Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1911-10-06

His instructions were carried out
to the letter. Some fourteen men
were rounded up and brought to the
ination. They were examined, but
nothing Of any Importance was found
on their persons. Then the canes were
taken and carefully scrutinized. This
search brought rich results. Every
one of the sticks proved to be hollow
and each one contained a sheet Of
tissue paper on which was printed
call for meeting of revolutionists. It
was the biggest haul that Trepoff had
made In many months. The evidence
proved that the men were enemies of
the government. 1t did more than
that-it paved the way to another dis
covery which bore directly on the mys-
terious explosion of February 5, 1880.
One Of the prisoners, being put to tor
ture, revealed the names Of several Of
his associates.
One of these was certain Victor
Chalturin. He was the son of peas
ant, very energetic agitator and an
experienced organizer Of associations
of malcontents. The police visited his
rooms and made a thorough search of
the premises. A number Of books and
| pamphlets found on the shelves and
| in closets indicated that he was a
man with Nihilistic tendencies. That,
In itself, while interesting, was not
very important. The searchers con-
| tinued at work and finally came to a
cabinet with locked doors. 1t was
| broken open and in secret drawer
they found a blue print of the plans of
| the winter palace. 1t was worn and
| frayed at the edges as though 1t had
been carried in someone's pocket for
a long while. Most significant of all,
| the lines indicating the great dining
hall were marked with a cross. These
facts were promptly communicated to
| Trepoff, and he sent out description
| of Chalturin to every police official in
| the Russian empire.
While awaiting reports from his sub
ordinates the energetic chief of police
| made another discovery. 1t was a
slip of paper which was found in the
basement Of the imperial palace. On
| it was written these words:
"Do not delay any longer. Now is
the time to act"
Some bits of paper corresponding
with the material on which this was
| inscribed, were found in Chalturin's
| room. The case against him appeared
to be complete. It was in March.
18S2,-over two years after the explo-
sion occurred-that the chief culprit
was taken into custody. He was given
! a speedy trial and on the 22d of March
| of that year was executed, and 1t was
then, and then only, that he was rec
ognized as the man who had intro
duced himself as carpenter In the
winter palace.
The testimony which was brought
out at the trial Of Chalturin gave the
authorities some idea Of the marvel
GUS ingenuity and wonderful perse-
verance Of the Nihilists. Just prior
| to the explosion in the winter palace
| they had organized their forces under
the title Of "The Will Of the People"
and at once began to issue proclama-
| lions and pamphlets in order to swell
their numbers and strengthen their
cause. In January, 1880, their secret
printing presses were discovered and
seized by the police, and numerous ar
rests were made. In spite Of this, they
| managed to issue, on the Goth Of JAN
uary, a program In which they de-
| clared that unless the government
granted constitutional rights the car
must die. The result of this was fresh
arrests, banishments to Siberia for
some and death on the scaffold for
| others.
It was at this stage of the game that
| the Nihilists planned their most dar-
! ing program. 1t was to blow up the
| emperor In his own palace. It's execu-
ton. as has already been stated, was
undertaken by Chalturin, who was
| young and fervent and filed with an
exaggerated sense Of his own wrongs
and the wrongs Of the people. He
was q clever cabinet maker and this
enabled him, under the assumed name
Of Batyschkoff, to obtain a situation
as carpenter in the imperial palace.
| He ascertained that the emperOr's din
ing room was above the cellar In which
1 the carpenters were at work, although
between it and the cellar there was a
| guard room used by the sentinels Of
| the palace. Chalturin lived In the
palace for nearly four months, and
every night he used package of dyna-
| mite for his pillow. A gendarme had
been Installed in the carpenters cellar
shortly after he began to work there,
and this made the introduction of the
| dynamite exceedingly difficult, and in
cidentally had delayed the execution
| of the plot for many months.
It became generally known during
the investigation in this case that the
winter palace for years had been the
refuge for vagabond workmen, friends
of the servants, and others. Many Of
these were without a passport and
| could not have lived anywhere else
with impunity. 1t seems that there is
an old law which gives the right Of
sanctuary, SO far as, the police are