The indictment read as follows:
"On the 17th of January, 18--, suddenly died in the Hotel Mauritania,
merchant of the second guild, Therapont Emelianovich Smelkoff.
"The local police physician certified that the cause of death of said
Smelkoff was rupture of the heart, caused by excessive use of liquor.
"The body of Smelkoff was interred.
"On the 21st day of January, a townsman and comrade of Smelkoff, on
returning from St. Petersburg, and hearing of the circumstances of his
death, declared his suspicion that Smelkoff was poisoned with a view
of robbing him of the money he carried about his person.
"This suspicion was confirmed at the preliminary inquest, by which it
was established: 1. That Smelkoff had drawn from the bank, some time
before his death, three thousand eight hundred rubles; that, after a
due and careful inventory of the money of the deceased, only three
hundred and twelve rubles and sixteen kopecks were found. 2. That the
entire day and evening preceding his death deceased passed in the
company of a girl named Lubka (Katherine Maslova) in the Hotel
Mauritania, whither said Maslova came at the request of Smelkoff for
money; that she obtained the money from Smelkoff's trunk, first
unlocking it with a key intrusted to her by Smelkoff; that the money
was thus taken in the presence of two servants of the said
hotel--Euphemia Bochkova and Simon Kartinkin; that at the opening of
said trunk by the said Maslova in the presence of the aforementioned
Bochkova and Kartinkin, there were rolls of hundred ruble bills. 3.
That on the return of said Smelkoff and Maslova to the said hotel, the
said Maslova, on the advice of the said servant Kartinkin,
administered to the deceased a glass of brandy, in which she put a
white powder given her by said Kartinkin. 4. That on the following
morning Lubka (Katherine Maslova) sold to her mistress, Rosanova, a
diamond ring belonging to Smelkoff, said ring she alleged to have
been presented to her by said Smelkoff. 5. That the servant of said
Hotel Mauritania, Euphemia Bochkova, deposited in her name in the
local Bank of Commerce the sum of eighteen hundred rubles.
"At the autopsy held on the body of Smelkoff, and after the removal of
the intestines, the presence of poison was readily discovered, leaving
no doubt that death was caused by poisoning.
"The prisoners, Maslova, Bochkova and Kartinkin pleaded not guilty.
Maslova declared that she did go to the Hotel Mauritania, as stated,
for the purpose of fetching some money for the merchant, and that
opening the trunk with the key given to her by the merchant, she took
only forty rubles, as she was directed, but took no more, which fact
can be substantiated by Bochkova and Kartinkin, in whose presence she
took the money and locked the trunk. She further testified that during
her second visit to the room of the merchant she gave him, at the
instigation of Kartinkin, several powders in a glass of brandy, which
she considered to be narcotic, in order that she might get away from
him. The ring was presented to her by Smelkoff when she cried and was
about to leave him after he had beaten her.
"Euphemia Bochkova testified that she knew nothing about the missing
money, never entered the merchant's room, which Lubka herself kept in
order, and that if anything was stolen from the merchant, it was done
by Lubka when she came to the room for the money."
At this point Maslova shuddered, and with open mouth looked at
Bochkova.
"And when Euphemia Bochkova was shown her bank account of eighteen
hundred rubles," continued the secretary, "and asked how she came by
the money, she testified that the money was saved from their earnings
by herself and Simon Kartinkin, whom she intended to marry.
"Simon Kartinkin, on his part, at the first examination, confessed
that, at the instigation of Maslova, who brought the key to the trunk,
he and Bochkova stole the money, which was afterwards divided between
the three."
At this Maslova shuddered again, sprang to her feet, turned red in
the face, and began to say something, but the usher bade her be quiet.
"Finally," continued the secretary, "Kartinkin also confessed to
giving Maslova the powders to put the merchant to sleep. On the second
examination, however, he denied having either stolen the money, or
given Maslova the powders, but charged Maslova with both. As to the
money placed by Bochkova in the bank, he declared, in accordance with
Bochkova's testimony, that they had saved it during their twelve
years' service in the hotel."
The indictment wound up as follows:
"In view of the aforesaid the defendants, Simon Kartinkin, peasant of
the village of Borkoff, thirty-three years of age; burgess Euphemia
Ivanova Bochkova, forty-two years of age, and burgess Katherine
Maslova, twenty-seven years of age, conspired on the 17th day of
January, 188-, to administer poison to merchant Smelkoff with intent
to kill and rob him, and did on said day administer to said Smelkoff
poison, from which poison the said Smelkoff died, and did thereafter
rob him of a diamond ring and twenty-five hundred rubles, contrary to
the laws in such cases made and provided. Chapter 1453, sections 4 and
5, Penal Code.
"Wherefore, in accordance with chapter 201 of the Code of Criminal
Procedure, the said peasant, Simon Kartinkin, burgess Euphemia
Bochkova and burgess Katherine Maslova are subject to trial by jury,
the case being within the jurisdiction of the Circuit Court."
The clerk having finished the reading of the long indictment, folded
the papers, seated himself at his desk and began to arrange his long
hair. Every one present gave a sigh of relief, and with the
consciousness that the trial had already begun, everything would be
cleared up and justice would finally be done, leaned back on their
chairs.
Nekhludoff alone did not experience this feeling. He was absorbed in
the horrible thought that the same Maslova, whom he knew as an
innocent and beautiful girl ten years ago, could be guilty of such a
crime.