Bloomsburg democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1867-1869, 1867-11-27
A Frlghtful Tragedy In Russia.

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The Lua,id Russo Of the 9th contains
the following account Of fana.ical sect in.
Russia.
The doctrine of this sect consists in an
absolute negation Of all earthly property.
An adhcrent possesses nothing whatever,
and according to his notions everything
around him is evil personifed. Such ideas
naturally prompt these unhappy men to
acts Of frightful despair. They believe it
is necessary to constantly implore the
mercy Of the Saviour by every means, for
it is He alone that can save them. The
accused person, who was 81 years Of age,
killed his son, little boy Of seven, in the
conviction that the act would be agreeable
to the Saviour. His. own accouat of the
crime is as follows. "One nigh. I felt SO
strongly that the human race must soon
perish that | could not get moments $
sleep. rose and lighted all the lamps
before the images tf the saints, and throw
ing myself on my knees I iervently prayed
God to save ne and my family. euLl,n'y
the idea came to me Of saving nv son from
eternal damnation, as this only child was
beautiful boy, und finer tlIan most boys Of
his age.
II feared that he would become after
my death, the prey of hell, and | deter.
mined to sacrifice him to the Lord. Filled
with this idea continued to pray. 7 said
to myself that it during my PRAYER the
thought Of sacrificing my son to God came
to me from the right side, I would excuse
it; on the contrary, if it came from the
left, | would give it up for according to our
religious.' eachings, the though, which comes
from the right side is from our good angel,
and that from the left is the instigation Of
the devil. After long prayer, the thought
came to me from the right side, and re.
turned full of joy to the room where my
boy SLEPT by the siaeof my wife. Knowing
that she would oppose the sacrifice which |
desired to offer to God, I sent her to the
market to purchase provisions. When she
had gone awoke my child and said to him,
Get up, my son, and put on the white
shirt, that | may admire thee When he
had done this laid him on the bench, an}
stabbed him several times in the stomach"
The child, in struggling, fell frequently
upon the kuif', and when found was cover.
Cd will, wounds. The father, it seems, in.
tending to end the lad suferings, cut the
stomach open FROM top to bottom but even
then he fingered for a little while. This
fiigh,fu! scene occurred just before sunrise.
kur,in says that just as the child h ID
breathed his last the rays of the sun ,ho,e
through the window, and in moment of
ecstacy he fell on his knees and inploled
God To mercifully receive his sacrifice.
kursin continued in his narrativeiu these
terms: Just as had thrown myself be.
fore these holy images and as my son was
lying in his bloud, the door opened and my
wife came in. She Instantly saw what had
passed. and seized with horror, she fell
senscless to the ground. raised her and
aid Go TO the Mayor and tell him all
I am going IN give ltte to the saints >"
We learn further from the Russian Jour.
nal that Kursin, after he had been sent to
prison resolutely refused all kind of noursh-
ishment, and died of starvation before the
sentence upon HIN could be executed.