St. Landry democrat., 1878-07-27
His Mothers ExecutiOner.
A RUSSIAN BOY KILLS HIS MOTHER To
AyENGE HIS FATHERS HONOR.
New York Herald.l

RUSSIAN BOY MILLS milne ~
AyENGE HIS FATHERS HONOR.
New York HeraldI
THERE'S now occupying the Russian
criminal tribunals tragedy which
throws into the shade the glOomiest
imaginings of the old Greek playwrights
1t is the murder of a mother by her son,
a child nine years old. The story is one
of the most appalling in the whole an
mails of human crime, and withal is it
heart touching as showing the msdirec-
tion of noble nature. For the motive
of the crime was honor, and the son
slew his mother that her blood might
wash. ont the stain her iutide!ity had
put upon her i}u. iand's name. Tbs.
case is most remarkable one. There
seems to be no evidence of a vicious dis
position on the part of the boy. On the
contrary, he seems to have a loving
heart, and to have been tenderly at
came over his Young existence, when
his mother, Forgetting ner duty to the
.ivIng and the dead. contracted an Illicit
Hllilnre with a government cmpInyec.
.thc " oman seems to la sc troubled her
self little to conceal Der aul0urS from
her son, thinking that a child of such
tender wears wopld not he likely TO pay
, any attention to her actions. She does
not seem to have ever suspected the
I precocious sensibilty VI her child.
WOUNDED HONOR.
The boy, however, very soon began
| TO suspect the true relations existing
between the stranger and his mother.
The functionary entered frequently be-
| fore the child's eyes and al unusual
hours into the house that had belonged!
t. the dead father. The child felt HIM
self cruelty injured by the disnoner cast
upon Lis fathers memory, which had
remained ershrincd in his Young heart
| like d sacred image. For a long time
he concealed lis anger and his shame.
But one day his intiignat ton mastered
him, and he resolved to make all effort
shame.
THE SONS APPEAL.
Throwing aside all fear, he reproved
the widow for her intidelity ce her dead
husband, and besought her to return to
her duty by respect to the memory of
the dead and out of respect to her son.
/ The mother treated these circumstances
| lightly, and burst out laughing at the
child. Without even deieDing to hear
him to the end, she advised him to Oc-
cnpy himself with matters more apprO-
pirate to his age. Several times he
seems to have renewed his exhortations,
always, however, meeting with the
same reception.
POSSESSED BY THE FIEND.
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 secret
for the neighbors. Having once made
up his mind his thoughts became wholly
absorbed in plans for carrying his ven
geance into execution. Wherever he
went he carried with him this idea of
avenging the injured honor of his name
In solitude he p0ndered over it, until it
became in bis eyes d holy duty. Beside
this child of nine years taking upon
his conscience the responsibility of judge
and executioner, thinking and planning
before taking action, Hamlet tormented
by visions and Stimulating madness is
only capable of inspiring pity. The
heart is moved at the thought of the
anguish the child must have suffered.
First he dug the grave. This was for
his infant hands a long and painful
labor. When he had everything pre-
pared be resolved to execute his terri
BILE purpose.
... ALMOST SAVED.
| One night, while his mother slept, he
armed himself with Ratchet and silent
! ly approached her bed. When his eyes
rested on the author of his being his
resolution was shaken He gazed on
Tie face he had long loved and res
pected. The sight was too much for his
childish heart, and bursting into tears,
lie fell on his knees before bis mothers
he'd. There the morning light found
him stretched in slrmber with the
deadly Ilatchet still clasped in his tiny
hands. When his mother rose she was
terribly frightened at the sight. She
awake the boy, who explained his pres
ence by a peasant fable, and then took
the opportunity to once more beseecli
his mother to dismiss her lover and re-
turn to the path of honor. She, how
ever, lost her temper, and, ordering the
child to hold his tongue, dismissed him
4 CURLY.
THE FATAL DEED. S
This action of the widow decided her
son to carry ont his murderous resOlu-
ton. The following night he again
entered his mothers bedroom and, find.
! ing her asleep. with one blow of. the
hatehet he killed her. He then took
1 the GoaIys WHICH lie ufagSel 10 tHe grave
he had prepared. and there inferred it.
The trial of this strange parricide is
progressing in the town of Valok, in tie
government of Kharkow. Seldom have
the Russian people been so interested
in q criminal trial, but the sight of a
child nine years old standing in the
s dock as the assassin of his mother is
well calculated to excite the compass
siouate sympathy among a people by
whom the family ties are regarded with
something of the respect of the patiar-
chal times. Mr.. Vladimir. professor of
criminal law at the University of Khar-
kow, has spontaneously undertaken the
i defense of the unfortunate child.
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