Graham's Magazine, Vol. XX, No. 6, June 1842Various
Science
Graham's Magazine, Vol. XX, No. 6, June 1842
Various
Literature -- Periodicals; Literature, Modern -- 19th century -- Periodicals
“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.”
INQUIRY.
“In consequence of an order from the Imperial Attorney, I, Nicolas
Petrovitch Polechko, Captain Isprawnik of the District Oustiaje, went on
the 26th of the month to the village of Trehmiria, where I proceeded to
the inquiry in the following order:
“The first person I examined was Ivan Prokovitch Semenov, who declared
himself to be 28 years of age, son of Prokop Karlovitch Semenov, a
merchant of Kostroma, who possessed a factory in that neighborhood,
where he manufactured much linen, which formed the principal part of his
commerce.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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