Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1917-09-10
In CASSOCK RULED
ROYALTY And MADE OSSIBLE BY
RIBALDRY OVERTHROW OF CAR

sHeFkf| Nge.rE.E 10y 4aNuI. a.rEtsA az. sA
head. He had very long features, lit
tie black eyes Of the kind always de-
scribed as beady, a large mouth and
a prominent hose. With his slickery
hair and g%littering eyes he must have
strongly suggested the stage edition of
Svengali. According to all accounts
he had no charm OF conversations nor
OF manner and his ignorance was as
plain as his arrogance the instant he
began to talk.
Altogether here was about the last
man In the world that you would
think a sell -respecting woman would
have an amour with. Yet it Is related
that over many intelligent and rather
wise women he exercised an extraordt-
nary power and yer hundreds OF 9TH
ers what seemed like an uncanny fas-
cination. All this Is usually accounted
for in Russia on the theory that he
With the other unpleasant traits he
was a famous booze-fghter. Even
after the prohibition of vodka he
seemed always to be we'll supplied
with liquor, and it was the common
belief among those that observed him
that he could stand more rum than
any other man in Petrograd. When
the most disreputable companions and
went on a wild bat that lasted for sew
eral days and wound up In the lowest
dives Of the city.
The police knew him we'll and FEAR
ed him. for they had accurate knowl-
edge both of his power and remorse-
less use of it. When he came in MS
borrowed robes of a priesthood he had
no right to claim, roaring and roister-
Any person that. was with him was
immune; IL he were a criminal that
the police had long wanted, no one
dared lay hands upon him. He was
a friend Of Rasputin, and Rasputin
was the all-powerful OF Russia.
He Traded With Germany.
It was not possible that these things
could last. All the. time the mobiles
that happened by some chance to be
still loyal to Russia were hearing the
stories of his trading with Germany,
ing hatred for his cruelty.
There was only n class in the
community that found anything to ap-
prove in him. That was the revolu-
tionary agitators. They used him all
about Russia as a f1rst class example
Of the folly Of monarchy, and couldn't
have had a better. They saw to it
that his name and deeds became
known throughout the land, and to
SAASS N~J SAAS AL 4oSSN RohSAS
are using him as a text.
In a Russia where nobody, you
might say, had a vote or q voice in the
government there was no civilized
way to get at such q creature. There
was no law that could be invoked
against him. The only real, law was
the will Of the car, and that was all
For the czarina, and the czarina was
all for Rasputin.
There was no way to counteract his
influence. He was the only person
the czarina trusted or would really
listen to.
Under these conditions there was
nothing for his opponents to do but to
kill him.
One night on his way home in win
ter he was shot at, the bullet piercing
him by a few inches. Not long after
an assassin made his way into Ras-
putin's house and tried to stab him.
Several times, according to the story,
thugs lay in wait for him to beat him
up.
He escaped all these and began to
have the reputation of. a charmed life,
grad with g body guard Of picked
men.
His fears put no check upon III.
drunken tongue. When he was pick.
led he used to talk about the czarina
as he talked about a drab.
After a time he began to talk loose.
" about the then Grand Duchess Olga
the cars oldest child, and that, ii
the end, did for him. .
The ex-grand duchess seems by al
accounts to be a rather superior younf
woman, considering the misfortunei
OF her birth and bringing up. Their,
was a young nobleman In Petrogra6
fthat had a profound respect and al.
miration for her. When he learned
that Rasputin had boosted in a div,
that before long he would have hel
also in his power, this young noble
man made up his mind that the time
a come to silence that ribald tongu,
and the task belonged to him.
He performed it conscientiously
n that was the end OF Rasputin.
1t seemed as If with that shot tn,
people woke UP to the enormtty q
h whole degrading burden tina
cursed them and bowed them to tn,
s 49,