The Washington times., 1894-07-29

fitting successor 10 the late Gen. Gresser. the
other coarse and brutal tyrant of the Todle-
| ben and Gourko type. ana all its energies are
| concentrated on an insane attempt to unearth
! and imprison every Russian suspected of en-
tertainIng liberal and progressive opinions.
| The arrests of the last few weeks have not
! been confined to the student class, from
whose ranks the nihilsts have from the first
| in the main been recruited, but have been
! far-reaching In their scope. They have ex-
! tended TO all parts of the empire, and have in
cluded officers of the navy and armv, high
| government officials. college professors, and
| distinguished authors and journalists. No
class has thus far escaped. Hundreds of
| young people belonging TO the highest and
| noblest families have been arrested and i'm
| prsoned, and still the brutal and ruthless
| work goes on unchecked.
Here in ST. Petersburg the terror and grief
OF the pOpula.e are universal; all live in a
state OF fearful suspense, not knowing whose
turn Will come next. At the frontier the
greatest vigilance is practiced. and it is now
as difficult 10 get into Russia rs il is in ordi-
nary times 20 get out. In brief. the Russian
autocracy is once more engaged in q ruthless
and relentless effort to crush out all opposi-
uon to Its continuance. and the sorrow, ter
ror and bitterness it has in consequence
evoked show, outside of the official classes.
how Isolated and iriendless it really is, and
how few mourners il will have when it. end
comes come it must in time.
OF course, in the present outburst the third
section. or secret police. has played and is
playing its sinister role as of old. When two
years ago Gen. Gresser. the dreaded chief of
the third section, died under circumstances
which excited suspicious of his having fallen
a victim to the poIsoners art. the belief was
general that the power OF the secret police
had been crippled for many years to come.
Gresser was so able. so astute, SO crafty, SO
merciesS and so perfectly familiar with the
Russian underworld. that it was thought at
the time that it would be almost impossible
TO find a worthy successor for him. but such a
man has been found, and during the last two
months the secret police has been as active
and effective as II ever was under Gresser or
the latter ; famous predecessor. Messentsoff.
In all the principal cities midnight visits to
peaceful hOuseholders have mounted into the
hundreds and arrests have been made by the
score on preteXts that would be counted of
the ilimieIest nature even in Russia. Nor has
the activity of the police paused at the arrest
Of innocent people. 1t is whispered that
many prisoner has been confined in total
darkness in IA rat-haunted cell. and in some
instances when this torture has failed TO en-
tort a confession OF wrong doing that most
deyilish of ali devices. the electric shock, has
been rescrted TO. Worss still. indiCnities
that cannot be described in print have been
heaued Oh helpless women prisoners. and
sti.l the malevolent work goes on without a
sign Of csssation. No one is sure for n day
OF MS ale or liberty, or that tomorrow he
will not be torn from his family and friends
and hurried away to prison.
Nightly the black karetas of the police
rattle through the silent streets of the capital.
sending terror to the stOutest hearts. No less
than dozen wholesale raids have been made
by the police here in ST. Petersburg. The
latest occurred last week and numbered over
m L..
beds without warning and commanded in
the name of the Gar to enter the black prison
vans. Neither age nor sex incted to mercy,
and men, women, and children received the
same brutal treatment
From one house in the Belshay Morskay no
less than thirty people Were taken. One of
these was beautiful girl of sixteen Her
brother, youth OF twenty, maddened by the
harsh way in which the police were treating
her. interered to protect her. when he. TOO.
was beaten into lnsensIbility and carried away
to prison. young man engaged board ut IA
students clearinghouse in the street | have
named. He represented himself as a student
and gained the confidence OF the other in
mates of the house; a week later they were all
arrested. and are now in prison. The reputed
student was member of the secret police in
disguise. And these are only two of scores of
similar instances OF which the people are
talking under their breath.
Active nihiiists and those who have never |
been connected with the movement in any
way suffer alike and the prisons here and at
Moscow, Saratof, Samara. karkof. Kieff. and |
Odessa are crowded with suspects. All for |
eign residents are closely watched and mail to |
ana from foreign countries is opened and |
read without scruple. This letter will be |
posted al the frontier by Il trusty messenger. |
The press is silent. Is usual ana no hint of |
the present troubles has crept info the Rus |
sian newspapers.
Members OF The secret police are the only
ones who talk freely. and they only in or
DER that they may find fresh victims in those
who show any sympathy for the sentiments
they express with yigor and seeming SINGER
lty. Only II few OF the hundreds under arrest
have thus far been granted Il trial. Such
Trials rs have taken place have been held in
secret, and the o!endants have nearly all
been sentenced to Siberia. Among those now
confined in the fortress IF Sts. Peter and Paul
here IN 81. Petersburg are not less than one
hundred army officers. and many of the other
victims confined there are of equally high rank
n the social ana civic worlds.
Those who have followed the history of the
Russian revolutionary movement will learn
With surprise that the famous nihiist leader.
trince hrapotklne, Is among those who have
allen into the ne; spread by the yoIice The
prince ,return' d secretly to Russia some
months ago. anu soon alter the present terror
'ltht Jul was dEIeettl III OutsSd, Wnere, with
he help OF borrowed passport. ne was living
lnder an assumed name He has long been
me Of the most remarkable men connected
With he revolutionary movement He be-
ongs to the highest Russian aristocracv, his
amily being descended from the ancient
oyai house of Eurik
He acquitted himself with distinction at
be College OF Pages. TO which only sons of
members of the court are admitted, and
Glowing 1861 spent several years in Siberia
nd the East. ENGAGED in scientific researches.
jpon his return TO ST. Petersburg he was re-
eiyed with great distinction at court, serving
or time as chamberlain to the Empress. In ,
Sl2 he visited Western Europe and became
ocal reformer of the most advanced type
Returning to st. Petersburg he became an {
ctive worker in the revolutionary ranks. .
rev up the programme ofthe party and under I
ne name of Borodin delivered lectures on !
ociai1sm 10 secret gatherings of workingmen. (
workman, who for small bribe consented
} play the spy, betrayed him to the police {
nd be was arrested aud confined In the fort {
nss of SITS. Peter and Paul. Here he remained I
'r three years in close confinement, and then, I
ith the aid of friends, succeeded in making (
is escape. He has since, until very recently,
sided abroad, mainly in France or Switzer- T
nd. =
The prince is born agitator and orator, y