Evening star., 1909-03-06
service reproaches tho government with
his membership in criminal associa-

service" reproaches the government with
his membership in criminal associa-
tion"
The proofs in the hands of the douma
are-so this informant pretends-certain
letters from ministers skilfully tampered
with by Lopoukhine to incriminate
Ratchkovski and others. And IT is in
sinuated that if Ratchkovski be finally
driven too much, he may speak out
to the further painful surprise of the
central revolutionsts.
There may be slander here: or 1t may
be bluff. Gapon was unmasked by the
virtuous Azeff Azeff was unmasked by
the devoted Bourtzev. Will any one dare
accuse Bourtzev in turn with old-time
intimacy with Lopoukhine when director
OF the Russian police observation-disclosures
zey, one of the very martyrs?
For it is generally supposed that the
innermcst nucleus of the central revolu-
tionists of Paris and London must be
composed of none but martyrs.
The record Of Bourtzev Is that of a
true martyr AS university student. he
had collected subscriptions to distribute
cheap editions of history and political
economy among workingmen. His let
ters were opened--which led to search
of his rooms. Nothing much was found;
yet he was sent to the third section
prison. Confined several months without
trial and released. he came out an
ardent revolutionist at last.
Supporting himself by librarianship.
he was again arrested; hut all they could
prove against him was the publication OF
some historical writings. After two years
waiting trial. he was indicted with eighty
two others and acquitted Now high IN
revolutionary counsels. he founded his
"Bylok'' ('The Pasto-and got exiled
to Siberia on administrative order. 1t
was in exile. therefore. that he really
founded .'Bylok," devoted to the history
of the liberating movement.
Amnestied in 1903. he transplanted his
Review TO st. Petersburg. where in the
first year it reached 10000 circulation.
1T was there, one day, that
Lcpoukhine came to offer me the memoirs
refugee in Paris. offers to appear in per-
son before the douma If they will give
him a safe conduct.
Prince Kropitkine. who presided over
the tribunal of terror. before which
Bourtzev gave his proofs against Azeff.
Is supposed to be forbidden Paris His
In Russia are we'll known
from his descriptions Of the
horrors of the Fortress Of st. Peter and
st. Paul. His martyrdom even extended
to France, where he did three years In
Clairvaux penitentiary for melting the
\
ing in the world, at Lyons!
Vera Figner and Hermann Lopatine.
the two other members of the tribunal.
were life prisoners Of the Schlusselburg
Castle prison on an island in Lake La
doga. Finally liberated only when sup
posed to be beyond doing HARM they
were companions of such devoted ones
as Sophie Ginsburg, who there killed her.
self with blunt scissors for fear Of be-
traying friends and of Starodvorsky. as
sassin of the great Sudyekin.
Vera Figner, born a noble saw an in
nocent elder sister martyred by police sus-
picion for nothing but mild philanthropy.
Graduating to be full terrorist, Vera's
terrible work ended in her betrayal to
Sudyekin by the renegade Degayev and
her indictment as accomplice in all the
attempts on the life Of Alexandra II.
Vera Figner went to her life i'm
prisonment a beautiful young girl like
a living incarnation of the revolution.
lovely in it's ideal, sure of herself like
q conqueror." After twenty years
confinement, she came out "a bowed