El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-03-24
County judgement
By S. C. Detrow -Skitaletz.

A T the time of Ivan the Terrible
~ tribe of nomads invaded Sc
litka. The brigands of Oussa
defended it, drove out the invaders
and fortified themselves near the Mol
codetski Kurgan which in course OF
time became a permanent fortress or
the Moscowite kingdom always men
aced by enemies. Car Alexis Mich
ailovitch to reward these heroes issued
a decree in which he granted all the
surrounding land to the defenders and
their descendants and this decree was
handed to the patriarchs of the vii
lage of Selitba-
For many years these people lived
happily in their virgin forests. sepa-
rated from the rest of the world by
their wild mountains, but at last serf-
dom came to them and put an end to
their exceptional position During the
reign of Catherine the Great the coun-
try was given as an entailed estate
to a young count, with all its souls.
The descendants of the counts became
masters of the people and the cars
decree was mysteriouSly lost though
never forgotten. The story of it was
handed down from generation to gen
Grafton by the downtrodden inhabit-
ants. who after serfdom was abolished
by Alexander II had to sell their work
to exist and who were even worse of
now than when they were serfs.
But one day a yellow parchment
covered with almost illegible letters
and a great seal was found. 1t was
the mysterious charter by which the
ear granted to the people of Selitba
forever all the surrounding country.
For twenty years afterwards the
people of Selitba went from court to
court in search of their right with
the result only that some of them
were sent to prison. others banished.
At last they became desperate. The
old men of the village called coun-
ell and it was agreed to assemble on
the borders of the counts domain, re-
quest his presence, show him the an
cient decree and ask him for the right
to till the land which was once theirs
and to which they still held the deed
The day arrived, the crowd Of peas
ant assembled with the counts over
seer and a policeman as his repre-
sentative There was silence for a
moment, then Bachaieff, a young mou-
jik began to speak.
"vache Blagorodie" (your excel
lency) he cried in a voice trembling
with emotion. I'VE have not come TO
commit violence but to cultivate our
land. It belongs to us. Listen. Here
is the overseer, on one side, and on
the other side people OF the country,
who have no interest in the matter
and whom we have invited. We want
to be judged by them according to
our old traditions. On this table.
Vache Glargorodie. is the decree Of
the car by which he, the late car
Alexis iMichailevitch, grants US the
lands us and our children to have and
hold forever We demand that the
overseer show the counts title. Per
haps it is better than ours and then
we will submit, but the people Of the
country must be the judges. For 20
years we have asked to be shown the
counts papers. Let him show them
now"
YES, let him show them" cried the
crowd.
The ispravnik shook his head.
Again everybody grew silent The
overseer grew silent The overseer
forward
.1 do not understand. (Ie spoke
Russian very poorly. What is this
court? Why should there be a court?
I do not have to- have no papers to
show"
The crowd roared.
He has nothing to show. niemt-
chura,"- -(the German dog).
The ispravnik waved his hand. The
shouting ceased Immediately.
Il warn YOU" he said. What you