Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1917-01-20


over, who for some reason was particularly at
tractive to women.
About the beginning of the present century,
when he was approaching middle life, Gregory
happened to fall in with itinerant Siberian
preacher, and under the latter's influence he os-
tensiby reformed, repented and became con-
verified. Whether there was any sincerity in this
professed change of heart or not we have no
means of knowing; but for two years or more Il
repentant sinner studied the Bible, ecclesiastical
history and the writings of the church fathers,
and finally went on long religious pilgrimage.
When he returned to estern Siberia he became
an itnerant preacher himself and set up as
starets, or holy one" under the name Raspu-
tin By this time he had become man of shrewd
native ability, had acquired self-conhdence and
had discovered that by means of his personal
magnetism, his knowledge Of the Scriptures and
his reputed holiness, he could exert strong in
huence over both men and women but particularly
women. The idea then apparently occurred to
him that he could find wider field for the exer
else of his talents in the capital of the empire than
in western Siberia and in 1905, armed with let
tiers Of introduction from the local ecclesiastical
authorities to Bishop Theofan and the famous
Father John Of Cronstadt, he started for St.
Petersburg.
The supposition that mddle-aged, profigare
Siberian muzhik could make career for him
self in the higher circles of St. Petersburg So
ciety would have seemed at that time so improb-
able as to be almost ridiculous; but the daring,
quick-witted, Inscriptions religious impostor was
well on the road to success in less than three
months He seems to have been taken up first
by the ladies of the higher court circles who
found his religious teachings novel and his per-
sonaity attractive.
Accounts differ as to the circumstances in
which the car first met him; but in the winter
of l906-l907 he seems to have been received at
Al I-x. 49,
to the empress About that time be began to
be known and talked of as "Gregorio Novus," and
his influence with the imperial family became so
strong that even mobiles, generals and high officers
of state who desired promotion or increase of
salary sought his intercesson and support. On
his reception days his apartment thronged,
and he granted petitions and dispensed favors
with all the assurance of royalty. So confident
was he of his power that, according to the st.
Petersburg Gazette, he would often say to petit
toner: Take this" (writing his own name on
scrap of paper) to so-and-so, and tell him that
Gregory ordered it" Whether the car was aware
of Rasputins dissolute life not it is impossible
! to say; but if he was he paid attention to it
! Throughout the years 1907 and 1908 the starets
| was frequent visitor at the imperial palace in
| terms with both the emperor and the empress
| Meanwhile, however, his relations with women
and especially women of high social position, be-
| came an open scandal.
In the early part of 1909 Bishop Theofan re-
ceived so many complaints of Rasputin's con-
| tinued bad conduct that he again summoned him
before ecclesiastical court which, after hearing
| his defense, directed him to seclude himself for
year in monastery and there listen to spiritual
admonition." Rasputin coolly declined to go, on
the alleged ground that "his spiritual daughters
and female disciples could not get along without
| him." The court made no attempt to enforce its
mandate, but in 1910 the scandal became so noto-
rious and the proofs of Rasputins misconduct so
convincing that Bishop Theofan denounced him
| as a hypocrite and Prime Minister Stolypin or
| dered him out Of the city. The dissolute starets
| then disappeared and for about two years nothing
was heard OF him. His disciples and spiritual
daughters" however, continued to insist that in
justice had been done him, and to urge that he
| be permitted to return Their efforts in his be-
| by the monk lliodor whose influence over the
car was then very great and toward the end of
| 1911 Rasputin reappeared in St. Petersburg,
where he soon recovered all the ground he had
| lost, and more
Again he became the favorite, if not the ad-
wiser, Of the emperor and empress, and again he
| was taken up by the court ladies in the salons
His activities finally created so much indignation
in the Duna that they were made the subject of
| two interpretations.
In July, 1914, while Rasputin was making a
visit to his native village of Pokrofsky, in the
Siberian province of Tobolsk, he was stabbed in
the street by peasant women named Guseva
who declared when she was arrested that she
wished to remove from this world that false,
infamous prophet, who has led so many people
astray, and who has falsely instructed the car
on countless questions" Rasputin, who seemed
to be MORALLY wounded, was taken to hospital
in Tiumen, where he was cared for by Prof
Serge Fedorof, the cars court physician and
Mademoiselle Virubova, lady-n-waiting of the
empress, who had been sent there by imperial
command Two or three days later a telegram
from Tiumen announced that after a surgical
operation Rasputin died. without recovering con-
sciousness at p. m. on the l4th of July But
he was not dead. subsequent report stated that
he had regained consciousness and would prob.
ably recover Three or four months later he
was again in St Petersburg, apparently as popu
lar among the women and powerful at the
court as ever
After the outbreak Of the European war Ras
| putin's influence the emperor and the EN-
press was popularity connected with many import
ant events, notably the removal of the Crane
Duke Nicholas from command of the armies
Rasputin, it was said, favored separate peac,
with Germany and the grand duke, when h,
heard of it, declared that if the starets shoulc
fall into his hands he would hang him.
According to kilograms from Pehograt
which reached this country early in January ant
which have since been confirmed, Gregory Raspu
tin the Siberian starets, the avorite of highborr
women and the reputed counselor of the car, ha
been shot death, apparently by number of per
sons, and his body, ridded with bullets of differ
ent calibers, has been found in the River Neva
1t does not yet appear whether the murder wa
due to social or to political causes but in eithe
case the life that the man lived is suffcien
explanation Of his death. The story of such
life would hardly be worth telling il it did no
throw light on monarch and ruling elias