Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-04-06
PEAL RmsslAN HORROR.
A Peasant Comes TO Life in the Grave and
l. Then Murdered.

Asst Petersburg telegram TO the LONDON
nh, 7;src-r0pb SAYS. 4 very lurld light
hos inst been thrown upon the NE ara
euneTetitions of the Russian peasantry py
INSTRUMENTATION Of n gruesOmc crime III mo
name of what they take TO be christianity.
Arch popular farmer died rather suqd MY
in the village of SooroiisHv. lie iau peeh
seen in the enjoyment of eXceueni hctili "ii
Thursday. and was found dead IN MS hcd
on Friday morning. lie was Pial o'' ~, ~
dulv walked" after which he wa carried
IN thc crave. almost all the inhahitantS OF
the village. inclusive of the priest, loI0W-
no him 10 the churchyaTd. just "a the
bodv was being lowered the I'D. wulch nad
had been fastened rather loosely WIN
wooden nails, began to rise up Slowly. ana
5etach itsclf from the coffin to tue lnde-
ecribable horror Of the friends and mourn
ers of the deceased Then the dead nun
vas seen in his white STROUD. stretchlnk
his arms upwards and sitting up. Al
this sieht the gIGye-digSefs leu go Ihe
cords and along with the bystand"rs ilcu n
terror from the SPOT. The supposed corpse
fhcu arose. scrambled ont of the grave
and ehivering from the cold Cthe mercury
was two degrees below zero, tahr. ;, made
for the village as fast as his ieenl,nre,,
allowed him. But the villagers mad barred
and boltcd Themselves in against the
wizard" and no one made answer To the
appeal ne made, with chatterlng tecte' I'D
be admitted: and so. blue, breathe. g.
trembling. he ran from hut t. hui IKE %
rat IN q burning room seeking some escape
from death. 1900,
he CHANGED on hat the inmate OF winch
WAC an old woman who had not neen 10 the
funeral. and. knowing nothing OF hl7 yes ur-
rectiou. had left her door unharrei. llo
opcuel it and entered, aud going up 10 ih'
stove seemed rs if be would got ms de II -
he could. Meanwhile the peasants gather
cd togcther. armed thcmaelyos viii pole
and stakes of asponw9od. the only cEectui,
weapons in fight with % wizard anu
surrounded the cabin. Anew OF those Whc',
/ .lluor.tlt,on was modified by t"lih 10 iH'
u-rits OF modern improvements also Zoos
Guns and pistols witt them, ana the Qool
| Iciug opened tleattack O. these Christians
AGAINST this devils ally ~ BEGAN. Ae
miserable MN. dazed by I'll that had hap
pouel chat morning. and suffering iron
| cold and hunger, was soon oycrpoWered
and his ncighbors. with many pIous elacd.
! lat'ons. ran,txcd hun, though allY' ant
unhurt. with holy aspen stakes o.
/ the Ground in the court hei 'r.
/ the hut. When things had rraCuo'
! this poiut the priest, who bad recover.
somewhat from his terror. came upon Poe
scene with half-developed idea that per-
/ hans after all the alleged corpse had beer
plunged in a lcthargic sleep and might D.
cover and live a. before. But be round tl'
unfortunate man pinned down TO the earti
with the aspen palos, with no manner o
doubt about his death. The police up rim
tendent lStanoyoy) who lived close by tnei
arrived. and also saw the murdered man
and made inquiry into the manner Of hi
death. The peasants had gone to then
daily work. leaving the body, according tC
the requirements of the superstition pre-
vailing i'm Russia. until sundown, whel
they intended TO draw out tine stake. an'
throw the corpse into bog. Cases of tlr
kind are of not unireqVent occurrence II
Russia. The press is taking the matter mp
hut IS not -auguiue Of attaining PERM.
rrutlv satisfactory results. winch cann0
possibly be achieved until fair and ia
mart ial trial shall be Given 20 education.