Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1905-03-25
IVAN THE TERRIBLE.
Barbaric Car Who Loved to Burn,
Boil and Torture His Subjects.

Barbaric Gear Who Loved to Burn,
Boil and Torture His Subjects.
Some Of the reasons why Ivan, car
of Russia, was called "the Terrible"
have been retold by X Walszewski in
his book. Persons who displeased him
he would saw asunder by the constant
rubbing Of a rope around their waists
or sprinkle alternately with Ice cold
and boiling water. He marked his
sense Of bad jest by deluging the
Pvrpvttotvr with boiling soup and then
running him through with a knife.
He rebuked an unmannerly envoy by
summoning a carpenter and ordering
him to nail the mans hat on his head.
There were also wholesale orgies, as
at the punishment of Novgorod, when
he had hundred persons roasted over
slow fire by new and ingenious
process and then run down on sledges
into the river to be drowned. At
Moscow the car had a disappoint-
ment. There was to be a great exc
cution of 800 victims VINO had already
been tortured to the last extremity,
and loyal subjects had been summoned
to the function. ITO lvan-s astonish-
ment the great square was empty
The instruments of torture that stood
ready-the stoves and red hot pinchers
and iron claws and needles, the cords
the great coppers full of boiling water
had failed to attract this time.
But there had been too much OF
this sort of thing lately, and the exc
cutioners We're growing too long
armed. Every man sought to hide
deeper than his neighbor. The czaI
had to send reassuring messages al
over the town. Come along! Don't
be afraid! Nobody will be hurtr Al
last out Of cellars and garrets the nee
essary spectators were tempted forth
and forthwith Ivan, ineXhaustible and
quite unabashed, began lengthy
speech. Could he do less than punish
the traitors? But he had promised tC
be merciful, and he would keep his
word. Out of the 800 who had beer
sentenced $50 should have their lives!
Torture and execution were, however
in the case Of Ivan very much more
than the mere Instruments of barbara
Justice They We're his recreation anC
delight. AS boy his amusement was
to throw dogs down from the top OF
one of the castle terraces and watcf
their dying agonies. AS a man he
used to go the round Of the torture
chambers after dinner One Of his
first crimes was the execution of his
earliest friend, Feodor Vorontsov
One of his last was the murder of his
own son.
According to Waliszewski, it was
the recognized thing in Russia for the
upper dog to make things as uncom
Portable for the under dog as knout'
and slow fires could make them. s.
1.-The Terrible" only talked of his sub
jects in the language they could mos
readily understand. Ivan was by NJ
means unpopular with the people. II
many ways he was an enlightened
and progressive monarc- He tool
the first steps toward rue founding Of
Russia's great eastern empire. He
made more or less successful attempt,
toward political and legal reform. anC
he had certain gift of leadership anC
instinct Of craftsmanship which h
used TO the best advantage. Personal
.ly he was a coward. as was shown a
the siege OF Kasan. when he kept dill
gently at his devOtions in spite Of thu
repeated entreaties of his men to come
out and help them.