The Cooperstown courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., N.D.) 1902-1913, 1905-02-02
IVAN THE TERRIBLE,

W8e00f1C l3or VINO LOVG0 10 b040s
Boil and Torture. His Subjects.
Some of the reasons why Ivan. car
Of Russia, was called 1.-The Terrible"
have been retold by X. Waliszewski 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
q bad jest by deluging the perpetrat0r
with boiling soup and then running
him through with 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 punish
ment of Novgorod. when he had q hun
dred persons roasted over q slow fire
by q new and ingenious process and
then run down on sledges into the river
to be drowned. At Moscow the car
had disappointment. There was to be
great execution of 300 victims who
had already been tortured to the last
extremity, and loyal subjects had been
summoned to the function. ITO Ivan's
establishment the great square was
empty. The instruments Of torture
that stood ready-the stoves and red
hot pinchers and iron claws and nee
dies, 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 execution
ers were growing too long armed. Ev-
cry man sought to hide deeper than
his neighbor. The car had to send re-
assuring messages all over the town.
Come along! Don't be afraid! Nobody
will be hurt! At last out of cellars
and garrets the necessary spectators
were tempted forth, and forthwith
Ivan, inexhaustible and quite un-
abashed. began a lengthy speech.
Could he do less than punish the trail
tors? But lie had promised to be mer-
ciful, and he would keep his word!
Out of the 800 who had been sentenced
$50 should have their lives!!" Torture
and execution were. however. in the
case of Ivan very much more than the
mere instruments of barbaric justice.
They were his recreation and delight.
AS boy his amusement was to throw
dogs down from the top of one of the
castle terraces and watch 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, 1t was the
recognized thing in Russia for the up
per dog to make things as uncomforta-
BILE for the under dog as knouts and
slow fires could make them. So 'the
Terrible" only talked Of his subjects
in the language they could most readi-
" understand. Ivan was by no means
unpopular with the people. In many
ways he was an enlightened and pro-
gressive monarch. He took the first
steps toward the founding Of Russia's
great eastern empire. He made more
or less successful attempts toward po-
litical and legal reform, and he had a
certain gift Of leadership and instinct
Of craftsmanship which he used to the
best advantage. Personally he was q
coward, as was shown at the siege Of
Kasan. when he kept diligently to his
devotions in spite Of the repeated en-
treaties of his men. to come out and
helm them