The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1878-07-04
HIS MOTHERS MURDERER.



A Russian Boy Kills His Mother e
Avenge His Fathers Honor
From the New York Herald
There is now occupying the Russian
criminal tribunals a tragedy which
throws into the shade the gloomiest
imaginings of the old Greek playwrights
1t is the murder of 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 il
is heart-touchinga as showing the misdi-
rection of a noble nature. For the mo-
tive OF the crime was honor, and the son
slew his mother that her blood might
wash out the stain her infidelity had put
upon her husbands name. The case is
q most remarkable one There seems
to be no evidence of vicious disposition
on the part of the boy. On the contra
ry, 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, contracted an Illicit alliance with
a government employee. The woman
seems to have troubled herself little to
conceal her ansours from her son, think
ing that child of such tender years
would not be likely to pay any atten-
ton 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 relations existing be-
tween the stranger and his mother. The
| functionary 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
remained enshrined in his young heart
like sacred image. For a 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. - p ua;'
r Ykfosipk asideIaIsfearl hareproved
the widow for her infidelity to 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 the remonstranees
lightly, and bdrstSout laughing at the
child. Without even deigning to hear
him TO the, end, she advised HIM to oc-
cupy 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. 4
Feeling that it wis useless to appeal
to the better nature of the mother, the
child conceived the horrible design of
washing out in her blood the stain she
had persisted in putting on his name,
and which he knew was no longer Sc
cret from .thereighbors. Having once
made up his mind, his thoughts became
absorbed in plans for carrying his ven
gence 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, a holy duty. Be-
side this child of 9 years taking upon
his conscience the responsibility of
Judge and eXecutiOner, thinking and
planning before taking action, Hamlet,
tormented by visions and stimulated by
madness, is only capable of inspiring
pity. The heart is moved at the thought
of the anguish the child must have suf-
feredy First he dug the grave. This
was, for his infant hands, long and
painful labor When he had every
thing prepared he resolved to execute
his terrible purpose.
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
the face he had long loved and respect
ed. 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 dead
ly 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 a
pleasant fable, and then took the Op-
portunity 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 murderoCs resolu-
ton. The following night he again en-
tered 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
progressing 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 assassin. of his mother is well calcu-
lated to excite the compassionate sym
patty among q 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 sponts-
neously undertaken the defense of the
unfortunate child al?-;9 = asiH 'H'