The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1896-08-26
FALSE DEMETRIUs.
STRANGE STORY or ONE OF THE
czARs or RUSSIA. - 49,

=
czAHs or RUSSIA. - 49,
He RaAssd Himself From . Menial POSI-
ton to That Of Ruler Of the Empire.
Though Emiaentiy Fitted For the Pest
tion He Was Undoubtedly an Impostor.
Foremost In point OF date, romantic in
terest, success and kingly attributes Of the
many "pretenders" who In times past have
endeavored to seize the crown Of Russia
stands Dimitri Ivanovitoh-or, a. he has
variously been called 1.-THE young Deme-
trius" and "Demetrius tho Impostor. F."
For centuries his identity WAS a. much
mystery as was that Of "ths Man In the
Esn Mask, the author Of "Junius" and
many other historical enigmas. Recent
research, however, has completely demon
strared the falsity of his pretensions and
yet has stamped him as the most success
full, the most daring and the most capable
adventurer that history can point to.
Ivan the Terrible, having in fit Of pas
sion slain his eldest son with his own hand,
left the throne by will to his second son,
Feodor, weak and incapable prince, who
soon fell under the domination Of his
mothers brother, Boris Godunov OF
Ivan's second marriage an infant son still
survived, bearing the name of Dimitri,
and who, failing issue Of Feodor, was next
in succession to the throne. In 1891 1t was
suddenly announced that young Demetri-
us had committed suicide In the town of
Uglitch and that the persons responsible
for his safety had persisted in the tumult
that followed his death.
Seven years after Feodor died and Boris
succeeded to the imperial power. The mys-
terry with which he had surrounded the
death of the boy Demetrius was well calcu-
lated to favor the ambition Of any impos-
tor clever enough to take advantage of the
credulity and ignorance of the lower class
es and it was at this point that this Per-
kin Warbeck Of Russia appeared upon the
scene
He Is first discovered In n mental capac-
ity In the family of Polish nobleman of
ancient birth, to whom lie announced him
self as the actual son of the terrible Ivan,
stating that he had escaped death by the
help Of physician whom Boris had en-
ployed to murder him. He was young
handsome and winning; he displayed the
imperial seal and golden cross set with
emeralds--gifts, as he said, from his ia
ther-and these, Joined to his ability to
shoot, ride, read and write, rare accom-
plishments in those days, sutfioed to enlist
numbers in his favor
The most generally received opinion of
the antecedents of this extraordinary youth
Is that he was an unfrocked monk whose
real name was Gregory Otriepiev, and many
think that the plot was simply an affair
connected by the Jesuits in the hope of
bringing Russia into the pale of the Latin
church.
Boris took fright and tried to get the
conspirator into his power, but the pre-
tender eluded him everywhere and was re-
ceivcd throughout Poland with royal hon.
ors. At length he settled down at the court
of George Mnizek, palatine of Sandomir,
to whose beautiful and ambitious daugh-
ter, Marina, he became affianced Aided
with money by Sigismund III of Poland,
and with large force at his command, he
was ready for the contest.
Boris gave him battle on Jan. 81, 1905,
at Dobrinchi, near Orel and, despite tho
great courage and gcneralship displayed
by the pretender, scored signal victory.
The false Dmitri retired with the rem
nant Of his forces and remained inactive
for three months, when the welcome news
was one day brought him that Boris had
suddenly died of apoplexy Boris son
was declared his successor, but in short
time proved too weak to hold tho reins of
power. His adherents gradually fell off,
and the impostor made triumphal entry
into Moscow on the 30th of June, 1905
One Of his first acts was to visit the wild
81 IL .lxt
recognized him as her son, but seeing that
later on the good lady as readily declared
him IN impostor, not much importance is
to be attached to her testimony
For II months the new czar reigncd
wisely and well. He displayed great abil
ity in all matters touching the state, great
clemency to those who had opposed him,
great gratitude to those who had favored
his cause. His only mistake was deeper
attachment 10 the manners, religion and
customs of the Poles than those of the ma
ton over which he had so miraculously
come to rule. A plot was formed against
him, AMI it was decided to raise to the
throne Basil Suski, or Chuskoi, a descend
ant of the old czars in the female line
whose life the pretcnder had shortly before
spared when lie had been detected in con-
spiracy
While the car, for car he then was,
was celebrating his nuptials with Marina,
who had Travelled from Poland to join him,
the palace was entered the czarina arrest
cd, and the czar himself seized and killed,
Suski was proclaimed emperor, and the
mutilated body Of Demetrius, after having
been publicly exposed for three days, was
burned Thus ended the life Of this mys-
FERROUS Internationally an impostor,
and yet one who, in his brief span Of power,
proved himself as well fitted to rule as any
monarch that before or after him occupied
the piacc he himself usurped Pail Mall
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