The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-09-19
FALSE DEME TRlUs
4Ias Strange Story Of 0as Of the Cars
and Ruler of Russia.
3HIs IDENTITY MUCH OF A MYSTERY
sAe Raised Himself From, q Mental
Position TO That of Ruler OF This
Empire-Though Emsncnsly FITTED
for the Position He WINS Undo ubt.
eddy An Impostcr.

Foremost in point OF dato, romantic in.
i terest success and kingly attributes OF the
i many .'pretenders" who in times past have
4 endeavoretl to seize the crown Of Russia
stands Dimitri Ivanoyitch-or, as he has
! yarlously been called, "the young Deme.
.strius'' md "Demetrius the Inlpoator
For centuries his identity was as much
mystery Us was that of "thc Man In the
i Iron Mask, the author of "Junius,' md
y many other historical enigmas Rerent
4 rvsearch, however, has completely demon.
& strased the falsity Of his prctensions and
\ yet has stamped him as tho most success
= full, the most daring and the most capable
\ adventurer that history can point to.
Pm Ivan the Terrible, having in a 1T Of pos
eion slain his eldest son with his own hand.
left tho throne by will to his second son,
/. Feodor, q weak and incapable prince who
3 soon foil undcr tho domination Of his
. mothers brother, Boris Godunoy. or
= 1yan's second marriage mn infant son still
q survived. bearing tho name of Dimitri.
Z and who, falling issue of Fe0dor, was next
& In succession to the throne. In 1901 It was
suddenly announced that young Demetri
\ us had committed suicide In the town Of
Uglitch and Tint tho persons responsible
4 for his safety had persisted in tho tumult
: that followed his death.
Seven years after Fcodor died and Boris
: succeeded to the imperial power. The mys.
y terry with which no. Ind surrounded tho
death of tho boy Demotrius was well cnlcu-
lated to favor tho ambition of any impos
{ tor clover enough to take advantage Of tho
4 credulity and ignorance OF the lower clnss-
: es, and 1t was Mt this point that this Per
4 kin Wnrbcck OF Russia appeared upon the
scene,
He is first discovered in n mental capac.
ity In the family of q Polish nobloman Of
ancient birth, to whom no announced him
self as the actual son of the terrible Ivan,
: stating that he had escaped death by the
! help OF n physician whom Boris had ON
ployed to murder him. He was young,
handsome and winning; he displayed tho
imperial seal and a golden cross set with
7cmernlds-gifts, rs he said, from his To-
fher-and these, joined to his ability to
\ shoot, ride, read and write, rare accom-
plishments in those days, sufIiced to enlist
numbers in his favor.
The most generally received opinion of
the antecedonts of this extraordinary youth
! Is TINT he was an unfrookcd monk whose
real name was Gregory Otricpiev and many
II think that the plot was simply IN affair
concocted by the Jesuits in tho hope of
3 bringing Russia into the pale of tho Latin
church.
Boris took fright and tried to got tho
conspirator into bis power, but tho pro-
tender eluded him everywhere and was re-
ceiyed throughout Polnnd with royal hon
ora AT length he settled down ut the court
Z OF George Mnizek, palatine Of Sandomir,
70 whose beautiful and ambitious daugh-
s ter, Marina, ho became affianced. Aided
with money by Sigismund III of Poland,
and with large force Gai1is command, he
was ready for the contest
Boris gave him battle on Jan. 81, 1905,
at Dobrinchi, near Orel, and, despite the
great courage and generalship displayed
py the pretsnder, scored u signal victory.
The false Dmitri retired with the rem
Z nant of his forces and remained inactive
Tor three months, when the welcome news
was one day brought him that Boris had
y suddenly died of apoplcxy. Boris son
was declared his successor, but in short
5 tlme proved too weak to hold tho reins of
{ power. His adherents gradually fell off,
8 and the impostor made u triumphal entry
( Into Moscow ON the 30th OF June, 1905.
one OF his first acts was to visit the wild
Z oW or lvnn the Terrible who Immediately
Y recognized him rs her son, but, seeing that
later On the good lady as readily declared
MIN an impostor, not much Importance is
TO be attached to her testimony
For IL months the new car reiened
Z wisely and we'll He displayed great abil-
aty in all matters touching the state, great
oemency to those who had opposed him,
great gratitude to those who had favored
bis cause. His only mistake was deeper
attachment to the manners, religion and
customs of the Poles than those of the ma
don over which he had so miraculously
come to rule A plot was formed against
him, and 1t WIS decided to raise to the
throne Basil Suski or Chuskoi a descend
ant of the old czars in the female line,
whose Life the pretender had shortly before
spared when he had been detected In q con-
spiracy.
# While the car, for car he then was,
Waa celebrating his puptials with Marina,
who had Travelled from Poland to Join him,
The palace was entered, the ozarina arrest
8 cd, and the car himself seized and killed.
Z Suski YVES proclaimed emperor, and the
mutflated body Of Demetrius, after having
been publicly exposed for three days, was
nIrned- Thus ended the life of this mys-
4 FERROUS man-undoubtedly an impostor,
5 and yet one who, In his brief span of power,
proved himself as we'll fitted to rule as any
xfonarch that before or after him occupied
fhe place be himself usurped Pail Mall
Gezstta