New-York tribune., 1910-03-09
TSCHAIkOVSKYPLE
NOT GUILTY. HE SAYS.
Signs of Ueak Case 41gainst
1Hegcd Conspirators.

St. Petersburg. March S-Nfcholas V
Tschaikovsky pleaded not guilty. and Nine.
Breshkovskaya responded. Il admit that
am Social Pevolu:ionist." when their
trials on charges Of criminal activity In
the revolutionary organization began to-
day. THE prisoners. court officers, Tschai-
kovsky's wife and forty gendarnes and
detectives were the only persons in the
courtroom.
All the testimony of the prosecution was
introduced to-day and the trial probably
viii be concluded tomorrow. The tesJi-
mony Of the states witnesses was not
especially damaging. The governments
chief witness. Pateuk, the informer. made
an unsatisfactory impression, even on the
judge who aided counsel for the defence
in bringing 70 light the shady reputation
of the man.
! The court adjourned it's sitting at II
o'clock tonight. with the testimony cf the
prosecution and defence entirely in. The
prosecutions whole case rests or the state
ments Of Pateuk, VINO added nothing 10
what he had already given tn the indict-
ment. The cross-examination. IN which the
judge played prominent part brought out.
over the objections Of the Prosecutor, Pa
teuk's criminal record Of murder and bri-
Gandage. Pateuk has been cited as crown
witness in eight political trials yet TO be
held.
] Both Tschaikovsky and Nine. Breshkov-
skaya fatty denied several points in the ac-
cusatior on the ground that they we're not
I'm Russia a the time specified The only
other crowG witnesses were the colonel Of
gendarmes who arrested Tschaikovsky, the
landladv in whose house he lodged under a
false passport and police officer. who tes-
tilted that the passport was false
; Tschaiko- skv's witnesses included busi-
ness associates from England. Ths court
also admitted as a witness a committeeman
Of the labor party. who testified that
/ Tschaikovsky had been delegated by the
party 70 collect funds in America for the
benefit of exiles A large number Of old
time Radicals and men OF letters testified
regarding the accused mans career.
Judge Krashennikoff presided and the
government was represented by Vice
Prosecutor Chervtnsky NJ. Zarudny ap-
peared for Mime. Breshkovskaya and Vas
( sill Nalakoff for Tschaikovsky. Al the
oTening the court denied motion for sep
arate trials. as we'll as the request by the
state for an adjournment Of Tschaikovsky' s
case in view of the nOn-appearance Of
Feodoroff the political agent OF the secret
police. and three other important police
witnesses. The issue OF subpenas fol
American witnesses was also denied.
The witnesses including several prom
inent Radicals and a political convict who
appeared in chains, were excluded from the
courtroom during the preliminaries.
The little group Of accused persons anC
counsel was huddled in front Of the red
covered dais on which were seated the
judge and the three representatives of the
nobility, citizens and peasantry. The Sc
lection of Admiral Delivrion, who repre-
sented the nobility. was construed as a
bad omen by the defence. since his son was
killed by Terrorists in 81. Petersburg
An alderman and a peasant elder com
pieted the jury.
Tschaikovsky was brought TO the court
room in carriage. escorted by ten gen
darmes. AS he took his seat in the dock
he waved a cheerful greeting TO acquaint-
ances. His emotion was marked "a he re-
piled TO the customary questions, His oc
cupation he said. was that ot preacher
and the doctrine which he expounded va
socialism.