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, turn