A tragical occurrence, which, from its singular and romantic
circumstances, would lead one to believe that the men of northern Russia
are as susceptible of the tender passion, and as revengeful when
disappointed, as those of more southern climes, recently caused a great
sensation at Novogorod.
Instead of giving a cold recital of facts, we will place before the
reader the depositions of those concerned; thus making him acquainted
with the details of the crime, and also with the judicial forms of that
country in criminal cases. There, all is decided from the depositions
without pleading. These we are about to lay before you are remarkable
for their simplicity and precision, having been taken by a man of
uncommon ability, Mr. Polechko, Captain Isprawnik of the District,
Oustiaje. He is an old officer of dragoons, but having lost a limb in
the battle of Smolensk, he entered into the civil service, and has since
acquired a handsome fortune.
Report addressed to M. Polechko, Captain Isprawnik, of
the District of Oustiaje, by Mikita Muranow, Mayor of
the village of Trehmiria.
“On the 20th of April, 1839, Nadiejda Yakovlevna, daughter of
Yakov Osipovitch, fisherman of Trehmiria, came to my house in
tears: she was in such great distress that I could only learn
from her, that an assassination had been committed at the
village. I went with her to her father’s, and there I found
extended upon a bed, a man, pale and livid, nearly cold, but
still breathing. Yakov and his wife were endeavoring to staunch
the blood which flowed from his wounds. On the floor beside the
bed were his garments soaked with water. The young girl could
not attend to my questions, so great was her emotions; but Yakov
told me that his daughter had gone out before daylight to
withdraw the sweep-nets which at this season are placed along
the isles and shores of the Volga. The fisherman himself was
engaged in spreading nets by the light of a lantern, when he
heard cries, and recognized the voice of his daughter. He ran
along the shore, and thought he saw in the dim twilight, a large
boat passing down the river with all the rapidity of the
current. A moment afterwards his daughter’s boat approached the
shore, and in it was a man, whom she had taken from the water in
a state of insensibility. After having carried him to his cabin,
he recognized in him, Ivan Semenov, cornet in the regiment of
the lancers of Archanguelk, who, two years before, had been
quartered in this village.—This is what I have learned from the
fisherman.
“Ivan Semenov’s wounds are so numerous and deep, that I can
scarcely dare to hope he will be alive when you reach this
place.—Please to bring a physician with you.”
Report of Nicolas Peterowitch Polechko, Captain
Isprawnik of the District of Oustiaje, to the chancery
of the Governor of Novogorod.
“I arrived on the night of the 20th of April, at the village of
Trehmiria, with the physician of the district, M. Frants
Frantsovitch, Mayor; we found in the cabin of the fisherman,
Yakov Osipovitch, M. Ivan Prokovitch Semenov, lately a cornet in
the regiment of Archanguelk. He had received fifteen wounds, but
the physician assured me they were not mortal, and that he would
certainly recover. The wounded man told me that his assassins
were Paul Ivanovitch Hortinja, quarter-master, and Pierre
Alexiecivitch Tsaryna, soldier in the regiment of the lancers of
Archanguelk. At the time he was wounded, the Cornet Semenov was
on his way to Rybinsk, in a boat which belonged to his father,
and which was loaded with linen.
“I left the physician with the wounded man, and without losing a
moment, hastened to Rybinsk. There, aided by the police, I
sought out the assassins, one of whom, the quarter-master,
Hortinja, was known to me. At the wharf I learned that a boat,
laden with linen, and having two men on board, arrived that
morning, the 21st of April; and that the cargo was shortly
afterwards sold to an Armenian merchant of Astracan. I then
proceeded to the residence of the buyer, Jerome Smilabej, who
confessed that he had bought the linen, which was worth 20,000
roubles, for 10,000—that he had this day paid 4,000 and was to
pay the other 6,000 on the 1st of May at Astracan. I did not
place much confidence in what he told me, for I knew this race
of merchants were liars, and that they encouraged and protected
crime when they expected to profit by it. Besides, I observed
considerable embarrassment on his countenance. I then asked him
where the linen was? He said he had despatched it to Astracan.
“‘Impossible!’ observed I. ‘You bought it this morning, and the
steamboat does not go until to-morrow.’
“He said he had sent it on in the same boat, having bought it
with the cargo.
“‘And what rowers did you employ?’ asked I.
“He turned pale, and stammered, ‘I employed the same who brought
it here.’
“At this reply, I seized him by the collar, threatening to
conduct him to the police office, when, suddenly, the door of
the room in which we were, opened, and a man rushed upon me,
poignard in hand. I recognized Hortinja, and drew my sword to
parry his blows. I also placed myself between him and the door,
crying a ‘murderer! an assassin!’ Fortunately for me, the
Armenian, instead of trying to aid Hortinja, hid himself under
the bed. The men of the house soon came to my assistance, but it
was some time before we could disarm and bind the assassin. In
the struggle he wounded three men besides myself. I bear three
marks of his steel upon my breast.
“After securing Hortinja, we drew the Armenian from under the
bed, and he then confessed that the other accomplice was half a
league from Rybinsk with the boat, waiting for his comrade. I
immediately sent for some of the police, and Tsaryna was
arrested without offering any resistance.”