Norwich bulletin., 1910-11-21
Breathed His Last In The Hut At AStap0va
 Where He Was Taken When Stricken
HURRIED COUNSEL OF PHYSICIANS
During the Anxious Hours of Saturday Night Gave No Ray of Hope-Parting Hours of Aged Patient Were Practically the Whole Population of Asta- pova Surrounded Hut Where the Count Lay Dying.

Astapova- Nov. o0.-The crowd that eathered around the hut whero Tolstoi lay dying in the early Sunday morning hours awaited breatnlessly the verdict of Dr. ThtchurovslSy and Dr. Usoff, two cf the leading specialists of Moscow, who had been hurriedly called into con l. sultation. The former had carried Tol- stoi safely through similar crisis In 1901 fin Crimea, and the hopes of the people rested on him.
 The examination was brief, lasting less than half an hour. Toistoi failed tO recognize either of the physicians, and asked: "Who are these strangers?
 When informed, he said: What fine men,
 Died While Unconscious.
 Despite their natural reluctance to spread diScouraeing reports, the con- sulting physicians could not see their way to hold out a ray of hope. How ever. they helped to lessen the pain of the aged patient. whose parting hours were mercifully free from physical am guish. His heart suceuIDbeo shortly after he had issued from under the in fiuence of an injected stimulant. He died without regaininE consciousness. Tn the interval between the last two attacks of cardiac failure the patient seemed to he comfortable, and his face was clear of pain.
 Motley Crowd of Mourners About the
 
 Old Hut.
 ThrouEhout a heart breaking night a motley crowd. made up of the most va r1ed clements imaginable, pressed around the low hut. There were dis tsnt relatives of the aged author Tol- stoians, villagers and many churchmen, among them the Abbot NarsofoniuS. who did not lose hope until the end of seeing Tolstoi and extending to him the olive branch on behalf of the church.
 All alike stood spelIbound. knowing that a matchless personality was de- partinx as the Sunday dawn dispelled the damp. foggy November night. Vir- rually the whole population of Asta rova was there. Then came a quiet voice from the hut: Leon NichoIae- rich is dead
 There was a moment of silence. Then avery head was barred and there was ssobbins on all sides.
 One called out: His heart was burst ity his urbounded love for humanity" stid ti1rs and similar phrases ran from mouth to mouth through the weeping group gathered there
 No One Excluded from the Death
 Chamber.
 Later In the day all the peasants in the district fioclSed here. None was excluded from the death chamber. through which there was a constant stream Of visitors. including many school children. The chamber is dec- orated with pine branches. The body has been erbalmed and will be trans ferred to Yasnaya Poliana- All visitors have been given permission to photo- graph the body if they wish. M. Gunz- berg. the sculptor, will take a death mask
 Desired Simple Funeral.
 IT. is said that Tolstoi expreshed 8 wish to be buried on the hill at Yasna- "a Poliena, whore he played as a child. but chat the funeral should be a simple one. without ceremonial or flowers. The Family however, has agreed not to in- 1er<ere with any honors that the public ma- desire to pay. Friends of the dead writer have started 8 movement for tho acquisition of the house where he died as a national memorial.
 TeIegrars of Sympathy.
 Grand Duke Nicholas Michaelovitch has sent a message to Countess Tol- stoi saying: My whole soul is with you and your family at this sad mo- nerlh."
 Numerous other tclegrams of sympa- thy have come from organizations ano Individuals.