Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-12-25
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT MUST GO
Efforts to Suppress Angry Crusade
Have Failed.
ARTISANS AND STUDENTS IN RIOTS
Estimates Place Number of Executions
at Over Three Thousand.
MEMOIRS FEARED
Former subchIef of Russian secret
Police, Now Outside OF CHar's Do
miniOns, VIII Print
Revelations.
BY GEORGE FRASER.


ST. PETERSBURG. Dec. a-(special to
The Bee.)-The recent revelations concern
ing the wholesale executions ordered by
courts-martial have started crusade
against capital punishment which Is giving
the government serious trouble and which
despite all efforts TO suppress It. Is grow
ing rapidly. The very efforts to suppress
the movement has given It bitter tinge
which is distinctly dangerous
Thirteen members OF the Central Trade
Unions committee at St Petersburg have
been arrested on a charge Of attempting
to organize workmen's demonstration
against capital punishment.
Student demonstrations against the death
penalty took place In various streets and
squares In Moscow recently. The gather
ings were dispersed by the troops and
mounted police and Isl arrested.
1t is estimated that not less than 5000
men and women have been executed BY
order Of these courts-martial many Of
them after farcicai trials at which no evil
dence Of guilt whatever has been presented
The feeling aroused by these revelations is
very bitter and widespread.
MenchikOff to Tell Tales.
There will be some lurid pages OF secret
service in the revelations shortly 10 be
given TO the world by NJ Menchlkoff, for
twenty years sub-chief of the Russian
secret political police, who has recently re-
signed and quilted the country
The romance of beautiful spy named
Leonidova is but one chapter Of the revela-
tons he intends to make. Leonidova lived
at Moscow. In order to avenge herself
on a rival who had taken away her lover
she denounced her as a terrorist. The
rival was arrested and disappeared. The
denunciation was received by Menchikoff
who enrolled Leondova among his force OF
spies; while receiving 100 roubIes a month
from the secret police she acted as secre-
tsry to a socialist organization, whose
members she stirred up to acts Of revolt at
the same time denouncing them to the
Russian authorities.
Inen she fellin love with a Journalist
to whom she confessed her secret. At this
moment NJ. Menchikoff went over TO the
revolutionaries. to whom he gave a list OF
his collaborators. Leonidova was denounced
in the terrorist newspapers and she and
her lover left Russia for Paris to protest
their innocence, but did not go further than
Berlin. There they separated the lover
going off to America She returned to
Russia, where she tried to poison herself.
but after long illness she has now gone
to Paris to rehabilitate herself.
Visiting ToIStoi's Grave.
Tolstofs grave at Yasna Poliana is likely
to become one Of the chief places Of Dill
grimage in the empire. Since the funeral
large number Of peasants arrive there
daily. They come mostly on foot, and
many are now on the way there tramp.ng
from places far distant
At the grave many hundreds NAV be
seen on their knees chanting and kissing
the soil The pilgrims are allowed TO pass
through the rooms which Tolstoi occupied.
where nothing has been disturbed There
is deep resentment at the holy synod's ac-
tion in forbidding memorial services in the
orthodox churches.
Desperate Bet Ends FATALLY.
Prince Vladimir Teropakoff, a penniiess
nobleman, has sacrificed his life at Mos
COW In an attempt to win strange wager.
Count Waldig wealthy land owner. made
a bet with him that he would not drink a
gallon OF liquor at a draught The princes
reward II he accomplished the feat was
to be the title deeds OF a valuable estate.
The prince ate nothing all day with the
exception Of salt herring, and In the
evening in the presence OF the count and
four witnesses. he raised the gallon lar
TO his lips and drank steadily until he set
II down empty The title deeds OF the
estate were handed to him, but hardly
had he received them when he sank 10
the ground and died in a few momentA