Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1878-07-05
A Remarkable Crime.

SsAN''
Max CR1NDLE.
A Remarkable Crime.
A CHILD NINE YEARS OLD KILLS HIS
MOTHER TO AvENGE THE HONOR OF
HIS DEAD FATHER.
There is now occupying the Russian
criminal tribunals tragedy which throws
into the shade the gloomiest imaginings of
the old Greek playwrights. 1t is the muir
der of a mother by her son, a child nine
years old. The story is one of the most
appalling in the whole annals of human
crime, and withal it is heart touching as
showing the misdirection of a noble nature;
for the motive of the crime was honor, and
the son slew his mother that her blood
might wash out the stain her infidelity had
put Apon her husbands name. The case
is most remarkable one. There seems to
be no evidence of vicious disposition on
the part of the boy. On the contrary, he
seems to have had a loving heart, and to
have been tenderly attached to his dead
father; but cloud came over his young
existence, when his mother, forgetting her
duty to the living and the dead, contract
ed an illicit alliance with a government
employee. The woman seems TO have
troubled herself little to conceal her
amours from her son, thinking that a
child of. such tender years would not be
likely to pay any attention to her actions.
She does not seem to have ever suspected
the precocious sensibility of her child.
The boy, however, very soon began to
suspect the true relation existing between
the stranger and his mother. The func-
tionary entered frequently before the
child's eyes and at unusual hours into the
house that had. belonged to his dead
father. The child felt himself cruelty in
jured by the dishonor cast upon his
fathers memory, which had remained en-
shrined in his young heart like sacred
image. For long time he concealed his
anger and his shame; but one day his in
dignation mastered him. and he resolved
to make an effort to win his mother from
the path of shame.
Throwing aside all fear. he reprOved the
widow for er inhdelity to her dead hus-
| bahaa and besought her to return to her
duty by respect to The memory of the dead
and out of respect for her son. The
mother treated these remOnstranceS light
", and burst out laughing at the child.
Without even deigning TO hear him to the
end, she advised him to occupy himself
with matters more appropriate to his age.
Several times he seems to have renewed
his exhortations, always, however, meet
ing with the same reception.
Feeling that it was useless to appeal to
the better nature of his mother the child
conceived the horrible design of washing
out in her blood the stain she persisted in
putting on his name, and which he knew
was no longer a secret from the neighbors.
Having once made up his mind his
thoughts became wholly absorbed III plans
for carrying his vengeance into execution.
Wherever he went he carried with him
this idea of avenging the injured honor of
his name. In solitude he pondered over
it, until it became in his eyes holy duty.
Besides this child of nine years taking
upon his conscience the responsibility of
judge and executioner thinking and plan
ming before taking action, Hamlet, tor
mented by visions and Stimulating madness,
heart is moved at the thought of the an
guish the child must have suffered. First
he dug the grave. This was for his in
FAINT hands long and painful labor.
When he had everything prepared he re-
solved to execute his terrible purpose.
One night, while his mother slept, he
armed himself with Ratchet and silently
approached her bed. When his eyes rest
ed on the author of his being his resolu-
tion was shaken. He gazed on the face he
had long loved and respected. The sight
was too much for his childish heart, and
bursting into tears, he fell on his knees
ing light found him stretched in slumber
with the deadly Ratchet still clasped in his
tiny hands. When his mother awoke she
was terribly frightened at the sight. She
awoke the boy, who explained his presence
by pleasant fable, and then took the op-
portunity to once more Eeseech his moth
Ell to dismiss her lover and return to the
path of honor. She, however, lost her
temper, and, ordering the child to hold his
tongue, dismissed him CURLY.
This action of the widow decided her
son to carry out his murderous resolution.
The following night he again entered his
with one blow of the Ratchet he killed her.
He then took the body, which he dragged
to the grave he had prepared. and there
inferred it.
The trial of this strange pafficide is pro-
crossing in the town of Valok. in the
government of Kharkow. Seldom have
the Russian people been SO interested in a
criminal trial, but the sight of child nine
years old standing in the dock as the as
sasin of his mother is we'll calculated to
excite the compassionate sympathy among
the people by whom the family ties are he.
garded with something of the respect Of
the patrlarchal times. Mr.. vladimir, pro-
fessor of criminal law at the University Of
Kharkow, has spontaneously Undertaken
the defence Of the unfortunate 'child.-N
Y. HerqM