clippings

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“Extraordinary escape of a young Nihilist girl…” (1879)

June 22, 2016 A Beautiful Nihilist
THE Moscow journals relate an extraordinary escape of a young Nihilist girl named Gobieslawska from the hands of the police. They had discovered the house in which she was concealed, and were about to make the arrest, when, to their surprise, they saw a balloon rising from the garden containing the object of their search and two men. The balloon rapidly disappeared. Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper (September 13, 1879): 23. Up in a Balloon.— A novel mode of escape was recently practiced by a Nihilist. A young woman named Olga Gobieslawska had been wanted for a long time by the […]
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Plot of a Beautiful Nihilist (Sophie Gunsberg, 1891)

June 22, 2016 A Beautiful Nihilist
PLOT OF A BEAUTIFUL NIHILIST ______ To Make Her Lovers Kill the Czar—Her Failure and Trial—The Official’s Side of a Story Hitherto Told Differently. No authentic account has yet been given of the late political trial—or rather condemnation—of Russian Nihilists for high treason; for trial, in the English sense of the word, there was none. I have just had a long conversation with one of the dignitaries who played the part of judge, jury, and counsel for the crown during the brief ceremony which began by accusation, was continued by voluntary confession, and ended in condemnation to death. The ringleader […]
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A Horrible Story (Gesya Gelfman, 1881)

June 22, 2016 A Beautiful Nihilist
A HORRIBLE STORY. The story told by the dispatches about Hessy Helfmann, the Nihilist girl, is from Paris, and therefore to be received with strong suspicion, apart from the almost incredible character of the statement. Were it a story of any other country than Russia indeed it might be dismissed at once as a palpable fiction. Rut unhappily there are too many reasons for believing that in Russia police brutality is capable of being carried to great lengths, and that in a case like this, where the victim was a condemned regicide, there could be little temptation to refrain from […]
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Suspected Nihilists (Olga Ivanovsky, 1890)

June 22, 2016 A Beautiful Nihilist
Suspected Nihilists. St. Petersburg, Dec. 9—The woman now on trial for connection with the nihilist conspiracies is a niece of Privy Councilor Illinsky, Director of the Holy Synod. Her name is Olga Ivanowsky. Several high ecclesiastical officials are Involved and startling developments are expected. “Suspected Nihilists,” San Francisco Call 69 no. 10 (December 10, 1890): 1.
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Arrested as Nihilists (1891)

June 22, 2016 A Beautiful Nihilist
Arrested as Nihilists. St. Petersburg, Oct. 8.—A profound sensation was created here to-day. A young woman from Moscow was arrested, charged with being a Nihilist. She confessed and admitted that she left a trunk at the home of the well-known composer, Glazounoff, in which was a revolutionary proclamation. The police immediately proceeded to the house of Glazounoff. He vehemently protested his innocence, declaring that he was utterly ignorant of the contents of the trunk. He was nevertheless compelled to deposit 15,000 rubles as bail. “Arrested as Nihilists,” San Francisco Call 70 no. 131 (October 9, 1891): 1.
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A Female Nihilist (1902)

June 22, 2016 A Beautiful Nihilist
A FEMALE NIHILIST ——– Young Russian Woman With an Infernal Machine in Handkerchief LONDON. May 28. —A dispatch to the Central News from St. Petersburg, dated May 27, says: “Secret service agents arrested a young woman at Tsarkoeselo, the summer residence of the czar, yesterday, carrying an infernal machine concealed in a handkerchief. The identity of the woman has not been established.” “A Female Nihilist,” Los Angeles Herald 29 no. 240 (May 29, 1902): 1.
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A Nihilist Crime (1897)

June 22, 2016 A Beautiful Nihilist
A Nihilist Crime PARIS, Sept. 3—The body of a beautiful woman, naked and frightfully mutilated, with her skull smashed in, has been found in the river Seine. In the middle of the woman’s back were tattooed the words, “Long live Poland,” and “Death to traitors.” The remains are supposed to be those of a Nihilist who incurred the suspicion of fellow Nihilists. “A Nihilist Crime,” Los Angeles Herald 26 no. 339 (September 4, 1897): 1.
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A Young Nihilist Woman (Olga Gontcharenko, 1890)

June 22, 2016 A Beautiful Nihilist
A YOUNG NIHILIST WOMAN. She Kills a Government Officer and Then Commits Suicide. New York, February 3d.— A letter to the Tribune from St. Petersburg gives the following details of the recent murder of Colonel Solotouchine, Chief of the Secret Police Department of Moscow: Having received notification that a number of Nihilists were in the habit of holding meetings at the house of M. Audrieff, the Colonel determined to ascertain whether the information was correct. Accordingly, toward 8 o’clock in the evening, he concealed himself in the neighborhood and carefully scanned the faces of all who either entered or left […]
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A Female Nihilist (Olga Ivanovsky, 1891)

June 22, 2016 A Beautiful Nihilist
A Female Nihilist. Some farther particulars have been gleaned regarding the young girl who is being tried at the present time, with four other persons, at St. Petersburg for being concerned in revolutionary schemes. Her name is Olga Ivanovsky, and since leaving school she bas been studying medicine. According to the Galignani Messenger it has also been ascertained that one of her intimate friends was Sophie Gunsburg, who was tried among the first batch of prisoners and sentenced to death. Mlle. Ivanovaky’s arrest occurred under the following circumstances: About a month ago the police authorities received an anonymous communication which […]