Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-01-31
SERGIUS STEPNIAK.
THE MYSTERIOUS NIHILlST WHO WAS
KILLED BY A LOCOMOTIVE.
He Carried the Secret of His Identity to
His Gravc--A Remarkable Man In MANY
Senses, His Career Was Filled With
Thrilling Experiences.

Senses, His Career Was Filled with
Thrilling Experiences.
Sergius Michael Dragomanoff Stepnial1.
linguist, ethnologist, author and nihilist
| met n death as dramatic as tho life he had
lived. Stepniak, while moro prominent AS
a nihilist, will probably be remembered
rather as one of the three novelists whom
Little Russia has given to tho world.
Petroff, Masoch and Stepniak all called
that corner of the Russian empire their
fatherland. Stepniak's whole life was
shrouded in mystery, and his birthplace
and name have never been authoritatively
established. He is supposed to have been
born in 1S41 at Hadjatsch, in the Ukraine
seminoblo family descended from tho Cos
sacks of Little Russia. From 1865 to 1868
he was a student at Kicv, and ho pub
lished several works during that time,
which were prohibited by the government
in 1862. In 1870 he became professor at
the University of kiev, but was removed
from his chair by tho government three
years later. Ho WAS exlled in 1876 on ac-
count Of his criticism of the system pur-
sued by Count Tolstoi, one Of the minis
ters Of justice, and he thereupon settled in
Geneva, writing various popular works in
tho Little Russian dialect He began to
work hard for tho establishment of equal
political rights in Russia and declared
against socialism as well as absolutism.
On Aug, 10, 1878, Vera Sassulitch, a
young woman nihilist, assassinated Gen
eral Tropoff, project of police in St Pc
tcrsburg. Five months later Trepoff's
successor, General Mezentzeff, was stabbed
in the street, but the assassin Jumped into
q carriage in waiting and escaped Two
other occupants OF the carriage, however,
were captured, and proved to be DR.. Wei
mer, the court physician, and his wife
Both We're sent to Siberia. The suspicion
has been persistent that man named
kazchetfsky was the assailant and that
Kazchefsky was Stepniak
London was his refuge for many years,
and there he published Free Russia, a
newspaper devoted to the interests of an
archy. He came to the United States in
December, 1890, on lecture tour for the
purpose of arousing sentiment against
Russian despotism. In London he was
constantly watched, and a number OF at
tempts We're made to carry him of
Sergius Michael Dragomanoff Stepniall
his pseudonym in full-the most feared
nihilist in the world died carrying the
secret of his identity to the grave. For Is
years he was one of the best known men
in Europe. yet none knew him. He was
the recognized leader of the nihilists, but
not manager of the bomb throwing cam
paign. His efforts were along the line of
moral persuasion and appeal to the intel
lect, His whole life, as we have said. was
enshrouded in mystery, and none, save
perhaps "A few, could say whether he ever
participated in physical force plots. al
though he was often suspected. 1t is Ger
tain that in later years he looked with less
favor upon radical measures. and frequent
" spoke against them. Yet he did not
disguise his sympathy for the slayer Of the
late car. Stepniak means literally Tho
son Of the Steppes, " and he admitted it
to be an assumed name.
Apart from all questions Of right or
wrong, or OF expediency, rs far as related
60 the cause to which Stepniak had deyot-
ed his life, the personal equation of the
man had much which is remarkable. He
had given us in his Career of a NihiliSt "
of 1889, the peculiar traits of those moh
who have thrown down their challenge to
the car. Human bravery has its heroic
side and Stepniak had shown indifference
to life n thousand times, but in a manner
which is special.
Sergius Stopniak, though modest to
degree, was known among his fellow rev.
olutionists 10 have planned ont many a
method of escape for condemned prison
err, and by his own personal proves and
aho., u 4
DASH what self control, it must have tax.
en- to try at least III "a crowded Russian
city to get to man whose fate was sealed
Stepniak, who drove = sledge alongside,
would have done his best to pluck the con-
demned man right out of the grip of Tie
armed soldiers so as to put him in his
own sledge, and so driven him off. This
effort, as the political prisoner NolkhoysLy
tells us, failed, but not from any fault Of
Sorgius Stepniak. If on this occasion an
Unforeseen accident prevented the accom-
piishment of tho escape, nevertheless tho
cool daring OF Stepniak remains as salient
as ever. Many - man and woman who
lives today outside of Russia is Of this
world now because of the strong hand and
of this nihilist.
In appearance he was a man not quito b
feet in height, but his solid build and
form, with breadth of shoulders
and large, well shaped head made him
appear not so tall as he really was. His
type of face was distinctly Russian, his
forehead of great width and his eyes in
tensely black 1t was face show ing will
and control OF power. One might specu-
late long on the ways of Stepniak and
wonder how, with such "a marked face. he
was so long capable of escaping detection
by means of DISCUSSES, for to change his
appearance, one might fancy, required
marked mobility of expression.
Stepniak spoke English, French and
Italian perfectly. In conversation in Eng
lish he never seemed ut loss for the exact
word, though he retained somewhat of a
foreign accent. His voice was singuarly
sweet and well modulated, and his man.
ner, never slow, was rather impressive.
Thoroughly logical in describing the con
dition of his country, the efforts made to
establish some semblance of liberty in
Russia he was not imprisoned Every
argument was quietly, calmly presented
The enthusiasm in the man he kept latent
Telegraph.