Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1892-06-25
THE sERFs OF RUSSIA
THE STATE OF THINGS BE-
FORE THE ABOLITION.
People Lawsa L1ks wolves aud DsxoHrea
zach oshsr-Thslr Daughters sold
B~eAass xhsy coaia N0t fay
ahs TAxeA

diversity Of opinion - 70 the efieet (
whseh emancipation would have on
the material interests Of Russian land
owners and on the country in general
The peasants using their liberty and
heir nsw privileges 70 their own del-
rinenr dranx more. worked less and
INDUCED in politics 10 an extent Ehiea
fomeased a steady and fast Increasing
dissatisfaction with the existing form
Of government
shall never forget story told me
by Russian nobla writes The s.
Petersburg correspondent Of the New
YORK Tribune. Il occurred . few
years before liberty had been
grzzted 10 Car Alexander's subjects
81 that most just and generous Of
monarchs and found Us cause in the
unlimited power which the BARNES
or surf owners welded over their
I peasants The scene OF the tragedy
vas in q village not many miles dis
tant from Moscow. and owHea b. q
/ nobleman whom ne viii call here
the fAEnily being still In existence aad
wall knoEn al over Europe-Andre
I L.oukitch. He was = cruel unjust
hard-hearted man and his peasants
stood in mortal terror o. him His
I immortality had become a by-Word 10
the whole province. and hts house was
Stunned By al descent people The
l consequence Of all this was that the
/ inhabitants o. the village % Loukitcha
had become some o. the widest and
most embiifered creatures Ia the
cars dominious The masters
| exactions had reduced his seris
70 the direst q poverty the
.IsbasT were bare % all but absolute
necessaries tbs fields we're neglected.
/ the cattle lean and the wreiched
peasants ieaner yet They lived like
wolves and dsvOured each other ike
wise. One winter when the harvest
had been even worse than in the pre-
ceding years tbs seris decided 70 20
il a body and iupiors Andre Loukitch.
their master 70 grant them time for
the payment % their ground rent
They had but little hope o. success
SIN they plucked up courage and pre-
scented themselves like q pack OF
frightened sheep before the tyrunL
With a sarcastic smile the Barine'
listened 70 their impassioned suppgiea-
tons then turning 70 them he said
coldly: You cannot pay shat you
justly owe me say you Well / will
give you a week TO find the money /
need II a. the end Of that time you
haze not acquitted your debt / shall
If necessary, sell every one o. your
daughters in order 70 obtain ms due =
Broken-hearted and despairing. the
unfortunate mouiiks fled out OF the
luxurious apartment and With re.
yenge in their souls sought their own
cherries hresides At the end OF the
week most OF the girls who had been
the only remaining sun-rays OF their
miserable homes were sold by the
''Barines and sent away 70 the GOV.
eminent Of Olouetz far Up ia the
north at the bitterest season o. a ner.
CHESS winter This arbitrary act came
near causing a revolt among tho
moujikS but this was rapidly oueuchet
By Andre Loukitch Who caused the
ringleaders to receive publicly 200
lasbes Of the knout as q warning 20 al
who tried 20 oppose his authority.
In the meanwhile the BARNES !
eldest son. a handsome boy Of -. re
turned from a college 10 Moscow
where he had been educated and tool
up his abode on his fathers estate
Nicholas Andreiteb ia no way resen
bled his father and az soon a. a,
realized the prevailing state Of affair
his every effort was directed towar,
s0ttening and tightening the burden o
his future rassals.
His interference however far from
helping them. only increased thei
sorry plight and brought down on hi
own head the malice OF Andre Lou
kitch To cap matters the youn,
man fell violently Ia love with tb,
beautiful daughter Of one Of hi
fathers peasants. and too honest 1
take advantage Of the love she ha.
given him Ia return. secretly Marie,
her. For three months the yount
couple managed to conceal this fac
from the 'Barine but one day the
were betrayed by Andre Loukitch'
private secretary. who was his am
damnee. On the following sunda
the '-Barine during 40 absence :
his son summoned the entire popu
lation Of the village and before Ia
eyes Of all present be had the beau,l
, full wife Of his only son whipped /
death When he came back the soun
I man almost went insane with gris
! and horror aud leaving bis father
house took refuge In the forest whic
, lay 70 the north Of Loukitcha
Twenty -four hours later a party {
i men headed By Nicholas Audreitc
himself entered the BARNES nous
a a. the dead o. night and murdere
: aim in his sleep setting the house o
fire afterwGr1 70 obliterate All trace
OF their crime. The governor or n
province who was a just man. wbe
: acquainted with this terrible afIaii
: hushed i up and purposely closed ri
eyes 10 the role played by the son an
q the peasants Of the victim who's
death was subseg uently ascribcd 70 a
eident