Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1869-06-15

but alter SIX ana tnlfIy OI luem udu
fallen, "the desire of life awoke in a
young woman, and she fed to a neigh
boring village. The people repaired
to the scene of action, and found two
of the murderers still alive, and forty
seven persons dead. The two who
were taken were misunderstanding
at every stroke at the martyrdom
they were undergoing" 1t is to this
sect that the Scoptsi belong, of whom
we have spoken in previous chap
ter.
THE "SCOURGERS.
Next in singuIarity to these people
come the Knlisti, or Scourgers-the
FIagellants of the Middle Ages
whose notion of a religious service is
wild dance accompanied by severe
caStigation. In the middle of the
room in which they meet stands YES
sci containing water, and to this they
60 from time to time, in order to wet
their heads or to drink out of their
hands. They then resume their stamp
ing and their hogging, until they fall
down utterly exhausted, or conyul
siOns seize them during which they
utter rawlings which they call prOphe
cies. Every Easter night. one of his
secretaries told Haxthausen, the ia
natics "all assemble for a great solem
nifty, the worship of the mother OF
God. A virgin fifteen years OF age
whom they have induced to act the
part by tempting promises, is bounc
and placed in a tub of warm water
some old women come and first make
a large incision in the left breast, theT
cut it off, and staunch the blood In &
wonderfully short time. Other bar
barities follow, too shocking to be
told. During these operations
mystical picture Of the Holy Spirit /;
put into the victims hand, in order
that she may be absorbed IN regard
ing it." Afterwards a wild dance
takes place around the tub, kept "
by the whole congregation until thei
strength is exhausted. The girls whc
have been thus muti!ated are ever al
forwards considered sacred. At th
age of nineteen or twenty they ar
said to look like women OF fifty o
sixty, and they generally die befor'
reaching their thirtieth year,
THE "DUMB."
Another very singular sect, whic
existed in former days, was that o.
the BesIovesniki, or the Dumh, bu
,, they seemed to have died out. Scarce
ly anything is known about them, 70
as soon as any one joined the CON
munity he became mute, and fror
that time forward no articulate SCUM
,, ever escaped his lips. Various a
: tempts have been made at dltferen
times to torture them into speaking
but always in vain. "a governor-get
eral of Siberia, named Postal, in tn
: time of Catherine H., ordered thel
a to be tortured in the most horrlbl
.. manner. The soles of their feet wer
' tickled, and melted Sealing-wax wa
dropped upon their bodies; but the
did not utter sound"
THE "TRUE CHRISTIANS"
Not quite so wild as these sect
but still sufficiently erratic, are thos
of Molokani and Dukhobortsi. Th
Molokani are so styled by the peopI
on account of the quantity of mil
(moloko) they consume, but they ca
' themselves "true Christians" I'll
sect has existed about century, du
ing which time its members have gel
orally led peaceful and steady live
in many respects resembling those c
st the Moravians. Now and then, hoy
y ever, they are carried away by GU
bursts of fanaticism, as on one occ
sion when a Molokan rushed into tt
midst of church procession, seize
a picture OF saint, threw it on ii
V ground, and then trampled on it. 4
first the bystanders stood silent
aghast; but they soon recovered fro
l. the shock and piously put the often
er to death. In the year 1888 a ce
st tain fanatic named Terenty began
preach repentance to the Molokani.-
>. He gave himself out as the proph
y Elias, ordered them to desist fro
% the work and give themselves up e
clusively to praying and singiI
hymns, announced that the miIlenniu
S, was close at hand, and ultimately Fl
ed day On which he promised to I
ascend to heaven before their eve
When the appointed day arrived
appeared in carriage, and order'
the crowd which had assembled
meet him, composed of many tho