TRIAL OF THE CZAR'S ASSASSINS

STATEMENTS BY THE PRISONERS. (per united press association.) St Pktersburgh, April 9. The trial of fhe assassins of the late Emperor commenced yesterday. Jeliaboff conducted his own defence. The reading of the indictment occupied two hours. The prisoners were then interrogated, and the late Czar's coachman examined. Prisoners declined to state their names, ages, professions, or domiciles. The President of the Court asken the prisoners whether they wished to say anything. Russakoff, who threw one of the bombs, spoke for half an hour. He said he primarily desired to agitate peacefully, but entered into the late conspiracy, seeing no other way out of the social troubles. Michaeloff, who was arrested as he entered Russakoff s house, said he belonged to the "Terrorist" faction of the party, but denied Russakoff's statement that he participated in the arrangements for the murder of the Czar. Hessey Helffmann acknowledged that she kept a conspirator's lodging-house, which was kept for their implements, but denied having actively participated in the Czar's assassination. Ribalkschitsch, the bombmakei 1 , avowed his connection with the "Will of the People " party. Their wish, he said, was to gain their objects by peaceful propaganda, but they were reluctantly obliged to adopt terrorist measures. He admitted preparing five bombs. Sophia Pieffosky avowed her participation in the preparation of the Moscow mine, and in the murder of the Czar. Jeliaboff, who is the most intelligent of the prisoners, fluently related, with diabolical satisfaction, the history of the two Alexandrowsky mines. He said ho was head of one group of the party, and was charged by the Executive Committee with the work of organising the attack by bombs, and was connected with the Sadowa-street mine as a simple worker. [The cable has since informed us of the conviction and execution of the prisoners.]