Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1909-06-11
RUSSIAN HORRORS
ARE ASTONISHING
UPPER LASSES-HORRIBLE
TIGER HUNT DUELS.

TIGER HUNT DUELs.
In all the history of mankind moth
ing to equal present-day horrors in
Russia can be found. The people OF
that unhappy land seem to have passed
into the deepest depths Of human
wretchedness. Thus far the outside
world has heard only of the bitter,
grinding miseries of the oppressed
their starvatiOns, their tortures rapinss
and martyrdoms; their bloody reprisals
and appalling revolts.
But the news that now comes out of
st. Petersburg regarding the rich and
powerful reveals suddenly the inner
working, in Russia afresh, of the infal-
| lible law of government that the mas
ters shall perish with their slaves. Meu-
rasthenia, that fearful poison of the
soul, is sickening the very ,vitals of the
| ruling classes. Their nerves, rotted out
| with the debaucheries of unrestrained
indulgence, are failing to withstand
the terrOrs of the bonn bs that carried off
such shining marks as Plehve and
the Grand Duke Sergius, and such
typical victims as Ignasieff, Bobr1koff
and Gapon.
The distant, secret Vaccinations of
such living menaces as Pierre Krapot-
kin, Vera Figner, Hermann Lapotin
and Boirtzev, the recent Identification
in London of the professional traitor
Azev, the plots and cabals and the eter-
nal, brooding dread of the suspicious
breath that watts to Siberia-horror
upon horror-have left whole coteries
Of wealthy Russians mere quivering
Jellytish of fear, longing for death while
dreading deaths awful countenance.
So it has happened that Stevenson's
grewsome fantasy of THE Suicide
Club" penetrating into neurasthenic
Russia, became first the wade mecum
of despair and then the inspiration of
the most terrible gambling games the
world has ever beheld. 1t is no longer
the ultra-fashionable thing to 'make
a trip to Fialandn True, scored of the
nerve-diseased rich still travel to the
famous and romantic Imatra Rapids,
there to fling themselves into that roar
ing hell of waters, as so many fascinat
ed creatures have sought the fatal en-
brace of our own Niagara.
But that fashion, which seems to
regulate the tragedy of suicide as In
fleXlbly as it stages the comedy of hats
and gowns, now DEGREES that the Rus
sian cowardice which does not dare live
shall assume the heroism of their Jap
anese conquerors. Twenty of those
soul-sick Russians will sit down to a
champagne poison party, where one
out of the score of bottles has been
drugged with the morphia which
means swift and dreamy death.
Again, within single night, there
occur many suicides which present
every evidence of murder; the only ex
PldudUIOH pooSlOlC ID tI1dG OOuA oldy Cl
and victim belong to one of the num-
erous suicide clubs existing is emula-
ton Of Stevenson's grim organization.
The game of Tiger and Hunter sur
passes all the other horrible CANDLES in
dramatic, etc. Lots are drawn among
the members every suicide evening, to
determine which shall be the tiger and
which the hunter.
The victims chosen, one is given a
silver bell, the claper of which he may
not touch or silence under the pain Of
dishoner. The other, his eyes hand
aged, is handed a revolver or knife
The rest of the party improvise barri-
cades in the corners.
The hunt begins and the hunter chas-
ing his victim at the noise of the tigers
bell is permitted to do what he can to
bring death to his oponent. If he has
failed to hit the tiger, the roles are re-
versed and he becomes the quarry, car
rying the fatal bell while the tiger
turns hunter. The fearful duel pro-
ceeds until, the weapon finding its
mark, one or the other falls.