Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-03-29
PLEA SPURNED.
Sergius' Slayer Listens
Not to Grand Duchess.
Offered Forgiveness If He Will
Be Repentant.
One of the Many Dramatic Scenes In
Russia,

dramatic episodes connected with the
| tragic history of the recent revolutionary
| acts in Russia was the visit made by
| Grand Duchess Elizabeth to the cell of
| the prisoner who assassnatcd her hus-
band, Grand Duke Sergius. 1t had been
| her desire to see, to meet. TO listen TO
| the man who had taken the life OF her
| husband.
| She got the project of police to accom-
pany her. He is tall, fierce of eye, COM
handing Of figure, square shOuldered,
| fed-cheelled soldierly in his bearing.
The grand ducal widow was in ueep
mourning. The gorgeousness of flash
ing harness buckles was abandoned when
her carriage drove to the prison. Her
dress was black, severely so-a long veil
of mourning falling from her head al
most to the ground.
The doors of the gloomy prison open
| ed. Through winding halls the noise OF
| dripping water, the clankinG Of swords
! the moaning of prisoners fell upon their
| ears.
There came a halt A single yellow
electric globe appeared high above the
| six by eight room in which the murderer
was confined. on a cot the prisoner
yawned, stood up, rubbed his eyes and
sullenly confronted his visitors.
The widows voice was strained when
she told him who she was. 1t was in
strange. contrast to the harsh notes he
had heard constantly since his arrest. In
stead of a figure red with the ire OF
| vengeance and harsh with the notes of
hatred, there appeared before him soft,
ltcar-stained woman, the incarnation OF
| all that was gentle and kind
oh how could you have killed my
husband?" she cried almost choking.
| Had he ever harmed you? Tell me if
| he ever said a. thing unkind or commit
| ted an act ungenerous To you or yours.
| The project of police stood by her side
as the unabashed assassin looked both
| squarcly in the face. If the glances Of
| the project were intended to awe the
prisoner. they lacked effect. Not has
| tened breath escaped his lips as he calm
| ly answered.
oh, no. | had never seen your nus
band until that fatal day. He had done
nothing to me personally, ] assure you
of that. | only obeyed my brothers or
drrs."
| The woman gaZed compassiorately up
on the wan creature before her. She
seemed to take in his unhappy physical
surroundings; to realize that ne was to
he another martyr to a revolutionary
cause; feel that he was but an instru-
ment faithful and a aggressive in his SYM
partly with those for whom he had MUIR
dcred a member of the royal family.
| IF you repent she said haltingly,
for her voice was wonderfully SOftcned
now. IF you repent of what you have
done, | will give you my husbands for
givrness. He is dcad-I shall not see his
face again. But l speak for his spirit;
am his wife: ] come as if he We're liv-
ing and standing before YOU"
The scene did not unnervc the perfect
of police. He Interrupted the CONVERSE
ton by asking:
Did You ever see me before? Do you
know vino | ann"
The words had not ceased to echo be
fore the prisoner calmly replied:
"Certainly, | know you as well as any
one living. You are number seven on
the list. l cannot forget yOu-neVer,
lnever, never. l am sorry you are doom
ed: but it is 50. None this side of heaven
can help You and may God have mercy
on YOU"
The widow could stand the strain no
longer and asked to he led away. As
she passed along the cells, She heard the
plaintive wall Of a weeping man. If
she had inquired she would have learned
that he was the one who had made her
a widow. lie fell upon his face the in
slant she was gone and cried.
on the day of the intermcnt of the
grand dukes body, Gen. Trepof. one of
the Russian ministers, ATTENDED the fu-
neral at Moscow. He appeared in civil
i'm dress that he might not attract the
relovlutionists. When he returned home
he congratulated himself that his identi-
ltY had been concealed.
| Next day the following letter was ly-
ing On his desk before him:
| Monsieur: We regret that you were
put to 50 much trouble in devising n
means Of escaping from Moscow without
being killed We desire to make your
mind easy on that score. You have
nothing to fear in tho streets or in the
theatres or in any of the public places.
You will be killed in Your own bedroom "