EXECUTIONS OF NIHILISTS AT ODESSA.

Kumara Times, Issue 1091, 30 March 1880, Page 4

EXECUTIONS OF NIHILISTS AT ODESSA.

The Odessa journals report that on the 19th December, in conformity with orders issued by the Governor General and Commander-in-Ohief of the troops, General Todleben, preparations were made-early in the morning, for the execution of the three Nihilists lately sentenced to death by the Odessa court-martial. The House of Detention, in which the condemned men were confined, was surrounded by four regiments of infantry and one regiment of Cossacks. Punctually at eleven o’clock in the morning the fases leading into the court yard of this louse of Detention opened and gave passage to a black wagon drawn by two horses, in; which the three condemned men were seated, with their bands tied firmly behind them, and again bound to a bar affixed to each side of the vehicle. The nobleman, Victor Alexejeff Malinka, a young man of twenty-six years of age, and a volunteer in the 132 d. Battalion of the Infantry Reserves; Josefoff Maidanski, military surgeon of the 7th Regiment of Hussars, twenty-five years of age | and Ivan Wassilewitdsch Drobiaskin, twenty-eight years of age, the son of a priest, were all enveloped in the customary long: white .garment. Prom round the neck of each of the prisoners was suspended a large, black placard bearing thejinsriptiqn “ gossudarstwennyi prestupnik” (traitor of thei State). During the whole ride from the prison to the place of execution the three prisoners did their utmost to make their voices heard by the dense crowds which lined the way. The wagon was escorted by the 13th Battalion of Chasseurs, which bears the name of the Prince of Bulgaria, and by 4 huhdted Cossacks. In addition to thitf escort , the waggon was guarded by five* gendarmes, who rode by its Bide with drawn swords. As Drobiaskin would..not'heed the reiterated command to cease addressing the people, but, on the contrary, shouted to them at the top of his voice, one of the gendarmes struck him so severe a blow on the head with the flat of his sword that it stunned him. Upon this one of bis fellow prisoners cried out, “Donot hew us,down, unfortunate minion of the Czar,” but the gendarme, threatening him also with his sword, only answered by the injunction. “Moltschi, sobaka!” (silence, hound). Very shortly after this painful incident the place of execution was reached. The three condemed men were unbound from their seats dn the waggon and led to the gallows. Their sentence being read by Captain Nesterenko, Malinka was deprived of his. rank as nobleman, After this ceremony had been completed Malinka was • at once delivered over to the hangman. He, however, demanded permission to address the people, which was refused him by the commander of the town, Major Gbneral Baron Heinz, who inquired if he would not like to confer with the priest. Malinka after scornfully glancing at him, turned to the hangman and said, “Now, servile wretch, do your work.” Drobiaskin was the next to be placed under the rope. When in this position a priest approached him with a crucifix, but was repulsed with the words, “Let me alone, brother, I do not want any of that humbug,” When the last prisoner, Mainanski, was placed in the executioner’s bands he shouted out to the Rabbi, “ Get out of my sight; let me not set eyes upon you.” At half-past eleven o’clock all three were hanged, and at twelve o’clock the bodies were cut down and cast into graves which had been dug on the spot. The earth was thrown upon them and stamped down. Major General Krok then gave the word of command, and the troops, marching off the ground with their band playing, passed over the graves and trod down the earth yet tighter.