The Wichita daily eagle., 1897-11-26

copying the program off on scraps OF
paper. One reckless person in the line
spends ten pfennigs for program. and
1t is passed along from hand TO hand
to be copied as it goes.
| cRUELTY IL THE CAUCASUS
Russia Is Bitterly Prosecuting . Quaker.
| like Sect There.
New York, Nov. 2tThe Herald says:
A terrible crlelty is now being perpetrst-
ed in the Caucasus. More than four
thousand persons are suffering and dy-
| ing from hunger, disease. exhaustion,
tortures, blows and other prosecutions
at the hands of Russians. These suffer
ing people ale the Donkho5orts, or
| They are enduring persecution because
their religious convictions do not allow
| them to fulfil those demands of the state
1 which are connected, directly or indirect
| ly, with the killing Of, or violence 10.
| their fellow men.
| Such IS the remarkable statement OF
Paul Birukoff. John Trengonhoff and
Vladimir Tchertkoff. 1t Is taken from
an appeal which they recently issued TO
| the public on behalf Of the Spirit Wrest-
iers,.
This strange sect first appeared in the
middle Of the last century, its cardinal
doctrine being that the Spirit of God is
present in the soul Of man and ever di-
rects him to do right. According to the
Spirit Wrestlers, Christ suffers in Us
even now when we do not live in accord
ance with his teachings. The outward
| Church has no significance for them,
| though on fixed days they hold meet
ings. at which the pray and sing psalms.
| partly original, partly taken from the
| Old and New Testaments. They believe
all men are equal and that the govern
ment should only be obeyed in those
cases where the demands Of the authori-
ties are not in conflict with their con-
| sciences. They believe in universal
love, and they are unalterably opposed
to murder, violence and to anything
which can injure fellow being. They
| work hard, eat little and aim ever to
tell the truth.
The Russian government soon man
ifested it's displeasure at these tenets,
to destroy the sect. Alexande. l. showed
some mercy to the Spirit Wrestlers, but
Nicholas II. promptly banisned them
from Tauris to Transcaucasia. He went
ed to punished them for refusing to bear
arms, and, therefore, he sent them to
savage district, where their lives and
property would always be in peril unless
they bore arms. The exiles, however.
refused to defend themselves against
their neigrbors. Instead, they contin-
ued to lead the same laborious life os of
old, with the result that within a short
time they had transformed this barbar-
Gus district into most fiourishing COL
ony.
In 1887 troublous days dawned for
them. Universal military service was
then introduced in the Causcasus, and
the Spirit Wrestlers. of course were cal
led upon to serve. AT first they submit
red, but they inwardly determined never
to make any actual use Of their arms.
At the same time the government hand
ed over the property OF the Spirit Wrest-
lers, valued at a half million ruble.. to
a favored member OF the community,
and banished several other specially OBJ
noxious members to Archangel Instead
Of being crushed by these blows the re-
naming members, about twelve thousand
in number. became more Tesolute than
ever. They divided all their property
among each other, and renounced the
use OF tobacco, wine, meat and every
iknd OF luxury. They also refused posi-
lively TO serve in the army, and, a. a
proof of their determination, they gath
cred all their arms, which were their own
property and not the governments, into
great pile and burned them.
AS a result, forty Spirit Wrestlers. VINO
are still in confinement, Were arrested
at Elisavetpol. and many others at I'll
mis- were severely punished by the gov
eminent troops. THE Cossacks." saws
Vladimir Tchertkoff. arrived at the
place Of the assembly Of the Spirit wrest-
lers in the morning. when the bonfire
which had destroyed their arms was al
ready burning out, and they made two
cavalry attacks upon these men and
Themselves and were singing hymns. and
the troops beat them with their whips
in the most inhuman manner" But
this was not all. Their property was
piundered and the inira bitarts them
selves were insulted and nlaltrested +,
every way, the women being f1ogged with
whips and some of them most Shameful
ly abused. The men, for refusing to
serve in the army, were thrown into p.is-
on or sent 10 a penal battalion"
SllhSo0irartlv y,o,a
families OF Spirit Wrestlers wers driy-
en- from their happy homes in Ahalk-
alaky TO certain districts in Tifiis, where
they were scattered among the Georgian
villages and their left 70 their fate.
Soon after their arrival sickness began
TO decimate their ranks. and today their
condition is described as most pitftuI.
Fever, diphtheria and dysentery play sad
havoc among them, especially among the
children The reason is obvious. They
have for years been accustomed 10 q cold
climate, and they cannot endure the lat
OF the Cau,ssian valleys. Worse still.
they have hardly any mean. o, sustain
ing life Their only earnings are from
daily labor. but these are small in con-
sequence Of inundstions and bsd ,s--
vest Their only sood is bread, AMI some-
sequence OF this poor diet many ara SUI
fe-ing from eye diseases and scurvy
In the Sitnsk district 10s per-ons have
already died in the Cory district IA. IN
the Toret district So ana in me Da.he. |
district 20.
There are some heart rending stories |
In regard TO the punisanen.s inflicted |
On women Akecenia Streiseva. an cd |
wonsn, says: -Four OK Us women. were
going from Spzski 10 Bogianovks. On /
the r5ad we were ove-taken By hun