New-York tribune., 1910-11-21
Church BAN ON TOLSTOY
NOT LIFTED BY DEATH
Russian Metr0polItans Decide
Great Refornner Cannot Have
Orthodox Burial.
THEATRES ARE CLOSED
Motley Crowd Watches All Night
the Hut Where Author Died
Grand Duke Nicholas
Sends Message.
THEATRES ARE CLOSED

toniuS Of ST Petersburg. Vladimir 0f
Moscow and FIavian of Kiev, and Lou
llianoff. Chief Procurator IF the Holy
Synod decided tonight to leave things
as they are with respect to Count Leo
Tolstoy- news of whose death at Asta-
pova reached here early to-day A plen-
ary synod has not been called. and tele-
graphic instructions have been d.s-
patched to the bishops informing them
that requiems were not permissible.
Burial according to the rites of the or
thodox Church is considered out of ths
question. The government intends. ac-
cording to the announcements, TO Coop
crate with the Church in the enforce
nent of its decision. although both the
Emperor and Premier StoIypin have in
dicated their desire that the great Rus
sian be buried with the Russian rite.
Repeatedly advances have been mads
which would permit the lifting of ths
ban of accommodation decreed against
Tolstoy in 1901 The Metropolitan An
tcnius himself sent a telegram urging
ToIstoy to make his peace with ths
Church, and representatives of the
Church were sent to Astapo for th9
purpose of bringing the count back into
the fold Mesa ges from Opttna. Sha-
mardino and Astapova. however. stated
that until the end Tolstoy was held 4
prisoner by the enemies Of the Church,
no monk. priest or bishop having been
permitted TO see him Nor did they re-
ceive the slightest retraction from Toll
stoy in the position which he assumed
toward the Church some years ago.
1t is pointed out that ToIstoy was the
subject of the mi1der form of penalty.
that he was not mathematical and that
a priest on his own conscience could Off
ciate at a requiem such as was held to-
day under the auspices of the Council
of the Empire on the initiative of Mich
ael Stakovich. marshal of nobility An
other requiem will be sung in the Douma
by Radical priests Tomorrow The ven-
Grafton for ToIstoy is so great that even
the reactionary parties in the Dourna
have been obliged to issue statements
leaving the members free TO honor his
memory.
Meetings Of literary and other socie-
ties were held Tonight to decide what
share they will take in the mourning for
Count Tolstoy. Many private theatres
were closed tonight and will be closed
again on the day of the funeral a strict
censorship is being exercised by the
Russian press in the publication of news
concerning the authors death.
Moscow. Nov. 20-The police to-day
forbade the theatres from suspending
their performances because of the death
of Count TOlstoy- Nevertheless. the
were closed. as the actors re-
fused to appear. At the Moscow Arme-
nian Church a publis requiem was per-
mitted.
Astapova, Nov. 20.-Peasants all day
long passed through the death chamber.
hung with pine boughs. where Count
lies. Many of them kne1t beside
his bier. The silence at times was
broken by orthodox chants for the reposs
Of the soul of the dead. Countess Toll
stoy sat beside 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
oCnOOl CIdptls C&HCCNlliS tiAeAc a ANNlD'AN-AN
would be sung When informed that this
was not permitted she tainted
Tolstoy left written wish that he be
buried without pOmp. wTeathes or rites
under Poverty Oak on a hillock at
Yasnaga PoIiana. where he played as
child and where the peasants were ac-
,ustomed to Congregate- The funeral
will be held on Tuesday. and the police
,ave been modified to prevent public
ToIstoy's death occurred peacefully at
) o'clock this morning 1t was due dl-
ectIy 10 heart failure, following infiam-
nation of the lungs. He left his home
nd family ten days ago to find solitude.
n the belief that the hand of death wsS
Llready on him. True To his unswerv-
ng and uncOmpromising search Tor
ruth. he died as he had lived. without
with the Church. his dying
words breathing sympathy for afflicted
humanity: MANY millions in the world
re suffering. Why axe y0u G0HcsrnsA
or me-"
ONLY the physicians were present N
he room AT the time of his death. the
members of his family, including hts
rife. having been admitted previously.
'olstoy was then unconscious and never
evived. Members of the clergy during
he last days made pressing attempts
D gain entrance To the siCkrOom. with
view TO inducing him 10 return 10 the
rms of the Church. but the physicians
epulsed them. on the ground that their
atient was too i'll To receive them
The Emperor and his ministers are
pxious that TolstOy shall he buried with
he rites of the Church, but the Holy
who'd is strongly against this. and prob
hlv h,, will be buried without the ad-
of such rites. unless the
,mperor commands otherwise. Popular
ceiling is universally for religious
uneraL
The crowd which gathered around the
mt where Toistoy lay dying IN the early
undav morning hours awaited BREATH
.ssy the verdict of DIR. ThtchurovSky
nd Dr. Usoff, two of the leading heart
pecialists of Moscow. who had been
urriedly called into consultation. This
ormer had carried Tolstoy safely
housh a similar crisis in 1901 IN
,rimea, and the hopes of the people
ested on him.
The examination was briet. lasting less