to the extinction of nilihism and
nihillsts. He occupied lodgings in several
quarters of st. Petersburg. Every evening,
however. he met Degaief in the third story
of modest dwelling house, occupied other
wise only by small tradesmen, who knew
nothing OF the identity of their fellow ten
ant. Here Degaief decided the chief of the
secret police must die. Two nihilists
took rooms on the third floor in the next
house, and with the outside wall adioin-
ing the outside wall of SJudileikins apart
Lnents. During the day time, when Sou
dlekin was absent, for three weeks the con-
spira, ors laboriously scratched and filed
away brick and mortar between them and
their victim. Not blow was struck, not a
fragment was cut. The powder from the
walls was carried off in the pockets of
Dgaiefs accomplices. At last only thin
sheet of plaster and paper separated them
from the chiefs study.
Full of gratitude, Degaief fastened to en-
list in the service of the chief He put
head, heart and hand in his work. He
pursued his old colleagues day and night.
Nineteen nihilists were brought by him to
death and scores were sent through his in
Auence to Siberia. Degaief obtained the
full confidence of his chief Soudieikin had
estimated him correctly in everything save
bis susceptibility to the pangs
OF remorse. De9aief could not forget
bis old radical tendencies. The scorn of his
former colleagues scorched him till he could
endure the pain no longer He went one
evening to ths house Of a nlhilist leader,
and swore by his revolutionary past to do
anything required by the revolutionary
party as the condition of his reinstatement.
skill Soudi eikin." said the nlhilist leader.
Degaief requested day in which to think
o'er this suggestion. Twenty-four hours
later he gave his promise to murder the
man who had saved his life.
On the night of the murder Degaief and
the man who had saved his life sat together
at the study desk. Degaief let fall a heavy
paper weight, the wall was burst III with a
blow from hammer, and three nihflists
sprang upon Soudieikin. For ten minutes
all four men struggled up and down the
room, and then the chief was struck down
dead by Degaief. Half an hour later
the nihllists in disguise left the nelghbor-
hood and hurried off to announce their
deed to company of waiting revolution
lists in far-off basement The murder was
discovered on the next afternoon. Shortly
afterword Degaief's accomplices were
arrested, but as they were only his creatures
they were let off with a life sentence to
hard labor in Siberia. Degaief could not
be found, although his portrait was scat
tered over the length and breadth Of Russia
and high rewards were offered for the
capture of him, alive or dead. Eight years
later, while attempting to enter Russia with
false passes, he has been overtaken by retri-
button.
All this is not the fairy tale told by car
haters or nihilist haters. 1t is the plain, I'M
adorned narrative of the Russian courts, in
which the details of this remarkable crime
have been revealed.