EXECUTIONS OF NIHILISTS AT ODESSA.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2182, 16 March 1880, Page 3

EXECUTIONS OF NIHILISTS AT ODESSA.

The Odessa, journals report tliat on the 19th December, in conformity with orders issued by the Governor-General and commander-in-chief of the troops, General Todlebcu, 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 gates leading into the court yard of this House of Detention opened and gave passage to a black waggon drawn by two horses, in which the three condemned men were seated, with their hands tied firmly behind them, and again bound to a bar affixed to each side of the vehicle. The nobleman, Victor Alexejcff Maliuka, a young man of twenty-six years of age, and a volunteer in the 132 d Battalion of the Infantry lleserves ; Josef off Maid anski, military surgeon of the 7th Eegiment of Hussars, twenty-five years of age ; and Ivan Wassilewitsch Drobiaskin, twentyeight years of age, the son of a priest, were all enveloped in the customary long white garment. From round the neck of each of the prisoners was suspended a large black placard bearing the inscription “gossudarstwennyi prestupuik” (Traitor to the

State).’ During Ihc whole ride from the'‘prison to -the place of execution the three prisoners did 1 heir utmost to make their voices heard by the dense crowd which lined the way. The waggon was escorted by the 13th Battallion of Chasseurs, which bears the name of the Prince of Bulgaria, and by a hundred Cossacks. In addition to this escort the waggon was guarded by five gendarmes* who rode by its side 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, “ Do not hew us down, unfortunate mission of the Czar,” but the gendarme, threatening him also with his sword, only answered by the injunction “Moltschi, sobaka ! (silence, hound). Yery shortly after this painful incident the place of execution was reached. The three condemned men were unbound from their seats in 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-General Baron Heinz, who inquired if he would not like to confer with the pincst. Malinka after scornfully glancing at him, turned to the hangman and said, “Now servile wretch, do your work.” Drobiskin 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, Maidanski was placed in the executioner’s hands 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 wore cut dowu and cast into the 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 hand playing, passed overjjthe graves and trod down the earth vet tighter.