Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1890-12-27


horse. NY mother. however, turned
pale at the suggestion, and my father
refused in peremptory tone. The old
man went on his way without another
word, and l ran after him and whis-
pered:
Uncle Tedia, tho mill is open; You
could take shelter there"
Thanks, child" he answered, "but l
shall soon reach town"
But suppose the storm overtakes
you?" ..~,
ut will not matter, child; there would
be no one to grieve for Uncle Fedia," he
said sadly. ~ -, . 80.
had never known him to give utter
ance to go many words in n breath be-
fore, and turned back, thinking that
he could not be such bad man as peo-
pie said.
The next day, however, felt ashamed
of my decision, for my father came into
my room exclaiming in an excited tone:
II congratulate you upon your pro-
tege. Thanks be to heaven that did
not listen to You yesterday
And he told me that during the night
boihC OhC bhu btb hkC " ~ houoO Ah taS
neighborhood whose owner was hard
on the peasantry and cordially disliked
by them. My father made sure that the
old peddler was the culprit, and Uncle
Fedia was arrested the next day.
There was not sufficient proof against
him, however, 80 he was released, and
suspicion fell upon woman named
Akonlina, who had been employed in
our neighbor's house. She had been
discharged for impertinence on the even
ing before tho fire, and, after uttering
sundry threats, had gone toward her
home. She had not, however, appeared
in the little cabin until morning, and
now was unable to give satisfactory
account of her whereabouts during the
night.
Three months later the trial took
place. My father was called as wit
ness, Akonlina having formerly been his
tenant, and yielding to my boyish en-
treaties he took me to town with him.
On arriving he left me with the horses
and carriage ut the inn, and told me to
wait there patiently until his return.
But this being too much for my curiosi-
ty l slipped out behind him, followed
him down the street and crept into the
courtroom. Hero crouched unnoticed
in corner near the doorway and listen
ed to the proceedings with the iveliest
interest.
1t was very bare looking room, with
long row of benches on each side, a
platform at one end, where sat the
o,,1 {l,a xr,I,, ,ta-
washed wall was large, round clock,
with crucifix hanging above it.
The hall was full of people. On the
right sat the mobiles. land owners and
city officials: ON the left were the peas
ants of Ivanofka. where the fire had taken
place, and of our village. On tho prison
ers' bench sat Akonlina, and just behind
her one Of her relations was holding an
infant, and at the same time trying to
keep two little girls amused. These
We're Akonlina's children.
Every eye was fixed upon the accused.
She was young, strong and straight:
neither pretty nor plain, but q true
Russian type, with round, flat face,
bright color. and dull, stubborn express
sion. She seemed to pay no heed to
what the clerk was saying in his sleepy
voice, and looked at neither the judges
nor the audience. but kept her eyes fixed
npon the great clock. whence she occa-
sionally glanced at the door. as if anx-
iously expecting an arrival.
The testimony against her was over
whelming She was of turbulent. in
tractable disposition, but worked hard
to support her children, having re-
Gently lost her husband, worthless
fellow who had died of drink. After
being discharged by the lady of
Ivanofka she had been heard to use
threatening language while stopping at
the mill to buy some straw, and had ap-
peared in our village the next day tired
and muddy and affecting to be ignorant
of the fire i'll the night.
Akonlina declared that she had slept
in barn belonging to II cousin of hers
named Anton Petrovitch. Unfortunate
ly this person had lately left the country
and gone to seek his fortune at Odessa,
whence he was supposed to have en-
barked as sailor in II foreign ship. In
quiry proved fruitless respecting his
whereabouts, but that fact was thought
to be of but little consequence, as the
woman's statement was evidently false
| one.
The punishment for incendiarism is
Punishment to Siberia, but before sen
tence was passed number of witnesses
were to be examined.
Akonlina paid little or no attention to
the examination of the witnesses, but
kept looking from the clock to the door
and it was evident that only one fact
was clear to her dull understanding
Anton Petrovitch was the one person
who could save her. and she clung tena
ciously to the idea that Anton Petro
witch would enter by that door and Say
the necessary words before it was toe
late. People had told her that her cousin
was reported to have perishcd by ship
wreck in the distant sea, but that could
not be. God was too just to let her suf
fer for the want of q few words. Mes