The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-10-05

actual value or the object. He acknowledged
that, too. having since agreed to a change
In the contract to wit: On payment of 100
roubles, silver, he will annul the present
contract and substitute another which sells
my soul for the period of ten years after
death only. myself re-entering upon the
claim for eternal life at the expiration Of
the period mentioned. At the same time
am trying earnestly to lead upright, just
and honorable life, agreeable to the COM
mands Of our holy church and duly obedient
TO the laws OF the Emperor in order to enter
upon the heavenly kingdom the moment my
soul Is my own again."
The above speech was delivered with
great earnestness. 1T was apparent to
everybody, says the court report, that
the accused person felt deeply on the sub
ject and that nothing was further from his
mind than to affront religion
The states attorney then addressed the
court and tried to show that the accused
were evading the real issue. He talked for
eight hours. but the court did not agree
with him. The case was dismissed and
the state ordered to pay the cost, while
Peter and Vassili were set free amid the
tumultuous applause of the vast audience.
Before leaving the courtroom the accused
lawyers declared that each would spend
ten roubles for the benefit of the mission
airy societies endeavoring to convert the
heather in the Russian empire.
POPULAR SUGGESTIONS.
When the states attorney appealed
against the decision the case was brought
to the notice of the minister of Justice
who, Mortified at the depth of superstition
disclosed, ordered an investigation to learn
whether the case was isolated or typical,
as charged by some papers. Here follows
the result of the inquiry by the highest
judicial authority in the empire.
The imperial commissioner administering
the district of Kischineff, charged with ex-
ceeding his authority for ordering to pun
ish the village elders and every tenth man
and woman in a certain small community
with fifteen lashes each, reports as follows:
In the community certain young wom-
an, very ugly of face and form, was looked
upon as witch, and as a consequence all
injury to the village people and their cat
tie, every fire and accident was laid at her
door, causing her to be frequently beaten
and maltreated. Recently a nobleman Wis
tied the place and hearing of the persecu-
| ton of the poor girl said in jest that 1t
would be easy to ascertain whether the sus-
| picion was well founded or not; If the girl
was tailed she was a witch sure enough, IL
she did not possess this mark of witchship
then she was merely an unfortunate young
creature who ought to be let alone.
The villagers took the jest only too seri-
ously, and after the nobleman's departure
called meeting and decided that Annush-
ka must satisfy their curiosity or die. Pres
! emily the whole village went to the hut
where the supposed witch lives with her
father and ordered her to strip. The girl
being Of a retiring disposition and loath to
exhibit her deformities protested but
beating administered by the elders made
her change her mind. She allowed herself
TO be undressed and for three hours stood
barrel in front of her fathers hut,
affording the superstitious and ruffianly viii
layers ocular proof that she was not
witch"
KILLED AS A SORCERER.
A report from the village of Sinizino,
| government Of Saratoff, says that the peas
| ant Denisoff was murdered by the village
| gendarme because the official refused to
| trouble with mere sorcerer 1t appears
that the gendarme found Denisoff drunk in
the roadway and attempted to carry him
home, in accordance with police regula-
tons, when 1t struck him that it was hard
ly worth while. seeing that Denisofr had
the reputation Of casting spells over peo-
| pie. animals and farms, causing them to
sicken or to be destroyed by fire or hail. So
the gendarme drew his sword and cut the
sorcerer's head off, mot because he had a
grudge against him." as he told the Judge,
but merely to rid the community of q
| nuisance"
The little son Of one Schuganoff, a we'll
to-do citizen of the city of volsk, suffering
from commissions. the father went to a
neighbours house and accused the Belous-
| soffs Of being the cause of his child's ILL
| ness, at the same time threatening to wipe
out the family unless they remove the
! spell at once. The Beloussoffs, thinking
the man insane, started to put him out of
doors. upon which Schuganoff drew a re-
volver and fatally wounded father, mother
and daughter before he could be disarmed.
One of the persons died, but the murderer
showed no regret afterward in court, main
tanning that he did mis- duty.
The peasant Germanoff accused of grave
robbery, confessed his guilt before the Cir
cult Court of Pashkovskoje. offering the ex-
cuse that he turned ghoul for the sake of
his father. who, being a professional thief.
| desired to obtain dead persons index
finger the possession of which would pre-
| vent the discovery of any crimes he did
commit or might In future commit Here is
| his confession In part: AFTER drinking
myself courage In pint of vodka / went
to the cemetery. removed the sod from one
of the graves and knocked hole in the
coffin lid large enough to pull out the right
| arm. This / hacked of and went home.
There / stripped of the flesh, threw the
same to the dogs and retained the index
finger only
Germanoff was sentenced to five years in
Siberia, he refused to disclose the hiding
place Of the talisman, highly priced by
thieves.
A HORRIBLE TALISMAN
A similar case occurred in Chudova, a
town not far from Novgorod. There the
body of suicide was taken from a grave
and boiled in a caldron to obtain it's fat
The latter was used to make candles that
are supposed 10 render their possessor in
visible. besides causing rain and drought
at w!ll-rain for the happy proprietor.
drought for the people he does not like or
who refuse to pay him blackmail. Twenty
candles were made. each of which sold for
from nifty to one hundred roubles.
The minister of justice learned, further
more. from numerous reports that the
devil continues 10 play a large part In