The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1878-07-31
HIS MOTHERS MUIR DERER.
a itussiun BOY Kills HIS uotae,to dpens
His FNfher,s H0nnI.


A Russian BOY Kills His Motaey,to .irenoe
His Fathers Honor.
New York Herald.
There is now occupying the Russian
criminal tribunals a tragedy which throws
into the shade the gloomiest imagnings of
the old Greeks playwrights It is the mur-
der OF a mother by her son, child Years
old. The story is one of the most appalling
In the whole annals of human crime. and
Withal is it heart-touching as showing the
instruction of 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 infdelity had put upon her
husbands name. The case is a most remark
able one. There seems to be no evidence of
a vicious disposition on the part of the how.
On the contrary, he seems to have had a
loving heart, and to have been tenderIv nj.
tached to his dead father; but cloud came
over his young existence, when his mother
forgetting her duty to the living and dead.
contracted an illicit alliance with govern
ment employee. The woman seems to have
troubled herself little to conceal her
dnnOu7's 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 pre-
cocious sersibility of her child.
The boy, however, very soon began to gus
pect the true relations existing between the
stranger and his mother. The functiopary
entered frequently before the child's eyes.
and at unusual hours into the house that had
belonged to the dead father. The child felt
himself cruelty injured by the dishonor cast
upon his fathers memory, which had re-
manned enshrined in his young heart like {,
sacred image. For long time he concealed
his anger and his shame; but one day his
indignation 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 her infidelity to her dead hus-
band, 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 delgning 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, al
ways, however, meeting with the same re-
ception. ....F.
Feeling that it was useless to appeal to the
ceived 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 from the neighbors. Having
once made up his mind, his thoughts be-
came wholly absorbed in plans for CARRYING
his vengeance into execution. Wherever he
| went he car, led with him this idea of aveng-
ing the injured honor of his name. In
solitude he pondered over it, until it became,
in his eyes, hole duty. Beside this child
of 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
ne dug the grave. This was, for his infant
hands, a long and painful labor. When he
had everything prepared he resolved to
execute his terrible purpose.
One night, while his mother slept. he
armed himself with a Ratchet and silently
approached her bed. When his eyes rested
on the author of his being his resolution 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 before his
mothers bed. There the morning light
found him stretched in slumber with the
deadly Ratchet still clasped in his tiny hands.
When his mother rose she was terribly
frightened at the sight. She awoke the boy,
who explained his presence by peasant
fable, and then took the opportunity to once
more beseech his mother 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 mothers
bedroom and, finding her asleep, 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 parricide is pro-
crossing in the town of Valok, in the gov
eminent of Kharkow. Seldom have the Rus
sian people been so interested in criminal
trial. but the sight of a child nine years old
standing in the dock as the assassin of his
motheris well calculated to excite the COM
passionate sympathy among people by
whom the family ties are regarded with
something of the respect of patriarchal
times. Mr.. Vladimir. professor of criminal
law at the university at Kharkow, has
spontaneously undertaken the defense of the
unfortunate child. ~