GREAT NIHILIST TRIAL.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2283, 12 July 1880, Page 3

GREAT NIHILIST TRIAL.

The (rial of ton Nihilists who were charged with aiding and abetting Soluviell; iu his attempt upon the life of the Czar commenced at St. Petersburg on the 10th, and lasted until May 20, when they were all found guilty and sentenced to death. The following is a description of the prisoners. Dr "Weimar: lie is thirty-three years of ago and the son of a wealthy printer. During the Turkish war ho displayed great gallantry on the field, as a reward for which lie received the three decorations of St. Stanislaus, St. Anne, and Vladimir. General Gourko, who witnessed Weimar’s conduct on the battle-field, is opposed to his trial, fearing, it is said, au acquittal owing to his honorable antecedents. The charges against .Dr Weimar arc that he was the owner of a horse and furnished the pistol which was used by Soloviefi: when the attempt was made last year to assassinate the Czar. The second is Michaeloff, a gentleman having no profession. His age is twenty-three. He is a student at the Technological Institute of St. Petersburg, an establishment, which, like the School of Medicine, is considered one of (lie great hotbeds of Nihilism. The charge against him is (hat lie drove the carriage in which General Mcsentzoif’s assassin escaped. The third is Sobourolf, aged thirty. He is a gentleman and lias no profession. He is tall and possessed of herculean strength. He was arrested while asleep, and there was found in his residence a large quantity of seals and counterfeit official documents. The fourth prisoner is Soboloff,agcd twentyseven. He is a sort of sub-agent of Sobourolf. The fifth is Boukmoif, a student of the Technological School at Moscow. Nihilist proclamations wore found in his residence. The sixth is Lowenthal, a Polish Jew. He was arrested on a train while taking a bundle of Nihilist proclamations. The remaining four of the accused arc all women. The first is named Kalenkina. Her age is twenty-four. Shu is unmarried and belongs to the middle classes. She jjosscsscs great energy and made a stout resistance to the gendarmes who captured her. After her arrest she asked permission to retire to a closet. This having been granted she reappeared in a few minutes armed with a revolver, which she fired twice at the officer commanding the escort and at a private soldier both of whom escaped unhurt. A number of inflammatory handbills and a bundle of correspondence with Ycra Sassulitch were discovered at her residence. The second female prisoner is Milauowska. She is an olllcer’s daughter, lives with Kalenkina, and is accused of the same offence as her companion. The remaining prisoners are Olga Natinscn and one of her female friends. The first mentioned is twentyeight 3 r ears of age. She is the wife of a Jew, who is now in exile on account of political affairs.