The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-11-08

this end of the century. Every Russian
youth has a. career mapped out for him.
Let US say that the head of d noble
Russian family has four sons, whom
ne sends to the university. Education,
first of all, they must have, to fit them
for any career. A, the eldest, is des-
tined for government services. 3, the
second, is to be a doctor. G, the third,
shall go into the army. d, the young
est, does not distinguish himself in his
studies, and is the black sheep, as 1t
were, of the family fold When he
does not pass his examinations his
parents are incensCd. When his breth-
rem have finished their university
courses and are launched into life D.
is still hanging on, drinking and dane
ing, dissipating his opportunities and
the liberal allowance his father makes
him. At last the father loses patience,
and, giving him a round sum of money,
bids him be gone. to America, to At
RIGA, anywhere out of Russia, where he
has disgraced a proud name. But the
youth has made friends at the univer-
stty of other neer do wee1s. Perhaps
ne has mistress. Assuredly he is al
ready familiar figure in the tractors
or tea cafes. They meet to bemoan
his misfortune. and prestoi they form
themselves into nihilist circle.
FORMING A NIHILIST CIRCLE.
''The circle thus formed. a regular
meeting place, a private room, we will
say, in their favOrite tractor. is Sc
lected as the rendezvous for conspiracy,
as we'll as for social enjoyment. There
they sup and drink and plot and dance.
The very walters who serve them are
in the secret service of the czar; a
Russian officer is the cars wholly
He may not refuse the humblest mis-
sion. Any enterprise which tends to
no fa+x or ions
of his imperial master it is the officers
privilege and pleasure, as well as his
sworn duty. to undertake.
. Form more circles comes the word
from the chief. the arch conspirator Of
all, say TrOubetskoy, in Geneva, and
then form a plot. SO they help on
the formation of other circles, and at
last the plans for the actual demon
stration, the blow at the life of ma
jeSty itself, or some prominent general
or faithful officer in the cars service,
are ready for final arrangement.
Now the secret police have long
since been aware of what is going on,
and arranging in their turn for their
grand coup. There are many ways by
which the formation of the new circle
may have been brought to the knOwl-
edge OF the police. The walters in the
tractor. as mentioned, may be spies,
who report regularly TO the authorities.
Or one of the invited may have lost
his nerve. in spite of the fearful oath
he took on entrance. an oath requiring
him TO die rather than to betray his
comrades binding him to infiict the
most fTightful mutilatiOns on any other
traitor, Obliging him to commit suicide
rather than submit to arrest, and so
endanger the safety of his brother
comrades He may have told all to his
mistress, and invited her into the cir
Oln no HON o. n lilo ID
sian women, goes to confession and
confdes to the priest that she has
joined the circle. or that she loves a
man who is a member of it.
CAPTURING THE CIRCLE.
% Never mind. my daughter says
the priest; don't let that trouble you
I'll absolve you, and if you'll send
your friend to me 1 Will absolve him
also Whereupon the priest straight
way tells all to the government for
he is himself a part of the government
al system, and when the lover comes
to confessional he is foolish enough
he is not seen again at the circle.
There are many mysterious disappear
ances in Russia.
The fair penitent. her heart light
from dissolution, goes gayly again 10
the tractor where the circle meets.
The police spies have followed her, and
if her lover has not taken her advice
and gone to confession the circle is
gayer that evening than ever. They
drink tea and vodka and sing nihiHst
songs They are all arrested together
in their chosen meeting place and
taken swiftly and silently away to
prison, each wondering if any of the
others is a traitor
Colonel Mccarthy threw away his
cigarette as one who would as lightly