Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1907-10-29
PHOTOGRAPH COST 5 LIVES.
LIEUT.. NIkiTENKo AND Asso-
GATES CONVICTED ON MANU-
FACTURED EVIDENCE.
Had Pictures of Peterhof Palace
Matushenko Claimed that RE Had
Been Shanghaied Out of New York.

sons accused OF plotting to asSaSSinate
the Car are coming out, and the
methods resorted to in order to con
Wet illustrate the desperate method:
of the palace officials, writes the st
Petersburg correspondent of the New
York World
The chief inquisition was levelleo
at Boris Nikitenko, a retired lieuten
ant of the navy, and his conviction
hinged upon his alleged possession O.
a photograph of the interior of the
Cars private courtyard in the Peter
hof Palace. which the officials held
was taken surreptitiously.
At the Office of the court secretary
the World correspondent obtained {
copy of this famous photograph from
the police records. 1t shows the in
size of the wonderful court, the mos
isolated spot in any civilized country
where the ruler of Russia usually
passes lis summers in splendid soil
tude.
The jealousy guarded park is clos
ed to all the world. Only the mos
favored among royalties may steI
therein or enjoy the magical beautie.
of the place.
Here it was that the Gear entertain
ed the President of the French Re
public. 1t has been called the Rus
sian Versailles, because it was built
upon the same plans as the noted
French palace by the creator of both
Count Charles Pestrelli.
1t stands on an eminence command
ing a superb view of the Finnish
coast, and is about sixteen miles from
St. Petersburg. 1t surpasses in beauty
every other royal abode in Europe
The main building, three stories il
height, is constructed of marble anC
red granite, the roof and innumerablt
domes being constructed of iron, rich
ly gilded.
Minor palaces, chapels and villas
surround the central pile, serving tt
adorn the gardens, which, after all
are the great feature of the place
Terraces slip away to the sea, ant
every aspect presents a new and var
iedly beautiful vista
The fountains are the despair of ar
chitects. They are situated directly
in front of the palace, where the fal
famed Samson Fountain throws &
stream 100 feet in air. 1t is surround
ed by bronz statuary representing
grif1ns, dolphins and beasts. all vom
iting water
The whole volume of water flows
over a series of marble slabs to the
sea, nearly half mile away.
The Golden Cascade is so named on
account of the immense flight of gol
den steps down which the crystal
flood glides.
Within the splendor is worthy of the
exterior. The palace is exquisitely
furnished in style of the last cen
fury, and the entire edifice is crammed
with priceless pictures, porcelains
tapestries, malachite, lapis lazuli and
treasures of every description. The
entrance hall is surrounded by marble
columns, and from it ascends the won
derful Golden Staircase, with its
heavy gilt Renaissance balustrade.
The red room contains 500 paintings
of beautiful women from every corner
in Russia, painted expressly for the
Empress Catherine H., by Rotari, the
Italian, who roamed about the empire
for years executing his mission.
The Peterhof Palace contains an
enormous theatre, and a Bayzantine
church, which literally glitters with
jewels. The candlesticks and com
munion plate and ikons, are all OF
solid gold incrusted with diamonds
and emeralds, while the baptismal
font is fashioned out of huge block
of malachite.
The mere possession of a secret
photograph of the Cars solitary
court in the Peterhof Palace was con
sidered sufficient evidence wherein tc
base the death sentence condemnine
Nikitenko, Simasky and Naumof to
death by hanging.
How Nikitenko managed to SNUG
gle a camera into this always-watched
garden is puzzling officials and public
alike. 1t is pretended by the prosecu
ton that a soldier of a Guard regi
ment was bribed to permit assassins
in the garb of Cossacks to enter and
kill the Car during his daily promen
ade. 1t is asserted that the assassins
hoped to destroy the Car in the gar
den one moonlight night
The Peterhof was considered the
only secure spot where the ruler oil
Russia could pass his time during the
summer for the past three years. He
passes his winters at Tsarskoe-Sel
One of the members Of the court
was asked by the World correspon
dent how it was possible to get this
picture of the Cars garden, which, il
is alleged, an officer of the palace
found in the accused's possession.
After exacting pledge that his
identity should not be exposed. the
Judge answered:
Suppose the picture was planted
by some member of the secret police
in order that testimony might be al
hand2 1t would be easy to do, and
thus impress the Car with the facil
ity with which access to his secret
stronghold could be at hand. 1t was
a way to make the Car connect the
officers of the Liberal party with the
plotters.'
For more than three months the
Government has been searching fol
an official hangman, but has not found
one, although a generals salary has
been offered.
The World correspondent has learn
ed that the leader of the Black Sea
mutiny, Matushenko, who was arrest
ed in Odessa, was kidnapped from
New York He fed to America. anc
passed two years there. 1t is giver
out by the Government that Matu
shenko grew homesick in New Yorl
and returned to Russia The ex-rebe