Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-04-30
HER JUSTIFICATION.
Russian Girl Who Killed Luz
 henoffski Tells Why.
HORRORS PRACTISED BY PET1YCzARS
Revolting Pen Picture of Muscovite Repression - Brutalities of the Bureaucracy to Condemned
 Young Woman.

l aliIc. Spilluohofa, lhC SiIi "hO luul dered Luzhenoffski, the chief of the gendarmerie at Tambov, to the court martial which sentenced her to be hanged. It is in every respect re- markable story, painting revolting picture of the terrible repressions prac- tised by the petty czars" who exer- else almost the power of life and death in the faraway provinces of Russia.
 "Yes, I murdered Luzhenoffski, and I desire to explain my deed. I am a member of the Social Revolutionary party. The discontent of the people with the existing regime has turned into revolution, armed resistance to the authorities, attacks on officials and into open collisions with the troops in the streets. Instead of meeting the needs of the people the government used guns, bayonets and bullets, but they did not succeed.
 ''Then they invented the manifesto of liberty. But at the same time they also invented alleged popular demon- strations by the organization of the Black Hundred outrages. The mani- festo was only piece of strategy and nothing else.
 AS soon as the bureaucracy realized that the manifesto could be over thrown it planned its campaign and returned to the traditional method of expressing the people which was so dear to its heart-namely, repression. The horrors of the reaction was worse than anything which had preceded. Over 200 men were murdered under the guise of executions, the inteli- gentsia' were crammed into prisons, every association which opposed the government was closed, the press was gagged, the armed uprisings were SUD- pressed with machine guns.
 "The bureaucracy deliberately ere ated conditions which made it impos- sible for the peoples indignation to reach the supreme power, and the off, ficial reports were filled with tran quillity, happiness and peace
 ''In the suppression of the present disorders the work of the bureaucracy was especially splendid. 1t should be written in history in golden letters. won't speak about the specification of the peasants in many of the provinces. I won't even speak of the whole of the province of Tambov, but will confne myself to the bloody work of Luzhe- noffski.
 "Villages which he visited he left looking like Bulgarian villages after Turkish raids. In the village of Paw lodar ten men were killed by his or. ers-Shcherbakoff, three of the family of Zeitseff, Ostrovitinoff, -Dubrovin, etc. Young Pavel Zeitseff, through the self sacrifice of his family, had receiv- ed a good education in the Yekaterino- slav Normal school. He was an hon. est, clean. enthusiastic young man. He used to say, All of my learning and knowledge I will bring back to my village for distribution among my brothers.' He and his friend, Ostro- vitinoff. when Luzhenoffski arrived went to him as the delegates of the peasants and Luzhenoffski replied to their requests with a volley from his Cossacks.
 For four days Zeitseff and Ostrovi- tinoff were tortured-tortured until they died.
 After his 'triumphar trips Luzhe- noffski was able to lay as trophies of victories at the feet of the bureaucra- cy murdered peasants. ruined owners, assaulted women and bruised and crip- pied children.
 He was an oppressor of the people, and he merited death. The Social Rev olutionary party seeks to protect the interests of the masses even at the price of personal sacrifice. Its aim is to establish political and economical conditions which will permit the people to realize a socialistic regime in which liberty. fraternity and equality will be reality and not dream.
 Tn the name of humanity. of truth and of justice the Tambov committee and I condemned Luzhenoffski to death. With full appreciation of the responsibility of my act I undertook the execution of the sentence because my heart was breaking with sorrow. and 1t was no longer possible to live with the tales of the horror produced by LuzhenOffski's acts ringing in my ears. had seen peasants who had gone insane after their tortures. I had met a woman who had gone mad be- cause her pretty fifteen-year-old daugh- ter had thrown herself under the ice in shame because she had been raped by Cossacks. and after that no pros pect of torture could stop me from ex- ecuting my decision.
 And really the vengeance of the pO- lice upon me was worthy of their most infamous traditions. was crushed and subjected to all those tortures which the government used to prate about abolishing Everything I wrote in my letter was true. I was tor tured not only physically hut mentally. was struck in the face. my tor mentsrs spat in my face." Here she proceeded to tell her judges the story which has already been published of how she was stripped and beaten and burned and violated.
 She concluded with these words:
 "In spite of all the horrors to which I have been subjected I am happy in the thought that belong to the ranks of tna rrr+er-nrs nf rha r.eorIa and