The Saint Paul globe., 1904-12-17
.SASONEFF TELLS ALL
Why. Won Plehve's Slayer Is a
ReyoIutionist

+ ST PETERSBURG, Dec ia high
parsonage who attended the trial of
Sasoneff; the assassin of Minister of the
Interior Yen Plehve, gives the substance
of the prisoners speechs In which he
strove to justify his act. Sasoneff spoke
calmly and eloquently, explaining the
aims and objects of the Socialist Revolu-
tionary party. The reasons for Won
Plehve's murder, the prisoner said, were
his own biographer. Sasoneff told how he
Joined the party and committed the
crime. He declared that the Socialist
Revolutionary party did not contemplate
a foreible destruction of autocracy, real
izing the inpossibility of such task
without the aid Of an army.
The Socialist Revolutionary party, Sa-
soneff said, is entirely different from the
party of the National WILL" which slew
Emperor Alexander III. This latter party
was engaged in desperate duel with the
autocracy, in which to annihflate was the
sole aim and object. The Socialist Revo-
lutionary party Is a peaceful propaganda
to show the evils of autocracy and grad
ually inculcate the principles of socialism
among all classes Of the nation; but real
izfng that the attainment of perfect
socialistic state is so remote that "by the
time it is reached Russia probably Will be,
obiiterated from the face Of the globe.
This peaceful and idealistfc mission en-
countered the ruthless opposition of GER
tain. ministers, such as Bogoiiepoff, min
lister of public instruction (who was shot
Jan. 81, 1901, and died March 13 Of the
same year,, and Sipiaguine, minister of
the interior (assassinat ted April 15, 1902,
and notably Won Plehve, who made q
business of hunting down apostles of
socialism.
The party was compelled to defend it
self, and this gave rise to q fighting or
20
exterminate prosecutors. Sasoneff recited
a list of acts for which Won Plehve was
condemned, including the persecution of
Firms. the slaughter of workmen at
Zlatoust the murder of Jews at Kishenev
and the spolation Of Armenians, besides
his treatment of Socialists. When the
committee of the fighting organization de-
cided On Won Plehves death there were
over one hundred volunteers to execute
the sentence. Sasoneff was selected and
was told he would have an accomplice.
but he did not know the name OF this ac-
compiice until he saw Sikorifsky after the.
murder. Sasoneff declared that 1t was
took to deprive a human being of life.
but that he realized that "the monster
Won Plehve could only be met with the
monster Death.
Sasoneff said that he came of family
belonging to the old faith, which had en-
ricned itself in the lumber trade at Oren-
burg and U1a. lie was sent TO the UNI
verSity of Moscow, where, for an act
which he had not committed he was con-
demned to grievous penalty. He then
returned to his home in Ufa and began to
study socialistic doctrines. The murder
of Minister Bogoliepoff greatly impressed
him, and he began to think the pistol
bullet was the only remedy for tyranny.
Soon afterward he joined the Ural COM
mfttee of the Socialist Revolutionary
party, whose headquarters were at Ufa.
He was again arrested on the charge of
spreading the doctrine of socialism and
condemned to five years exile In Siberia.
While he was in prison at Ufa he met
peasants awaiting trial in connection with
the Zlatoust strike. and learned how
Governor General Bogdanovitch, under
Won Plehve's inspiration. gave orders to
fire upon crowd of helpless, innocent
peasants. He vowed to slay Bogdano-
Witch. but later heard that a eomrade,
who has not yet been discovered killed
the governor general. Saseneff then told
how he escaped from Siberian convict
gang and crossed the frontier, ultimately
reaching Geneva, from whence he came
to st. Petersburg to kill Won PiefiVe. He
wound up with declaration that no
power on earth was able to stop the
spread of the human ideals of the Social
ist Revolutionary party, whose work was
carried on by thousands of willing hands
throughout the length and breadth of the
empire.