The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1904-08-31
lie STOLE A KINGDOM.
"BosHIkoFF THE THIEF" FINNs
CALL THE DEAD DICTATOR:
was Trying to "Russify" Their coun.
try When ssaeslnated--Death Pre-.
vented Report That Would Have
Brought Down the Cars Wrath.

hoH the Thief" and now thew hav,
shot the great dictator who, with con
sunlmate cunning. stole Finland fol
one Gar OF Russia inch by inch.
, ANA there is good reason in tho
rims minds for the shooting of Bob
rikoh. The dictator had more einis
Ter designs on Finlands freedom than
any he had yet practiced. says a writ.
er In the London Express.
by the order Of the czar he was ia
report before the close of the present
month whether Finland were tractabIe
OF not. The Firms knew what Bobri,
koh would report, and they knew that
MS report would be 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 nation and It's dramatic out.
come and learned It in this way
some few months ago.
""' ohc vi tnosc uayS OF brilliant
sunshine bathing unsullied snow that
make Helsingfors SO beautiful in win.
ter time
From the window of the room In
which | sat could see tho white.
painted houses of the Finnish capitaI
rising from the white snow. while
from the shore, for 20 miles. the froz.
en- sea lay beneath a carpet of snow
lhat might have been woven with
countless diamonds, so brightly did
IL CLEAN.
overhead the benign sky, unlocked
ny single cloud, was blue as the
summer heaven of Venice. Helsing- |
iors' indeed looked for all the world |
l,kc some pretty, frosted cheerful
Christmas card.
Upon the floor two children Iaupbod
as they sprawled about, and between
myseli and my companion, a Finnish
woman OF gentle birth. a little table
oorc samovar, brewing tea and
of good will and peace.
but there was neither good will nor
peace IN the face of the woman on tho
'ther side of the table. Yes" she
'aid, we Firms call him Bobrikoff the
.hief, for little by little he has filchod
rom us our country and all our
lights.
hod knows my heart is not evil
vhen | say that till Bobrikoff came
o f1nland ! did not believe in hell"
iere she looked IN at the sky. and
Is untrue to say that blue eyes can
old no passion. Hers were steelv. ',
nd in them one could see passion
nat bitterness had frozen. :
Some day" she went on, "Bobril,orr
III pass even the limit of our pa. :
ehce' a'd then there will arise n
ian Who" l
one dld not finish the sentence. but y
understood, and murmured "Ouitc y
D." ~'''' (,
ANA now they have shot Bobrikofr u
III you will come out with me" NV u
'hlpahlon continued, after a little :"
iuse' L will show you why we suf II
r." '"' e,
90 we went out and crossed a SNOWY W
uafc ana came up to a great whito ~
lH'ng. As we passed up the stems ie
Russian policeman stared at us and u
en- yawned. ti
a man unlocked the heavy doors for III
and we went into a white han &c
lere oven the echoes seemed quite o'
''ued at the unaccustomed sound pr
footsteps mi
we came To big dim room. round CIV
Icn We're ranged in semi-ciralc vi
'ros Of little goldlegged. gold. "a
,ked chairs. of
This said my companion, "is tbe div
II or Mobiles" and in this silence The
l thls emptiness You can read the pc
souy OF our land. Year by year 'h'
Sc little chairs stand waiting for Vol
hooles To sit on them and give us
s ana justice. But they will nov
slt lhere again for Bobrikoff has
solved our constitution. fou
re rules instead as an autocrat tai'
by martial law" not
ana what manner of man is this acc
rikoh?' | asked. tho
cannot tell you what he looks reg
she said, because the only time Lal
passed me ] turned away my head lax
always turn away our heads when 2O,C
goes by. 1t is all that we can do. and
believe, however. that in his priv. est
life he is kindly man. am told T
quite touching to see tho love Cha
trust between him and his pretty be
yhter. resr
'ut his private life is nothing TO SUPP
lie Is here to serve the autocratic Anne
nine' and he serves It we'll" 1t C
zen IN the Hall of Mobiles was 32,0t
the tale of Tie stolen nation. the
to 1895 Finland, though part of mea
'zar's dominions, was autonomous. Thit
prospered-prospered so greatly sidel
L became an eyesore to needy or.-
jealous St Petersburg. So ST
'sDurg sent down Bobrikoff, and
lkoh swallowed it up. Ru
took such gentle little mouth. had
at hrst that the Firms scarcely Pm
stood what was happening. Fe
tlnV uphArcfnnl