The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-12-29
AN INVOLUNTARY HERO.
THE STORY or TINE mUssIAN PEASANT
WRe SAVED THE LIFE Or
THE CZAR.
A Peasant Raised To KBighth00d and
Made a N0blemaH, Thanks 10 q
Fortunate Painting Fit.
[Chicago Times.l

A conspiracy against the life OF the En-
peror had been brewed at Moscow without
the knowledge Of the police and the student
Karakosofr, acting In tho name OF the con-
spirators, fired. April 10, 1866, pistol shot at
the Emperor as he was walking In the sum-
mer garden The confusion which succeeded
this event is indescribable. The police had
not only allowed things to go on In such q
way that the conspiracy, of which their chief
had acquired some faint knowledge few
days before, had broken out; but they showed
themselves equally incapable Of wrestling
from Karakosoff, who was arrested soon
after the attack Acknowledgements respect
ing himself and his aecomplices. msun-
Outstanding Of serious nature also, charged
likewise to the account of the police, had re-
suited from circumstances connected with
the pretended savior Of the Emperor, the
cap-maker Komissaroff. This peasant, who
was only twenty-three years old and had
arrived In the government OF Kosroma a
little while before, happened to be numbered
among the curious who were following the
Emperor, when he was promenadng In the
summer garden the fatal morning OF the
sixteenth Of April; he was on the front rank
of the spectators when Karakosoff ap-
preached the sovereign and discharged his
pistol; frightened al the report of the wea-
pom and the criminal character of the act he
tainted and fell, without that any one
dreamed Of lifting him up. At the time of the
attack Gen. Todleben. the celebrated de-
fender OF Sebastopol, was also promenading
in the garden he had heard the pistol
shot, had gone In the direction whence 1t came,
4 las
murderer was no longer there. In his stead
he perceived man who lay on the ground
without moving, and n young workman who
looked like locksmith's apprentice, and who
stood close TO the man who had tainted de-
clared that he believed the latter had warded
off the arm Of the murderer, and In that way
saved the life Of the Gar. The General re-
ceived this Information with Joy; they lifted
UP the man who had tainted. and both the
locksmith and tho savior Of the Gar were
Professionally guarded at the police station,
TO keep the precious treasure-trove In safety
Some time after, the Prince SoavarofI. Gov
ernor General, also arrived at the place where
the attack had occurred; on learning the
savior Of his Emperor had been found he like
wise manifested a joyous surprise, and sent
his aide-de-camp to hunt up the young hero Mt
the police station. Ossip Komissarof arrived
staggering like one who sleeps standing, re-
manned long time without being able to pro
nouncc word, and allowed his captors to do
with him as they would The locksmith's ap-
prentice, who might have given more exact
Information, had escaped from the hands OF
the police In the midst of the general con-
fusion and excitement, and taken with him the
Ossp, who seemed momentarily to be about
to faint again, had como to himself sufli- |
ciently to make known his name and resi-
dence; but he had not completely recovered
his senses when he found himself suddenly ia |
one OF the halls OF tho winter palace, In the |
presence OF the Emperor himself and gilt |
tering group OF generals and high dignitaries |
The Emperor embraced him and said. 81 ere |
ate YOU knight: conduct yourself according to |
your new rank" Then. turning to those who |
think Of 1t, gentlemenw
A boisterous hurrah succeeded the words of |
The Emperor, and from this moment Ossip be-
came the Idol not only OF the court and the |
a!Lrlstocracy. but OF al classes OF society, oil!
Lhe journals, the public, the two capitals and |
oil the provinces OF the vast Russian empire
Before trying to give an idea of the ovatiops |
Df which he was the object, we must relate
scene which took place on the morrow, early
n the morning. In the cabinet of German
baron or count from the Baltic provinces.
This parsonage was the proprietor OF Mol
vltino, Ossips native village, and he had.
therefore, up to that time been the latter's
master.
The emancipation or the peasants had been.
Y Is true, proclaimed a few years before, but
he bonds which united the gentleman and
his serfs could not be 30 quickly broken by a
aw. Ossip accordingly went to his natural
and protector to open his heart
2 him and ask him his support and advice
lie related what had happened to him, and
rave oath that he was In no way the cause OF
{; he added that 1t was the first time that he
lad heard pistol shot. and that he had lost
us consciousness; that, on opening his eyes,
ot acquainted with: that 1t had been, for an
our, impossible for him to saga single word
nat. moreover, he knew nothing of nothing"
nd begged his good master, in his unparal-
sled situation, to take pity on him and come [
his aid. At the same slime he began to sob i
nd fell at the feet Of his master, who lifted +
i'm, told him to take courage and added I
BE yourself, Ossip Iwanowitch, be yourselfl
TOD has chosen YOU TO be His instrument. Do 4
OF bother your head about 1t. Accustom your .
slf to His idea; try to realize the happiness :
'hlcn mas come TO you; you are the savior, h
on must be and you shall be! Here you are !
obie like me; walk proudly, then, the head t
lghl Dry your useless tears; come, let =
ave saved our Gear from the hands of the d
urderer" .Ossip dried his tears and went h
way half distracted half consoled, the WIS., o
e pale. the whole appearance sore, and 8
hen he was in the street he heard the hur- b
his OF those who recognized him. The same
~ the Emperor received at the winter n
llace the marshals of the nobility and the 8,
esidentS OF the municipal corporations. and h
Piled In the following manner to a speech Il
ade by Count Orlon-Damydoff Gentle b
an of the nobility, hope you will receive Il
tn joy into your midst the one who has W
we'd your Emperor's life. Yesterday he 81
as only peasant; but have enobled him. d,
think he has merited the honor of being a q,
lssian gentleman" The assembly respond D;
with vociferous cheers. The ninth of April Ri
Q Senate received a ukaSe couched as fol- a
VS.: Peasant such-a-one having, by the in
ace OF God, done so-and-sofor us, we con- p]
upon him-him and his heirs-the rank of
bility and the name of Komissaroff-K Kos w
'niskoi." On the sixth the marshals and the n.
outies Of the nobility of st. Petersburg had in
It and decided to make present of holy th
age to Ossip Iwanowitch, to organize, with nj
8 end In view, collections in all the districts
the government of St Petersburg, and to
( the savior Of the Emperor to allow his
ne to be inscribed as one of the nobility of
It government. This decision was trans ne
tied by Count OrloT- Damydoff to Ossip- W;
nowitch. who accepted it with expressions BY
gratitude. JIG
he eighth Of April Ossip Iwanowitch. his br
e and some of their relatives, were con- Ca
ted to the Mary Theatre, at which Life tn
the Czar" was being plavad and nlanad i'm | tir