Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-08-20

cattle into the forests. knowing only
too we'll that the fierce Cossacks would
loot all they could lay their hands on.
with the Cossacks came the police Of
ficials and some orthodox clergy. who
gave them the declarations to sign. one
and all refused TO do Il. They were
stripped naked and flogged with the
lSnout-a Cossack's whip consisting Of
seven leather thongs. each one knotted
in several places; each man received 80
lashes. each woman %. and each child
under 10 10, regardless Of age or sex.
II is difficult to describe these sloken-
ing times Women and Children died
under the whip and their husbands and
fathers were brought to witness their
agony. Even the strongest men faint
ed. Many though still refused to sign
away their religious faith. They were
thrust into prison to be eXiled TO ST.
beria, while their farms and goods were
confiscate even to the children's bed
ding. The children Of these exlles were
torn away from their parents and sent
TO founding hospitals. where they are
being brought up in the orthodox faith.
Many others were turned out OF their
homes in the depth Of winter and eX-
posed TO such hardships that the death
rate Immediately went up 100 per cent
As the prisons became crammed new
corners were kept I'm courtyards and
open sheds. In spite Of the frost and
snow one peasant. whom his perse-
cutors deprived Of all earthly posses
sions. shut himself up In his cottage,
set fire 20 II and persisted, with wife
and family. as a protest against these
terrible prosecutions In another case
a man suffocated himself. his wife and
family with charcoal fumes I'm order
that HIS infant child should not be hap
tized by the new orthodox priest. who
had been forced on the parish, Many
who were not exiled were so robbed by
the Cossacks-in addition TO ill-treat-
ment, that they had nothing but their
bare fields left Thus In course Of time
80. 600 Uniat peasants were persuaded
as official language has It, To Join the
orthodox church.
ENGLIsHMAN'S STORY.
An Engllshman who witnessed many
of these scenes told the writer that he
was present on the occasion OF one Of
these conversions.
1.-THE peasants OF the whole village
he said, were driven Go barn near
the church, stripped bare and flogged
by the Cossacks till the military doc
tor said further lashiug would kill them.
They were then forced, at the whips
end, 10 enter half frozen river i'm
mersed UP TO the waist,-which was
the Cossacks' Idea OF baptism. and
after this, they we're conducted through
where their names were entered as
petitioners 10 be received into the
orthodox faith As they We're sent
home again they all cried. You can
call us orthodox, but we cling To the
faith OF our fathers ] have never
witnessed more terrible scenes, though
| am a pretty tough soldier"
But though nominally orthodox these
so odd thousand peasants organized
what is best described as a religious
strike" that il. many of them ceased
10 marry, or TO baptize their offspring;
they buried their dead in the Gene
teries IN the middle OF the night with
out funeral services. Many OF them
received the secret assistance OF
priests, travelling so miles and even
crossing into the Austrian territory, so
as not 20 get themselves and the
priests into trouble.
OBSTACLES OVERCOME.
All manner OF romantic ways were
found OF holding services without the
assistance OF the orthodox clergy,
though any priests OF the Latin rite
who were caught communicating with
them were imprisoned FOR two years
for the first offense and eNiled To ST.
IBERIA for the second. Priests dressed
as pedlers came over the frontier from
Austria with packs OF ribbons and
laces. beneath which they hid small