[35]. Vera Figner was arrested in Khàrkov during February, 1883, the informer Merkúlov having pointed her out in the street to the police. I shall have more to say about her later (see chap. [xiii].).
[37]. See later, chapters [xvii], [xix], [xxi], [xxvi], etc.
[38]. One of the monster trials of revolutionists undertaken by the Russian Government at that period. More than 1,000 persons were implicated in it.—Trans.
[39]. Grave bodily injury without intent to kill was only punishable with four or five years’ hard labour, to be diminished by one-third in the case of minors.
[40]. Well known to English readers by his assumed name of Stepniak. See later, chap. xxv.—Trans.
[41]. Literally “a list of particulars.”—Trans.
[42]. The Russian Government has a twofold reason for making this careful distinction between ordinary and political prisoners after conviction. Firstly, in order that the supervision of the latter shall be stricter, and that they may be prevented from influencing the ordinary prisoners; and secondly, because the “politicals” were originally only recruited from the upper and privileged classes, and the tradition remains.
[43]. The story of this escape has been told by Professor Thun, in his history of the Russian revolutionary movement (Geschichte der revolutionären Bewegung in Russland), and also by Stepniak (Underground Russia: Two Escapes), who had it from Bohanòvsky; but the readers of the present volume may like to have it repeated with more detail than our author has thought fit to give.