New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-03-27
R0LSTOY'S DOUBLE
ponuIar Belief in Russia That the
Count Is Still Alive.

>.,,eht 1911, BY the breh'"''" ~
-, No country ef Europe are ,nY '"a'
.rsdulous as in Russia ana lo""e'e
- have there been so many aleeeu re
nn..rances In real life of persons WIZ n'U
~ a,,,,, Gathered 10 their fathers mus
,-,,,sror Alexander ! Is populaIIy u'"eN
H~,.o s,,r,.,ved his death. in NO, by '"o-
=" a. - &c inmate of q monastery III
sO0' ',.xhood If the Siberian city OF
iIe u tho masses persist in giVlns
's.oa - this story despite all the PROOFS
,..olrcAd 10 demonstrate its grouhuieSSheS''
ron.ral skobeleff, the famous " ME zen
-, o,d during the last Turoo-husslan
a. IDOL of the Russian army was
.1,,.,ed bv the peasantry Throughout
-. ~ The rank and file or the army
- - nv many Of the educated classes
- besn still living I'VE years ago. al
though he met with partlC 0i''''
,,y 6ea,h al Moscow IN M
s,d now. although photographs nave
u,,hI,sbea far and wide Of the oose-
ouiss Of Count Leo To.s'oE' W. -
faw months back. there is s"iAu'.l W.
&c his exact double and VINO Is 'dNiAs az
vantage Of the fact 10 traVel '"lousn '',e
land. collecting money from ms peasant a"-
mirers osornaa
Almost every moujik's cottage Is auoi "eu
with 2 more or less crude portrait Oh H'e
late Count Leo Tolstcy, often mere Ou'
from some illustrated paper that hss pee"
used for wrapping up purchases "HI'e NV
80 vell.to-do farmers have pictures OF
h.,,er oualitv. so that his features are "a
,oiliar 10 nearly every man, woman ah'
,piId Of the 5000 90 tillers Of the soil who
corstit,te the bulk Of Russia population
The AGED swndlers resemblance 10 these
,ortraits removes all doubt IN their minds
ss 10 his identity with the late count Leo
Tolstov. and a s II is known that the lattef
was an object Of considerable displeasure
IN the part Of the government. and more
especially Of the Holy synod Of the state
church. the swindler finds ready belief for
me story which he tells. 10 the effect mat
nc report Of his death wss lie. purpcsely
circulated by the government and the &c
clesiastical authorizes on account Of Their
imposition 10 his propaganda IN benalf oil
the peasant.
He then goes on 70 explain 70 them that
Re is now penniless. having distributed all
ris property and his estates. at Jasnaja
Poliana. among the moujiks, and tells such
6 rathetic tale in connection Herewith that
The sinple-minded peasants Immediately
bring forth any little savings that they
NAV have and press them upon him, while
,be more affiuent among them esteem II an
honor 10 be allowed TO drive him in their
carts or sleishs 10 the next village on his
list III this way he is travelling through
the length and breadth Of Russia. reaping
q rich harvest finding doors and purses
,pen 10 him, and inasmuch as IT is re-
called that some weeks before the death
az the real Count Tolstoy tho latter mys-
,eriouslv deserted MS home and set forth
"a wander through the empire even edu-
Gated people are BEGINNING 10 lend credence
30 the imposture and 10 believe that the
reports Of his death and burial arc untrue
and that he is really still wandering away
from his homo in order 10 be able TO live
the nfo Of his friends. the peasants, in
stead Of being forced 10 lead the existence
az a great noble and Of a landed proprie-
Tor. wholly contrary TO his professions OF
socialism and Of tho doctrines which he
preached It may he reTemD ered that this
was tho excuse given by the real Count
Tolstoy TO his family for abandoning his
home shortly before his death.
Perhaps by the time That this letter ap-
Pears I'm print the Russian police authori-
ties may have caught up with him and
lave landed him il jail, where he undoubt-
sdlv belongs.