The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1904-08-31
lie STOLE A KINGDOM.
"BoBRIkoFF THE THIEF" FINNs
CALL THE DEAD DICTATOR.
Was Trying to "Russify" Their Coun.
try When Assaesinated-Death Pre-.
vented Report That Would Have

koff the Thief" and now they have
shot the great dictator who. with con-
summate cunning. stole Finland for
the Car of Russia inch by inch.
And there is good reason in the
Firms minds for the shooting of Bob
rikoff. The dictator had more sinis-
ter designs on Finlands freedom than
any he had yet practced, says a writ
er in the London Express.
BY the order of the car he was 10
report before the close of the present
month whether Finland were tractablc
or not. The Firms knew what Bobri,
kof would report. and they knew that
his report would he followed by an
active military occupation of their
land.
So they have saved Bobrikoff the
trouble of making his report. and
have given their own answer TO the
question in the shape of revolver
shots.
Strange indeed is the story OF this
theft of a nation and its dramatic out
come, and | learned II in this way
some few months ago.
II was one of those days of brilliant
sunshine bathing unsullied snow that
make Helsingfors so beautiful in win
ter time.
From the window Of the room in
which | sat I could see the white
painted houses of the Finnish capital
rising from the white snow, while
from the shore, for 20 miles, the froz-
en- sea lay beneath a carpet of snow
that might have been woven with
countless diamonds, so brightly did
1t CLEAN.
Overhead the benign sky, unlocked
by a single cloud, was blue as the
summer heaven of Venice, Helslng
fors. indeed looked for all the world
like some pretty, frosted, cheerful
Christmas card.
Upon the floor two children laughed
as they sprawled about, and between
myself and my companion, a Finnish
woman of gentle birth, little table
bore n samovar, brewing tea and
singing of good will and peace.
But there was neither good will nor
peace in the face of the woman on the
other side of the table. Yes" she
said, 1--WE Firms call him Bobrikoff the
thief, for little by little he has filched
from us our country and all our
rights.
God knows my heart is not evil
when I say that till Bobrilloff came
TO Finland I did not believe in hell >"
Here she looked m at the sky. and
it is untrue to say that blue eyes can
hold no passion. Hers were steely,
and in them one could see passion
that bitterness had frozen.
Some day. she went on. "Bobrilloff
will pass even the limit of our pa
tience, a'd then there will arise a
man Who"
She did not finish the sentence, but
| understood and murmured quite
So"
And now they have shot Bobrikoff.
IF you will come out with me-" my
companion continued, after little
pause, IL will show you why we suf-
fer"
SO we went out and crossed snowy
| building As we passed up the steps
Russian policeman stared at us and
| then yawned
A man unlocked the heavy doors for
us and we went into a white hall,
| where even the echoes seemed quite
startled at the unaccustomod sound
| o: footsteps.
We came to n big dim room, round
which were ranged in semi.ciralo
scores Of little gold-legged, gold
backed chairs.
This said my companion, "is the
Hall of Mobiles" and in this silence
and this emptiness you can read the
| tragedy of our land. Year by year
| those little chairs stand waiting for
our mobiles to sit on them and give us
laws and justice. But they will nev-
or sit there again for Bobrlkoff has
dissolved our constitution.
He rules instead as an autocrat
and by martial law"
"And what manner of man is this
Bobrikoff?" asked.
81 cannot tell you what he looks
like" she said, because the only time
| he passed me turned away my head.
| We always turn away our heads when
he goes by. 1t is all that we can do.
Il believe, however. that in his priv
ate life he is kindly man. ! am told
it is quite touching to see tho love
and trust between him and his pretty
daughter,
But his private life is nothing to
us, He Is here to serve the autocratic
machine. and he serves it Well"
Then IN the Hall Of Mobiles | was
told the tale of tie stolen nation.
Up to 1898 Finland though part of
the cars dominions. was autonomous
1t prospered--prospered so greatly
that I became an eyesore to needy
and jealous st. Petersburg. So St.
Petersburg sent down Bobrikoff, and
Bobrikoff swallowed it up.
He took such gentle little mouth
fuls at first that the Firms scarcely
understood what was happening,
But they understand now, for Bob
riknff fnrpnt tn cttt,1 mon tbo ronrogon