The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1910-11-21
Peasants KNEEL
At BIER OF
T0LSTOI
SObbing Crowd About Hut in
Which He Passed Away
SPECIALISTS EAsEO PAIN
Great Russian Left Request That He
Be Buried Without Pomp or
Ceremony

Astapova, Nov. 21.-Peasants all
day long passed through the death
chamber hung with pine boughs
where Tolstoi lies Many OF them
knelt beside his coffin. The silence
at times was broken by orthodox
chants for the repose OF the soul OF
the dead. Countess Tolstoi sat be-
side the body for hours, often kissing
the face. The light of the world is
out" she said repeatedly. She left
the hut only to attend mathis In the
school chapel, expecting that re-
QUEEN would be sung. When Inform
ed that this was not permitted she
tainted. Tolstoi left a written wish
that he be buried without pomp,
wreaths or rites under Poverty Oak
on a hiI,ock at Yasnaya Poliana,
where he played as child and where
the peasants were accustomed 70
congregate. The funeral will be held
tomorrow. and the police have been
modified to prevent public demon
STATIONS.
The crowd that gathered around
the hut where Tolstoi lay dying in
the early Sunday morning hours
awaited breathlessly the verdict Of
DR.. Thtchurovsky and DIR. Usoff, two
of the leading heart specialists OF
Moscow, who had been hurriedly
called into consultation. The former
had carried Tolstoi safely through a
/ similar crisis in 1901 in Crimea, and
! the hopes Of the people rested on him.
! The examination was brief, lasting
| less than half an hour. TO'stoi failed
to recognize either OF the physicians
and asked 'Who are these strang-
( ers?" When informed he said
What fno men,
DESPITE their natural reluctance to
spread discouraging renorts the con-
sulting physicians could not see their
way to hold out ray of hope. How
ever. they helped 70 lessen the pain Of
the aged patient. whose parting hours
we're mercifullv free from physical
anguish His heart succumbed soon
after he had issued from under the
influence Of an injected stimulant,
He died without regnining conscious
ness. In the interval between the
last two attacks Of cardiac failure the
uatient seemed to be comfortable and
his face was clear OF pain
throughout q heartbrcaking night
motley crowd. made an Of the most
varied elements imaginable, pressed
around the low hut There were dis.
tant relatives Of the aged author Toll
stoians villagers. and many church.
men. among them the Abbott Varso
monius. who did not lose hope until
the end Of seeing Tolstoi and extend
Ing 10 him the lolive branch on behalf
Of the church All alike stood spell
bound. knowing that a matchless per
sonality was departing rs the Sunday
dawn dispeled the raw. foggy Nov
ember night Virtually the whole
population OF Astapova was there
Then came a oulet voice from the hui
LEO Nicholaevlch Is dead
There was q moment of silence
Then every head was barred and Their,
was sobbing on all sides. One called
out: His heart was burst by his un
bounded love for humanity" and this
and similar phrases ran from moutl
to mouth through the weeping grouI
gathered there. Later in the day al
the peasants in the district flocked t
Astapova. None was excluded from
the death chamber, through which
there was constant stream Of visi
tors. including many school children
The chamber is decorated with pin,
branches. The body has been EN-
banned and will be transferred I,
Yasnaya Poliana. All visitors hav,
been given permission 10 photograph
, the body II they wish. NJ. Gunsberg
the sculptor will take a death mask