The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-08
BURIED ALIVE IN RUSSIA.
MORE ABOUT THE FANATICS WHO
THINK THUS TO WIN HEAVEN.

KOvaIen. who Buried Firteen Persons Alive.
IL Conscious OF NO Crime-wonderrul In
nueuce OF = Woman WINE Caused Herself TO
No KILLED In This way-TraEic Incidents.
Special Gable Despatch to TIE sun.
LONDON, Juno IA special correspondent
Of the Daily Nc,cs, who went to Tireaspol.
Russia, [about seventy miles northwest
Of odessal TO inquire into the case of
the selfimmolation Of n number of per-
sons belonging to the religious sect known
as the Raskolniki. reports of which have
already boon cabled to The SUN. says he
learns that Feodore Kovaleff, on whose
premises the bodies Of fifteen victims
were found, including those Of Kovalefrs
wife and two children. will probably not DO In
dicted for the part he took In bringing about the
deaths Of these victims. After a formal in
quiry is made into his mental condition he will
in all likelihood be confined in o monastery,
The magistrates who are examining into the
matter are convinced that Kovaleff Ii wholly
sincere in all that he does, and that he 10 ALSO
lutely unconscious Of having committed a crime
In having buried six persons alive and walling
up nine others In the cellar Of his house.
The prisoner belongs to an ultra.fanatical
branch OF tho Raskolniki called the Beguni.
So vigorously exclusive are the MEM
bers Of this branch that they will not
eat nor drink from tho same utensils
used by relatives who have married ordinary
members OF tho Raskolniki. They will not wor-
ship in churches or buildings used by others,
but only in caves and cellars, which are usually
filthy beyond description. Their services are
conducted in closely guarded secrecy.
One OF the chief personalities Of a drama on
acted at Ternofka, near Tiraspol. was a woman
called Yitalia. who was a prophet, priest, and
preacher. She was the daughter of respect
able, wcll-to-do parents, and was fairly well
educated. She entered an orthodox convent
in her youth. but later joined the Raskolniki.
Some time ago she suddenly vanished, and was
not heard Of until her body was exhumed at
Ternofka.
At the time Of her self.immolation she was
forty years old. She was Of an a~scetic. COM
manding figure. and was possessed Of persuasive
eloquence. She had great power among the
peasantry. who formed her chief audiences.
An instance of her influence may DO cited. In
February. on the occasion Of the taking of the
census. yitalla declared that the purpose Of the
enumeration was to prepare an initial roll call
OF those who would shortly be summoned to
the Judgment seat OF God. Her hearers unques-
tionably accepted her statement, and when the
enumerators came around to take the census
their efforts to obtain the required information
were in vain.
The police were summoned to aid the enumer-
ators. but the Beguni were obdurate. Nine Of
them. including vitalia were arrested, ostensi.
bly, as vagabonds, but being cast into prison did
not affect the resolute zealo's.
Thcy refused either to car or drink for three
days, when the Governor. alarmed for their
lives, liberated them. All were very weak and
ennciated, and were scarcely able to stand.
When they were about to depart for their
| homea five yersts diatant the Goverpor aoain
tried to induce them to eat. but they persisted
in their refusal. The Governor offered dros-
kies to them to convey them home, but the offer
was declined.
Then the Governor disclosed the fact that
during their incarceration he HAD induced ono
OF their number. an old man, to eat two oranges,
and urged the others to accept such harmless
sustensnce. saying that 1t was Gods own pro-
vision.
Vitalia thereupon turned on tho old man and
with flashing eyes upbraided him for accepting
food from such a source. She was blazing with
all the fury of which her famished phi ysique was
capable.
The man suddenly dropped PROSTATE. and pit
eously bewailed his sinful transgression. He
crawled abjectly to the feet of the prophet,
kissed tho hem Of her garment, and implored
her forgiveness.
vitalia was relentless. She snatched her skirt
from the lips OF the man ana Bh0wered such I'M
precautions upon the apostate as sent o visible
tremor through the other starving wretches.
Another instance Of the influence of vitalia
was the walling up of Kovaleff's wife and chill.
dren. During the taking Of the census Kovalefr
arrived homo one evening and found his young
wife strangely depressed.
His inquiries as to what was troubling her
elected the information that she was afraid
that the enumerators would enter tho names OF
with the result that they would ultimately be
forced to Join tho Orthodox Church and thereby
be irrevocably doomed to eternal perdition.
The woman declared that she was therefore
resolved to sacrificed the children with herself.
Kovalef, who had hitherto been the least
f~anatical Of the Beguni, was Mortified by his
wifes avowal. Failing to dissuade her, he went
to seek tho counsel and enlist the help of vi.
Italia.
The prophet hastened to the mother and in.
stead of trying to prevent her self-sacrince, com
mended her for her holy and laudable resolve.
She finally convinced Kovaleff that by self
martyrdom he and his family could alone hope
for salvation. It was in obedience to her behests
that Kovaleff performed the dreadful tragedy
himself meanwhile ~grieving continuously tina,
no was not allowed to die with his wife and
children.
The Gear has been profoundly Impressed by
the story. and Is receiving minute reports of the
progress of the inquiry.
DUCHESS OF DEVONSHIRE'S BALL,