The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-07-30

Accordingly Vera armed herself with
revolver and visited the general the
next day. Securing admission to his
Office under some pretext, she approach
ed the chair where he sat and without
q word shot him dead
Thought to Be insane.
This case caused great excitement on
account Of its unusual features and was
one Of the few which were tried by
Jury. The girl being deemed too young
TO undertake such deed while in her
rational mind. she was acquitted on the
ground of insanity. When news Of the
verdict reached the throngs which sur
rounded the courthouse, it was greeted
with prolonged shouts Of approval,
when the police charged into the mob
and killed several people. Hurriedly en-
tering a carriage in waiting, Vera Zas-
sulitch changed her dress for the garb
of a nun and afterWard escaped into
Switzerland.
Eugene and Maria Soobotin were
two sisters who were as noted for their
beauty and accomplishments as for their
daring recklessness. Acting as spies for
their party, they were able to secure in
formation which often saved their fell
low nihilists from arrest On one occa-
sion, gaining the confidence of high
official, they learned from him all about
General Ignatieff's plans for the sup
preston of the liberal movement, and
from another source they procured list
of the nihilists whom the general in
tended Immediately to arrest. Thus the
scheme was frustrated, but the safety
Of the suspects was not long contin-
ued The spies Of the dreaded Third
section soon secured enough evidence to
arrest the brave sisters, who little dream
81 tbof o,,~y crrc,,foiov, 1ftaoboI ~ fhcr,1
Being reused from their beds at mid
night. they were quietly conveyed to
the fortress, and it was not for some
months afterward that the other mem
bers of their circle discovered their
whereabouts After long period of sol
itary confinement in the lOathsOme prls-
on they were finally exiled to Siberia
Other Adherents to the Cause.
Two other prominent workers in the
cause of nihilism were Miles Ivanova
and Griaznova. The former was a daugh-
ter Of a military officer and was con-
nected with the secret printing Office Of
the terrorist" organ, Peoples Will
When the journals place of publication
was discovered, these courageous wom-
en-, revolvers in hand, kept the soldiers
at bay for couple of hours. The gen
darmes fred continuously through the
doors and windows, but it was only
through lack of ammunition that those
inside were finally compelled to surren-
der. A soldier tied securely the hands
and feet of one Of the women and threw
her violently to the ground, and while
in this attitude she reproached her COM
rades for their cowardice in SO readily
yielding Up the situation. For this de-
fiance another gendarme beat her about
the face and body and injured her very
seriously. This imam" was one of the
witnesses against her at the trial
which followed, and, the evidences of
his brutality being entirely disregarded,
the victim was sentenced to IS years
penal servitude. I believe that, through
the influence of the heir apparent, TO
whom the court martial appealed, this
penalty was afterward committed to four
years, though the other woman was
transported to Siberia for life.
The great Winter palace explosion of
1880 brought into prominence another
young wom an--Vera Figner, the daugh-
ter of high Russian official-who was
a devoted adherent of the liberal cause.
Though acquitted of the charge of COM
plicity in the plot to destroy the palace,
she was subsequently sentenced to 8
years penal servitnde for being identi-