Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1911-07-29

The architect was summoned to the
palace when the great work was done
and Ivan thanked him-and then he
dug out the architects eyes to the
end that this masterpiece might not
be duplicated.
1t was VASTLY Chibanor, an envoy
sent from the Poles to treat for an
amnesty, who was pinned to the
bloody stairway. The details of the
interview are not recorded, but Chiba-
nor evidently grew long-winded and
Ivan impatient, so with the metal
tipped imperial baton on which the
cruel old car was leaning he made
lunge at the ENJOYS foot, pinning foot
and satin slipper to the stair
Here the envoy remained fixture
on the staircase until the disintegra-
ting forces of nature, which included,
of course, the vultures, had reduced
the envoy to whitened skeleton.
1t was at the uppermost landing
that Ivan killed his son. He had be-
come by that time patriarch Of GRIM
inality. Quacks and magicians had
helped indame his disordered mind,
and now they told him his son was
plotting against him. The old car
met his son on the sixtieth step and
at the very door leading to the sacred
vestibule. The stairway was then
rooted, its inner side presenting a Sc
ries of Biblical scenes and quantity
depicted saints. Here Ivan beat in the
skull of the heir to the throne with
|
triekled down the stairs a great, fierce
comet swept across the sky. To Ivan
it was a sign that his own days were
numbered. He shrank from the sight,
and with trembling limbs sought his
chamber. His death soon followed.
Sophia's historical place on the
bloody stairway is written in a chap
ter of caprice and intrigue. She was
the second daughter of Gear Feodor.
by his first wife, Maria Miloslavskala-
Her own brother was an Ivan. Fec
doris second wife was Natalia Narish-
lina, who had a son, Peter The am
billions of the two wives rent the Rus
sian court. Sophia, having reached
young womanhood, thereupon sought
power for herself The car died and
she Immediately fomented revolt
among the native militia, which then
numbered 10000. Her partisans were
known as Miloslavkis, after her
mother; the others were called Ma
rishkius.
Sophia was surrounded by f1atterers
who dedicated sonnets as well as he
roic verses to her and quite turned
her foolish head with the cajolery. A
day was secretly set for the assem-
bling of the pike bearers within the
.Kremlin walls. They passed on to the
stairway. Sophia was told that her
ambition for power was about to be
gained. A word from her to the as
sembled soldiers was all that was
needed to establish her as ruler. She
went out upon the stairway, arrayed
In jewels and finery and made such
speech as princess cut up might
be expected to make. 1t operated like
torch to powder.
Massacre Of the Staircase.
Soldiers Immediately fell upon each
other with pixies; they pressed to the
i foot of the staircase, fighting along
the way. One of the ministers Of the
late car. seeking by gentle speech to
: pacify the belligerents, was thrice
thrust through with pixies. member
OF the ruling family was dragged from
hiding place and cut to pieces.
Wherever known partisan OF the
second wife was found he was slain.
From the staircase Sophia's followers
pointed to those whose lives were to
be taken and the soldiers, jealous for
favor and normally bloodthirsty, tri-
umphantly produced one victim after
another amid huzzas from the titled
onlookers. When the massacre OF
combst-it is called by both names
was at an end, SO dead bodies covered
the so steps of the bloody staircase
and an ensanguined rivulet ran from
top to bottom. where 1t formed a
stream.
=. Sophia thereafter was chosen re
, gent and Ivan and Peter Joint SOW.
ereigns It was inevitable that Peter
should die first. The manner of his
, taking of is not as clear as 1t might
, be. The speedy efficacy of certain
eastern poisons was not unknown ia
Sophia At any rate Peter died sud.
, denly, as beftted Sophia's purposes.
} Sophia was at the height of her dare.
devil career at twenty-five; at thirty.
: one her intriguing came to an end
She was made a prisoner in the drea.
ry monastery at Verichi, where she
: died deploring her. past and LOOKING
: into the unknown future with Soma
hope and more misgiving-