The morning call., 1892-02-05
NIHILIsTIC VENGEANCE.
Assass!natlon OF General seIiverstoff, the
Famous Detective.

Assass!natIon ofGeneral seIiverstofT, the
Famous Detective.
In the latter half OF 1890 General Michael
de SeliyeTstotf, chief agent Of tie Russian
International Police. lived a. the Hotel de
Babe in the Rue des Itallens, Paris. As he
was a man Of great resources, a keen de-
tectiye and was responsible for the banish-
ment # 1900 men and women iut t5 Siberia.
he was marked for the nihllistc vengeance
tat finally struck him down He was inde
pendent 0f embassies and missions, subject
only TO the supreme head Of the iuterua-
tiunal police service at Berlin. His wish
controlled the police Of Paris and the secret
service of the French Government. Added
to his official Importance was q commission
from ST. Petersburg TO further q every way
the much-taIked-of Franco-R Russian ALI
ance. He was then about 6S years old and
in tie prime Of physical manhood, with un-
measured wealth at his command. both
from his own estates and from the enor-
nous sums in the control Of the Russian
secret service. As may be readily sup
posed, he lived in constant fear Of assassi-
nation. HIS fierce prosecution Of the nihil-
istic mb-makers Of Paris a few months
before placed his life in forfeit, and more
over the hanging Of Sophie Gueuzburg on
November H. 1890. had ELECTED from the
Niui!Ists a solemn vow 10 Ryenge her IN the
assassination OF the head Of the secret
service.
In the summer Of 1890 a Russian patriot
named NJ. BeTnOf established IN Paris a
club known as tie "Salles Franco Russes.'
IL was frcqueuteI by Russian Poles and had
for its nominal object the advancement If a
cordial feeling between French and Rus
SLAMS in private and commercial life. Sell
yersttf favored the plan, but did not cCm-
NIT himself 10 the club and Its associates.
BerD0f was exceedingly anxious that he
should 10 So, and sent him pressing invita-
lions . attend the club meetings. The
founder Of the "Sales Franco Russe5"
va, IN uOwise a Nihlllst, but through his
innocent opportunities the assassin was Ell
abled 20 XII the detective chief.
a young Pole named Stanislaus Padlew-
sky was employed at the club as a mesSeu-
ger. and he il was who carried TO Solver
stpf on November 13, 1890, an invitation
from BeTnUf. The Invitation was not ac-
cepted, and on November 18th the mesSeu-
ger came again. He was conducted 10y the
Generals valet into the private office. An
hour later PadleWsky was seen by a servant
TO leave the apartment. He was composed
and smiling, aud gave the girl pleasant
nod as be passed. Shortly after this the
valet looked IN upon his master.
THE CHIEF SAT- AT HIS DESK
Apparently writing. The man was at first
deceived, but the mOtlOnless attitude OF the
officer caused him TO approach nearer, and
the work of the messenger was seen.
Scliyerstof was insensibe and dying, and
the desk was covered with the blood that
flowed from wound behind his right ear.
The police tried to keep the assassination
secret, but the news got abroad and created
an enormous sensation, Notwithstanding the
fact that the police proclaimed it an at Of
personal vengeance arising out OF an affair
with q woman. The Nihilists themselves
claimed the deed, and bOaSted that this was
the eighth Of the ten Russian police agents
condemned to death by their organization.
In the .Eeigat Of the excitement the anar-
chlsts held mass meeting, where
Padlewsky was elected Honorary President.
The "Sal!es FTancO-BusseS" was closed
by the police and Beruof was arrested. but
alterNard released. PadeWsky disap-
peaTed, and not all Of Russia's power could
find hmn. In his mean lodgings were found
revolutionary papers and three cartridges Of
the same Caliber as the ball that killed
Seliyerstof. The Governor of Moscow
came on to Paris and headed the search,
and he French Cabinet addressed a circular
note to neighboring Governments asking for
aid IN discovering the assassin.
On December 18th, one George POdebard
de Labruyere. a Partisan journalist, con-
fessed that he with TWO other companions
conducted Padlewsky TO the frontier and
parted with him at Trieste. 1t was then
learned that the assassin had been hidden
IN the house Of a Nine. Duc-Quercy, the
wife of an ardent Socialist. She was con-
Vlcted Of aiding the escape Of a criminal
and condemned TO three months imprisOn-
ment. Padlewsky, notwithstanding his
good fortune in escaping from Paris, could
hud no sure hiding place and was driven on
ward by fears founded and unfOunded until
h.. h. 4
Trieste. Florence, Palermo, Malta, Gibraltar
and London. His funds gave out and In
moment Of desperation he actually medi-
tated surrendering himself to the authori-
ties, when pTOyidently letter cOntainly 800
francs reached him. He never knew who
his savior was, but it was no less person.
age than the heroic Vera Sassultsch, the
young Nihilst medical student who in 1873
killed the Chief of Police Of ST. Petersburg,
TTepof, for fiogging young girls imDris-
Oned for taking part In
THE NIHILIsT MOVEMENT.
She was acquitted and is now agitating
for the cause in Geneva. Padlewsky then
went under the name of Otto Heller.
From London he sailed for the United
States, landing in New York February Is,
1891, and to friend whom he Immediately
met he told tile story Of the assassination,
from which the following excerpts are
taken:
81 went to SelveTstofT's apartments on
that Move mber day with no intention OF
killing him. ] was the bearer Of note Of
invitation and thought by that means
could gain Information that would be useful
10 cur cause. The note l carr led was likely
to gain me admission into the GeneraPs
room, because It contained the information
that beautiful woman, OF whom he was
known to be fond, would be present at the
entertainment to which the note invited
him. After questi"ning me about