Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-17
PRINCE CAUSED GIRLS LASTING.
Victim Of Brutal Flogging Not Mile.
Smirnoff. the American.

The fogging of Mile de Smirnoff, men,
Der of the Russian aristocracy, by soldiers
of the fashionable Chevalier Guard, one of
the swagger regiments in the cars army,
transcends all other topics at St. Peters
burg. Mile. Smirnoff, member of a notable
family of ST. Petersburg, Is the victim OF
the extraordinary brutalism characteristic
Of the military officers now stationed there
officers generally seem scared and appar-
emily believe the deluge is near, hence they
do not care what they do or what happens.
The American correspondent of the New
York American last night interviewed Basil
Smirnoff, the victims brother, who is
member of the best clubs in st. Petersburg.
He has written to Premier Stolypin demand
ing the punishment of the officers of the
Chevalier Guard Regiment who were guilty
of the outrage. Basil Smrnoff said:
My sister Anna was fiogged by order of
an offlcer whom ibis comrades addressed as
prince. I've not yet discovered the princes
identity. Annals offense consisted In fol-
lowing Internationally detachment of the
spirit Of levity she remarked aloud: oh,
such heroes' =.
AN officer of the guard nearest her
shouted: Wen show you some heroes!
Officers drove her to the Military Club and
dragged her to the courtyard.
There they struck her, called her I'M
printable names and spat in her face. The
officer whom everybody addressed as prince
commanded soldiers to spread some hay
over the courtyard and then threw my sis
ter into it, telling the soldiers: Now you
can do with the girl what you will
THE soldiers, being gentlemen, unlike the
officers, Indignantly refused to attack my
sister,; Then the same prince summoned
seven privates armed with whips used for
fiogging convicts. The prince ordered the
cnlC IN hrir1 my tn he moe
yard and commanded the seven to give her
twenty-five blows.
MY sister tainted under the f1ogging. The
officers cheered while the whipping pro-
crossed. My sisters back was a mass Of
bleeding, bruised flesh.
Doctors fear that she may die, and that,
anyway, if she RECEIVERS, she'll suffer per-
manent internal injuries from the terrible
flogging.
II have not yet discovered the names of
the officers guilty of the outrage. The
regiment contains many officers who are
princes and counts, but no matter how eX-
allied their position, I'll never rest until
I've secured an investigation and the pun
ishment of those guilty Of the brutal fog
ging."
The reference in the above dispatch from
the Americans correspondent in St Peters
burg to Mile. Smirnoff as Anna" definitely
young woman was Nilka de Smirnoff a
granddaughter Of Henry T. Blow of st.
Louis, who was United States minister to
the Russian court about forty years ago.
While stationed there his daughter. Nellie
T. Blow, married Count de Smirnoff. and
some sensational stories were printed yes
terday that their daughter. Nilka, had been
the victim OF the outrage. This Nilka
Smirnoff was well known in Washington.
a former associate of Countess Cassini and
Mrs Longworth, then Miss Roosevelt, and
a relative of the Wadsworths of New York
state. Her relatives aroused by the report
had appealed to the authorities at Wash
ington for information, and there was
much interest at the capital. Mile Nilka
Smirpoff is now believed to be in Finland.