The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-04-01
RUSSIAN COSSACKS.
Lawless Men Who Compose the
Cars Body Guard.

Cars Body Guard.
see here and at st. Petersburg only
a few soldiers In the streets, and the
dashing Cossacks riding like mad on
horseback are tbs life of the military
for the winter. The Cossacks are the
life guards of the car, and are the
most interesting of the many characters
in this strange country.
A genuine Cos .ack has no more ap-
probation or dread of danger than he
has of his vod&a, a terrible rum, which
he drinks Ike water and which makes
intoxlcat on at sight. He was the
or ginal soldier of Russia, toe patron
detect We ana the prime spirit in ma sing
Republican institutions what they are.
n is devoted to the CT If, and Tor his
dev. ton has been knighted in the
gLest degree. The acme of the
kus n soldier is to become associated
with toe rvtce of the crown and to be
located aoOut tue palace. When a
soldier IS stationed III the vicinity of the
palace and II bacoMes known That be
mas been recognized by the GEAR, his
1, putat on has reached The zenith, and
he instantly Uet ONES the admir- ration Of
the entire Pc pl To get promotion
en- su te-that is, iuto the direct Service
OF the cZar-is to aIquire the highest
nOnor a million Russian soldiers aspire
to.
In all the wars Russia has fought
from her organiZat on the Cossacks
have figured most consplcuously. They
esp cially did tae bluoiy work when
Nap Jleon came over from France IN
1872 and attempted to conquer tbs
empire. The great French general
found his men falling like hail wnen he
was unab 10 strike back, {. enemy
always peng under shelter. 1t Was con-
tinuou5 busnwbackIng til the retreat
began, when the Co.'S +cks rode out 40
UU0 on nor. eback and Suot down in cold
blood almCst twice th-ir number Ill
Napoleon 8 ranks. For centur .eS these
pc pie have been the p ed Jminant iu-
uabiants on both deS OF the Voiga,
AID tue first to take up arms IN all the
UrImea against lntrud rs. Nearly half
century ago hi GEAR re Warded tue tribe
by ulaKlug all OssacSs in MS service his
>p cial life gu ,rd. Altogether the most
b!uta and ig Iorant, the COssacx - thus
<iven the most con picuous position in
all his great army. Whenever you see
Alexander Il. you see Il swarm OF Cos
,acKs aoout hun, riding over pedes-
trains. slasnins their sabers IN the air,
aud holding high and arb tcary author
ity Tney have complete privilege and
exercis ii to the fullest extent.
IMMUNITY AGAINST PUNISHMENT.
A Cossack soldier is granted complete
immunity against p1nisbmentfor all but
the highest crime, which is murder in
C id blood If he wanton'y murders an
innocent and unotfendng cuizen or
C lup tnion ne is court nart;aled and
PROB, IDLY imprisoned for 1trte or six
month, but it is extremely difficult to
C nVict him when once arrested. He is
furnished Il horse, clothing and ration
when Stationed IN city, but he is given
No salary, aud rations ouly when be
canno. for ge. About one fourth of
them are u p led by the hands of the
pr.viIeeed to 60 alb ut the country aud.
in the name of the car, plilage end
plum .er. They hold up strangers, COM
ml burglary sonnet mes aud demand at
tbs hands of toe people the best theIe is
10 1--we upon. 1t IS seless to max IN
plants IF their depre dations, as they
are legal;zei. The people have to keep
he car md eu ard his life; they must
protect him ana all his interests. and he
holds that they may just rs we'll d some
their acts fer the empires preserva-
Lion directly, by maintaining bad of
marauders, as o do itIndirectly Oh
the channel If the treasury.
1t does not iolr"w that because IL
der is life guard he must be at the side
of the one ne IS employed to protect.
His field in Sny spot he can 10 ate eff
fort toinjure the emp re or its car He
IS secret or public detective, or sol |
der according TO hi1 purposes or de -ires.
He goes about when not under direct
orders, in the uniform of soldier L the
dress of civilian. At st. PETERSBURG,
rot many DAYS ago, l Cos sack in pri-
vate citlZ- Il dress on the street, walk |
Ing in hol haste. He wore lnng ulster,
Nurtoned up 10 the chin. He was in
the role OF detective. In little group |
of men he espled his game-a slender
you h. Hastily unouttoning his great
coat he drew forth a buele. A single,
snort call, and at his side were three or
four of the tiercest looking Cosssck |
S 'ldiers eyer saw. They came in q
wv mixing, wore C ats of mail. caps. |
AMI at their sides and in there belts were
9istols. knives and m6ces sufficient 10 !
start band of Texas hishwaymen.
The ar est was not resisted, and tie
display seemed enurely unnecessarily
Moscow Cor. Kansas City Times.