The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-12-22
FANATICIsM IN SIBERIA.
SuPerstitiOus Dread of the Improve
/ ment i'm Some Villages.

The following incident, described by a
Russian writer and quoted in the maya
zine Nedelia, throws a vivid light on the
J Ignorance and fanaticism still prevailing
IN parts of the empire, and the Difficult
ties with which the government has to
contend in carrying out such enterprises
as the present road across Siberia
The drama occurred in one of the Sibe-
rlan towns. through whose suburbs the
railroad was to go. The doomed portion
was thickly settled by Raskolniks dds
senters) who decided to defend their pat
rlmony to the last rs il a possible
thing" said they, that any one should
agree to such a shameless sale to be put
out by force from his own house? who
81 -, nave tRe right TO destroy the roof
| whose every thatch was laid by the hands
OF our aneestors2'F holy saintsr' lament-
ed the Widow Glazlikha how am I IN
ser ior money not only the dust but the
lar?" 'SS III my OeA-
The guardians of the true faith ponder
81 snl puzzied whether, it were possible
70 70 ieSVe the nests where they were born,
put the most experienced among them rea-
SSoneu mus: There won't be any help
t1 US late or early; the point is not
they could ind another way-but we our
serves are In the path; they want to scat
yer US 10 get at our souls; they must cut
4
Where our ancestors dust is buried so
that 'our children may grow I'm in a
strange land, may come forth among the
people OF the world That is how the
| true faith is to fall" In this manner the
Ignt against appropriation turned into the
t.e lence OF the true faith; and, although
~ present champions did not decide like
theiI ancestors, TO set fire themselves to
tnelr dwellings, and, praising the Lord
- ~ ciieanse their bodies of every fault in
Ihe lncorruptible flames;" still they made
no concession to the intruders The last
ueiay expired. A detachment of trooDs
tne lspraVnik (chief of police and the en-
ance. - az appeal
Long did the ispravnik argue. making
uSe OF al MS official eloquence to get the
r ,,5l' 10 end the matter peaceabiy and
move out OF their own accord, in which
case ne promised to postpone the moment
OF emigration. The Raskolniks yelled OBJ
now nor tomorrow we won't agreer'
you won't agree? All right; l am sorry
| you were disobedient" The isnrav5ils
waited another moment grunted and
nouded TO an under officer. A bearded old
man, OF gigantic stature with sparkling
eyes stepped forward and clearly and
precisely, as If into a speaking Trumpet.
shouted to the whole region: Come out
OF your houses, all. They are going to de-
Stroy the roofs at once, and If you don't
bring out your sick, your women, your
ehlldren and your cattle. the soldiers will
drag them out" In answer the whole
region groaned with a groan The cries
of the women the screaming of Children
me waiilng OF grandmothers, the below
ing of the cattle as they We're led out all
mingled in the confused roar.
The soldiers lined up in an instant They
ming from the town, drove them to the
very edge of the street, into spaces be-
tween the houses, and formed a hedge
to the road on both sides.
A crowd of policemen, under officers
and railway employees struggled with the
women, who fought with fury at their
n1n inQ harl a-eIxr
ODDS of their houses, defending their
homes step by step, foot by foot The
work went on in every direction. The
SICK and children were carried out; the
hands of the old men were dragged away
from the steps of their houses, to which
they chung, with cries and weeping Lad
ders were brought as if for a FIRE some of
the employees got quickly on to the roofs
and fragments of the thatch came fiy-
ing down-the appropriation had begun
In one way or another, the inhabitants
were becoming to understand that their
last hope was gone; the majority began
of themselves to carry out their property
and the ispravnik moderated the zeal of
his men. But at that moment an
incident took place that lightened the
work of appropriation, and served at the
same time as proof that the old faith had
not grown weak. The widow
Fire, firer' shouted some one; Fire.
fire." exclaimed the whole crowd
The ispravink, the engineers and the
troops looked around: a column of flame
shot up from the chimney of Glazikha's
tightly closed house, long fiery tongues
appeared through the crevices of the
wooden beams, licking the cottage thatch
dried and infammable from the July sun,
and the whole house. like a gigantic box
of matches, blazed up, scattering burning
sparks in the neighboring fences, and the
piles of flrewood leaning against them
Glazikha rushed into her dwelling, barr
ed the windows and doors from inside
then like mad woman rushed into the
kitchen, handed out of ii her whole stock
of dried kindlings. lit it herself from her
ever-burning sacred lamp, and, seeing that
the flame had caught, she Frustrated her
self in prayer falling on her knees be-
fore the holy ikons. and died in fanatical
worship.
The troops had not succeeded in forcing
their way into the house, when that of
Zaiken, at the end of the street, blaZed up;
next the blacksmith shop of Oreshkoy,
standing at the corner, caught and soon
the whole row of houses on the sides had
become one glowing mass. The soldiers.
policemen and employees, leaving the in
habitants of the suburb to fate. rushed
to protect the police station. the stores of
grain and other goods.
When the first sound of alarm brought
the fire engines laundering from the town
there was nothing to save or take away
The fire in the suburb had died ont, finding
no more food the street was burned UP,
the houses were levelled with the ground
The appropriation was finished