The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-20
EANATICISM IN RUSSIA.
rur AWFUL TRAGEDY ENACTED BT
NJ RUSSIAN NON-CoNFoRN-
ISIS OF TJBASPOL.

~,r IWFUL TRAGEDY ENACTED BIZ
TIVE RUSSIAN NON-CONFoRN-
ISIS OF TJRASPOL. !
-.,,, who Entsuasea Tscu.ss,vss - TIE
,r.r,, who Created the Refugees Irssuy-
T.rr,bls story OF Observation-Disclosures
set. n. brought Oct 81 the Rassian Pelice.
O. PETERSBURG, June 9.-Ths terrible drama
-so,t,r enacted in the southern part Of Russia,
- the corpses OF fifteen persons were found,
-. NJ them lmmured and others entombed
live in two common graves, bids fair to have its
,,r,t, extended beyond all expectations; stnl
.A.-s 4, small hope that the truth In this case
Iii aver be sifted to the bottom. or will It ever
=. known how many OF these fsnatics shifted
-. mortal coil on the occasion Of the taking Of
~. last census In Russia, simply because their
..l,0iou. con victions, originally prompted by 90
arr.pces over a century old. prohibit them
som allowing their names to be entered on the
r.,, OF the population counted by order Of the
aovernment. Once moro, In this Instance. has
hen demonstrated the peculiar disposition of
Al. Russian common people TO refuse all COM
n-onise with their consciencos. even when
,bs dictates OF their conciences 20 contrary to
All that nature itself endears TO the human
being.
Although peculiarly Russian. this drama has
,rrat interest for ourselves, for we have In
America the same sort Of human material
tr,m which the actors OF that drama were re-
United. Most sssuredly the strong tendency
inward religious introspection displayed by tho
,,c,arians OF Ttraspol In not the exclusive prop
.rt, Of the slsv nature. but shows itself Just ~
frequently among the Epglish-speakinG~ nations.
n IL curious to observe, however. that, while
among such enthusiasts in England and Amer
T., religious exaltation. intensified and some
times whipped into frenzy by the close contact
Of people Of one feeling. when gathered at
mayer meetings, takes the shape OF perform
succs that serve only a. an outlet to pent up
y,.rninzs irreconcilable with the pursuits Of
thslr humdrum every day life, the Russian sec
tartan sets no barrier between the hours Of his
religious transports and his every day exist
uca. but carries out his religious e~cstacies and
convictions to their bitter yet logical end. 1t
would b idle TO set up q claim Of q different
rade OF civilization between the two classes OF
people or to say that those In England and
America who assert their poor individuality by
mch methods arc OF any superior mental calibre
% that of the Russian sectarians OF the
Ate1rchical or OF the e priestless" sects. or the
-nonconiormists Of the Russian established
church.
The settlement called Ternovka, where the
crime OF burying people alive took place, lies
within a mile and a half Of the country town OF
Tfrspol. a three hours railway journey from
he large university town Of Odessa 1t pos
s,sses a sectarian retreat. or monastery. called
skeet which seems to have formed Q central
point for the local sectarisns' religious gather
hgA
On the steep embankment Of the river Dnies
Ter, amid the most bewttchlng and peaceful
scenery, stand the house and outbuildings be
longing to the fruit farm owned by the sectar
lana NJ the mama NJ E0valaf Nov tharr
remains only one person OF that family,
namely. Teodore Kovalef. the man who had
drawn the lot that invested him with tn,
duty Of e1ecutioner. and who had obeyed th,
summons without protest. immurinR in q cav,
and helping to bury in q common grave ifteeI
persons in all: his own wife and two babies. an
other young woman and her husband and child
and yet another couple, with two children
among the rest. Now. Kovalef II q young man
and not at all the human monstrosity one woult
b. led to imagine; he always was considered
man OF high principles, q good husband an,
father. far from stern. decidedly open hande'
ana kindly In his manner; besides. he had
good head for business, conducting most sue
c~esstully a large fruit farm and vineyard owne,
BY the family IN common and valued at som
10000 $4,000 rublesh . very large estate 10
Al a distance behind the house Of the Rovalef
begin the large garden and vineyards, stretch
can reach. joining other gardens and thus goin
70 form a dense wood, reaching as far as th
the house at tho Kovale, 3 and that enormou
Earden stands the sectarian retreat called Skee
far away from all other human habitation. Tn
retreat consists Of two long. low. ramblin
buildings, the larger one OF which was occupie
By the women and the smaller by the men. Ell
trance into each building is by such a low an
harrow door that one has to go through it sid'
wise, almost bent double; that being, one OF tn
many precautions against a possible surpris
N0m a large police IOrt,e. The entrance doc
leads 10 a small dark hall, almost a closet, froI
which three doors lead into as many narro'
cells. Each o. the latter has either one or Sc,
etAl narrow doors Leading to a perfect labyri
q other. narrow cells. An OF them are diml
seas secret passages. Sow that the walls Nth
cells have been dismantled by the fleeing sect'
thOse openings. no more than a foot and : Ral
lea, by subterrAnean passages far into tn
slssF to The banks of the river; il Is |
Hose passages evidently that visitors an
ever a police raid on the retreat would occuI
W N nose sectartlns belonged to the sect Gale
laws Ever ;i nssp pSe xio ana are iT,a nsI Ti,s 70 - es gu
eiPeter the Great drove people OF this stamp int
Violent opposition TO the established Church
hgioas and social tendencies being hopelessl
laLsrmixed-has been a tacit opposition 10 Oh
had at the time OF their secession animate
nose followers Of the ancient faith and GU
.ums las they style themselvesl against th
FilnIess lmp!anter OF Western reforms. Peter Ii
sieat, arose from the fact that the great despt
.eIormer wanted TO institute a census OF III
popaIation OF mis- empire. The seetarians col
seEed the notion that allowing their names
I" 0n ne lists OF the "faithless Cars subject
~oald De equivalent to signing q compact wit
Snilchrist himself. Rather than do this, the
M tnrir descendants and followers chose
Mai the life OF outcasts and tramps. dispensin
Win passports required throughout Russia, an
Exposing themselves to all the incon venience
people defying the laws OF tho Ian,
terminating all clergy. yet still cIinRing to II
sasersa! Russian belief that no marriages. al
,slu OUT such as are performed by an ordaine
sntgynlah, many among them came to repud
s marriage. and although living the lives
feIelnl married couples, they openly hol
~WyuLt7eIves IA living in adultery.
mn, a general census OF the Russia
{mpTs was ordered by Emperor Mich
W II, TO be carried out on the 10,
reer1lary last, great distress seize
~ tpo5 these p~rtestless sects. Still holding tn,
soye s1n are Iicars q the Antichrist and q