Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1892-01-07
"rHE DYING PROPHET"
A Strange Character in Russia no'e
Pretensions are Audacfons.

rharac,ar in Russia Whose
Pretensions are Audacions.
s.The DYING Prophet is just now the
sensation of Russia. Certainly ne Is d
most extraordinary being. Ii ne Is
what is claimed, a more wonderful per
sonage does not exist. LII he pc an lni-
poster then he is the most marvellous
imposter of the age. The audaclty %
his pretensions, the skill with Wh'cn
they are maintained, and, above al, tne
profound effect produced upon al VINO
come in contact with him, have no
parallel in modern history. So strong,
indeed. is the impression created Dv
his doings that the procurator OF !ne
HOLY SYNOD and other high ecclesiastical
officers of the empire dare not inter
fere Appeals have been made to them
to stop bv force of law the vast pill
orimaees that are constantly being
made to the "Prophet's'' home, since
they are in defiance of the orthodox.
church. But these stern defenders OF
the faith, who do not hesitate to perse
cute the Stundists and Jews, tremDle a,
the name of the "Dying, Prophet" ana
let him work his miracles unmolesteSu;'
This strange person is named Iagarelll,
and is of French or Italian extraction.
He was. however, born at Tiflis, IN the
Caucasus. where he now lives. lie Is
vet a Young man, of humble rank In
fife and of only ordinary education.
Since childhood he has been bedridden
and utterly helpless. For years he lay
in his humble cottage, in the outskirts
of Tif1is, with nothing to distinguish him
from any other common Invalid. But
few wears ago a curious change was OBJ
served. In brief, he died, to all appear
ances. His friends believed him dead.
The doctors declared him dead. Ac-
cording to all ordinary tests he was GER
tainly dead. That was on Saturday:
They prepared his body for burial. and
the corpse lay in it's coffin until Mon
dav, when the funeral was to take
place. At the very hour set for the OBJ
sequles, however, the young man sud
denly returned to life. Ever since the
same event has occurred every week,
with the exception, of course, of the
preparations for burial, which are now
omitted. On Saturday he dies. On
Monday he returns to life.
What of the line between? He de-
clares that he really does die, and that
his spirit, departing from his body,
passes into the other world: What
manner of world it is he will not di
vuge. Nor will he tell anything of his
doings their. save one. That is, that he
has access to the book kept by the re-
cording angel. in which are set down all
the sins of humanity. On it's fatal
pages he finds the names of all his &C
quaintances, and reads set against them
the catalogue of their misdeeds, even of
their evil thoughts. The catalogue is a
long one. Men are more wicked than
their fellows suppose. So the "Proph-
et'' comes back to life much sad
dened by the knowledge he has gained.
Indeed, he would like to look no more
upon that dreadful book; but a greater
power than his own compels him to do
so. Nor is his information confined to
the records of his acquaintance. The
book Of the whole world is open to him,
and he can ascertain exactly what
charges are set down against any MEM
Der of the human race.
Of all his pretensions, of course, only
one is susceptible of proof, and that is
the correctness of his information. Peo-
pie who visit him know perfectly we'll
whether he tells them the truth about
their misdeeds. 1t is said that he has
never made a mistake; at any rate, no
one has ever charged him with doing
go. There is scarcely person in Tiflis
who has not visited him. They all plead
guilty to the charges he reports against
them and tearfully beseech him to in
tercede with the powers of the other
world in their behalf. Thousands of
people from all parts Of the empire
daily throng about his cottage, seeking
10 know from him the story of their
own nlisdeeds. Many of them 90 in
idle curiosity, or in a skeptical spirit,
but all who are admitted to his pres
ence come away convinced of his super
natural knowledge.
Among some who went to Moscow to
IL,
paper correspondent whose avowed
purpose was to expose what he believed
to be fraud. He came from Tagarelli's
room with bristling hair, blanched face
and trembling limbs. 'Take me away"
he cried to his friends. 81 have lived an
hour in the day Of Judgment. st Pet
ersbuTg Letter.
SCRAPS OF HISTORY,