The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1881-03-31
MEMORABLE: RUSSIAN FUNERAL


Over Fifty Thousand Persons Following a 81.
berlan Exile to the Grave.
In IS4o, conspirator against the
Cars autocracy was sentenced to death
in St. Petersburg. Gar Nicholas COM
muted his sentence to Imprisonment in
the Siberian mines for life. On March
nth that very conspirator was solemnly
buried at the Cars capital. Fifty thou
sand men, women and children followed
the body to the grave. Gar Alexander
has granted pension of 1000 roubles
to the widow. The Grand Duchess AL
eXandra Josepbovna sent her letter Of
coincidence, and her children placed a
floral cross on the dead exile's coffin.
Her imperial Highness, the Duchess
Eugenia Maximilanovna also contribut>
ed beautiful bouquet. His Emin ,nce
Metropolitan Isador donated lot in the
cemetery of Alexandro-Nevsky Laura,
for the interment. The cities of Moscow
and St. Petersburg sent their Mayors
and delegations Of Aldermen to attend
the funeral. All the Russian universi.
ties were represented in the obsequies.
The dead man is Fedor Michaelo-
witch Dostoevsky. Nicholas loaded him
with chains as punishment for his love
of liberty and hatred of despotism.
Through his genius, his long suffering,
and his devotion to the advancement of
the people, he won the love of the ma
ton, and has been accorded niche
among the immortal Russian writer's and
thinkers. He found Gods spark among
the most degraded human beings. Fifty
was he termed "the anatomist of the
soul, and "the poet of sorrows"
The Russians call all criminals "the
dear unhappy ones, regarding them as
the victims of fatal circumstances. They
dearly loved Dostoevsky, who devoted
his energies to the relief of the "unhap-
py ones, and who ably elucidated the
fatal circumstances whichannually send
thousands to the dreary wastes of ST
IBERIA. He had shed his tears in band
of the unfortunates he had trodden the
long road beyond the Ural Mountains;
his limbs had also been eaten by rusty
irons; his own groans had been mingled
with the groans of his unhappy com.
rades in prisons and mines in the ST.
berian hell he had seen the tears of re-
pentance, and heard the blasphemy of
rage, the sighs of the innocents, prayers
and curses, and weeping and singing.
With the loving hand Of great Artist
he portrayed all these horrors. The
Russian people have crowned him with
a wreath of laurel. 1t will remain green
forever.
Dostoevsky was born in 1921. He
studied military engineering, but did not
adopt it as profession. He had a lit
erary turn of mind. In 1916 he pub
lished "The Poor People" his first nov
ell. 1t gave him a national reput alton
In I84o he was sent to Siberia with
band of political criminals. He found
Gods spark in the breast of every one
of the miserable beings shut out from
light of day in the mines. The discov.
cry saved him. He probed the Russian
character, and unearthed an all,forgiv>
ing love and mercy. His intellectual
horizon was widened, and he saw a
bright future for the nation.
Meantime Nicholas died. His son
pardoned Dostoevsky. The novelist re-
appeared in St. Petersburg, and quickly
published his great work, "Notes From
the Dead House" In it he depicts all
the horrors of Siberian prisons. 1t en-
shrined him in the affections of the Rus
sian people. A year afterward he wrote
another remarkable work, "The Miser-
able and Oppressed People" 1t was
followed by the novel; Crime and Pun
ishment, containing more profound
psychological analysis Of the motives
that induce crime. This work softened
the treatment of criminals in Russian
courts. Since then Dostoevsky has
written many novels; but none so strik>
ingly effective. For the last two years
he published an originalperiodical called
the Wyttey's Diary. Although very
popular, he died in poverty.
Epilepsy and pulmonary complaint
were the result of his confinement in
the Siberian mines. They caused his
death. Throngs surrounded the corp
for days, including the Grand Dukes
and men and women of all classes All
who read, think, and study, bade him a
final farewell. 4 Children stood near his
coffin and distributed flowers to visitors.
Before the burial an envelope contain
ing two roubles and the following note
was found in the coffin;
For the Benefit of a Famine-stricten POpula.
ton, in Honor OF Gods Servant, Fedor Dostoev.
sky, who Upheld the Poor and Oppressed. From
Poor Man.
Yesterday the remains were removed
to the Church of Alexandra Nevsky
Laura, and to-day they were buried.
Over $4,000 persons were in the funeral
procession. There were thirty groups,
representing the male and female gym
nasiums, male and female medical
schools, universities, military, industrial
and art schools, the musical conserva>
tory, the stage, bar, press, Board of
Trade, Church and municipal corpora
tons. Each group carried wreaths of
flowers and laurel leaves, with different
notices. The wreath from Moscow
bore this motto;
'''''''''"''''
| :FRoM TIE HEART OF RUSSIA TO THE:
| GREAT TEACHER.