Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-07
PEASANTS ARE M|SLED
Cause of Devastation in the
Russian Provinces.
WORK OF THE AGlTAT0RS
Ignorant People Believe They Are
Pleasing the Gar.
ARE PROUD OF THEIR DEEDS
Deception Cunningly Carried Out
Imperial Manifesto Initiated in
Word and Form.
ARE PROUD OF THEIR DEEDS
BY WILLIAM f. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence of The Star and the Chicago
Record Herald.


ST. PETERSBURG, July Is, 1906.
You will notice every morning in the ca
Diagrams from Russia brief references to
local disturbances in various parts of
the empire. They occur daily, and they
mean the destruction of the residences,
barns, stables and storehouses of the mobiles
and other rich landowners. and often the
slaughter of their cattle horses and sheep.
This has been going on for nearly year,
ever since last August. when it was started
by the social revolutionists. as they call
themselves, to bring pressure from the
landed gentry and nobility upon the gov
eminent to comply with the demands of
that organization. The amount OF dam
age done thus far, according to statements
made to me by the officials of the agricul-
turaI department, aggregates more than
s50O00.OO0, and the disturbances are grow
ing more numerous and more destructive
every week.
In several of the provinces in eastern
Russia, 1t is said nearly every chateau has
been destroyed, and person can travel all
day without seeing anything but smoking
ruins where stately mansions surrounded
by enormous storehoures and barns used to
be. The residences were burned with all
their furniture, pictures, portraits, heir
looms and other family treasures and in
3,
their wives and children and household
servants, the latter being compelled to stand
by helplessiy and witness the destruction Of
their property by peasants who have work
ed for them and their ancestors, generation
after generation, and were formerly their
serfs. Many of the mobs doubtless are
still on the pay rolls of the landlords they
are thus trying to ruin; many of them are
tenants working his lands on shares.
Millions of bushels of grain millions of
tons of fodder ali machinery, agricultural
implements and stores of all kinds are de-
stroyed, and the cattle and horses are tor
tured with the most atrocous cruelty, being
hamstrung and having their tongues cut
out and their eyes destroyed and turned
out into the road to die in agony l am
told that some of the finest pedigree stall
lion in all Russia have been treated In that
manner The vandals appear to show the
greatest degree of cruelty to expensive
high-bred Holstein and shorthorned cat
tie and thoroughbred horses. They treat
the sheep in the same way.
A Typical Case.
The other day was shown a letter from
lady living on the banks of the VoIga. on
one of the most famous estates in Russia
which has been IN the possession OF her
husbands ancestors for several centuries
The family inherited great wealth and
have residences in St. Petersburg and down
on the Black sea In addition to their coun-
try home. They have been accustomed to
employ several thousand mujks upon their
estates. and have been noted for the kind
ness and generosity with which they have
treated their employees. The head of the
family has established schools and en-
pioyed teachers at his own expense for the
benefit OF the children of his tenants he
has supported their priests and has been
an ideal landlord in other respects also
But, notwithstanding his benevolence and
thoughtfulness for them. they, under the
leadership OF two professional agitators,
revolutionists from Moscow, who until re-
Gently have been In exile attacked the resi-
dence of their master. drove him and his
family out of it. set 1t on fire In a dozen
places and sang revolutionary songs while
1t was burning.
The lady writes: "Since the house was
burned we have been living in one of the
old cottages. Nothing remains of our an
cestral home but tottering walls and the
old tower. which was strong enough to re-
sist the flames. The main part is a charred
mass We saved nothing. The stables came
through without much damage, but the
rest of the buildings and all their contents
were totally destroyed. Our servants have
left US and 1 have to do everything for my
self. do the cooking in the kitchen, pick
the strawberries and get the vegetables in
the garden. Our only attendants are
couple of broken-down servants who are
too old and feeble to SO away. All the cat
tie ana horses were killed except Krassa-
yiclik Ia famous race horse) who was
cruelty mutilated. and now hobbies about
the deserted fields.
Everything depends upon the douma
The peasants do not seem to care anything
about the harvests. as If their bread also
would come from the douma If the DONNA
should not give them land 1t will be the
end for the land owners. They are deter
mined to ruin us completely. They tell us
that all Russia is to be sunk in blood. I do
not blame the peasants 50 much as YOU
would suppose. because they have been
misled by agitators who came to the VII
lagos and told them that the car had COM
ndtAd hprp tn dact ~
the landlords because we had refused to-
give them land when ne told us to do So
The soldiers have done nothing: they came
too late, We cannot get away from here
yet My husband thinks that he should
stay here and pick up whatever there is to
be saved. and Will not leave him.
Excess Due to Agitators
This is an example of the situation OF
thousands of wealthy families whose prop
erty has been destroyed by their own ten
ants and employees, led by professional revo-
lutionists who are going about the country
telling the peasants that the car has COM
manded the mobiles and gentry to give them
land, and that the latter have refused to
obey him. There is not the slightest doubt
that these excuses have been almost en-
tirely due to the misrepresentation of these
agitators. The peasants of Russia are
densely ignorant They have no newspapers
and no means of obtaining information con-
corning the action of the government or
what occurs in the outside world except by
tales that are told by passing travellers
through their villages and by the so-called
getaways peasants who go from the
country to the cities TO find work after the
harvests are gathered in the fall, and then
return to their native villages at planting
time in the spring.
The peasant believes in the czar as the
personifcation of justice and power, and
whatever oppression he suffers is due to the
mobiles, tho wealthy land owners and per-
haps the ministers who stand between him
and "the little father" and prevent the
ear from giving him all that he means
he shall have. Taking advantage OF this
loyalty and confidence. revolutionary agi-
tatofs have gone through the villages rep
resenting themselves to be agents. messen-
gers and even aids-de-camp of the emperor
telling the people that his majesty has
sent them to explain that he has ordered
the land owners to divide their property
among the peasants. and IL they refuse to
do so he expects his faithful children to
punish them by destroying their mansions
and killing their cattle
Audacity Of the Imposters.
have heard OF cases In which these
agents appeared in military uniforms. In
several districts they exhibited commits