Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-07-09
EUROPEAN LETTER.

81. PgrERsBURo, Russia, June 81, 80.
] cannM for the moment call 10 mind
tie pariioilar Article. Of the Russian Grim.
inal Code. in Virtue n which sentence was
recehilypronodnepdiA case Of sheep
slealHg, by judge IN the Perm Govern
ment. Yet. remembering how literally
the laws are interpreted by the Cars iu-
dicial functionaries. II would be imperti-
nenl to express doubt as to that SEN
tence's strict conformity with some sa-
gacious statute which happened to have
escaped our attention. peasant accused
one Of his nelgllbors Of stealing a sheep
from his flock aud Of slaughtrring it.,
thereby causing IFS lawful owner prejudice
10 The amount ~ Two ruubles. ln answer
to this churge, the defendant alleged that
ono afternoon sheep with which he had
had no previous acquaintance, had GER
tainiy called upon him in a promiscuous
kind Of a way, whereppon be, regarding
It's visit as providential, in tended to
supplya vacuum in his larder, had prompt
ly converted it into mutton by the usual
process. Taking this frank confession in-
to consideration as an "altenuating cir
cumstance," the learned Judge pronounced
the following sentences "The defendant
shall first Of all, receive twenty blows
from rod lie shall then be arrayed in
the skin OF the murdered sheep, and be
conducted, to the beat Of drums, through
all the streets Of the village at the door OF
each house he shall be halted and the re-
spective house-owncr shall deal him a
blow with stick"
As the condemned peasant, by declining
to appeal to higher court against this
sentence, tHcitly admitted It's justice; it
was forthwith carried out, to the manifest
enjoyment Of his fellow-villagers.
Few warriors Of ancient or modern times
have earned by their military achieve
ments so indefeasible title to immortali-
ty as that acquired by General Nasimon,
the late mspecror-in.Chief Of the Impe-
rial Russian High Schools, during his full
liment Of the rmincntly peaceful func-
tions conhdcd to him 10y the Car. Some
year, ago II was bis duty, in the course Of
his inspecloriul rounds, To visit the Uni
yursty Of Moscow. The college magngtes
caused the great Aua to be, as they con-
cciyed appropriately decorated Tor his re-
ception ana the Rector MagniRpps greet
ed him ut its entrance with an eloquent
Grafton. That august dignitary, however,
had pronounced but few rolling SEN
tences, when Nasimotf, who had glanced
keenly round the hall while apparently
listening to the address, interrupted the
speaker and observed that he perceived
something which greatly outraged his
sense Of orderliness, and made an extreme
ly painful impression upsn him as sold
Ter. Pointing to raised and decorated
dais in the centre Of the hall, he exclaim-
ed, .'EoH haye sgt up his Alalesty.s bust
in the middle OF milne plasttr casts. Is
that your idea of symmetry Could you
not have made the number eNen?" "Ex-
cellency," replied the Rector, '"those are
the nine Muses. arranged in semi circle.
They could not be placed more symmet-
REALLY" What? Let no man, in the
fend's name, venture to associnte his Ma
iesty's likeness with so idiotic an arrange
ment. Get another figure Immediately, so
that there may be five on each side, We
must have proper order IN these mallersr
Thus did the discpliparian create u Tenth
Muse, aud establish an irrefpgabe claim
to co-paternily with the God OF Day.