The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1921-11-01
Impoverished Russian NobIeman
Retains It to Last.
IN FAMILY FOR 300 YEARS
Driven From Russia by BoIshevist
outraoes, Young NobIeman Carries
Cherished Volume With Him Until
Forced to Part With It to Provide
Food and Shelter for Self and
FamiIy-Printed by Court Printer
at Wittenbesp in 1906.

After being nearly three hundred
years in one family, fine old Wit
tenberg Bible was offered for sale In
New York recently by a Russian no
bIeman who fled from Petrograd just
before the revolution. This handsome
young man, whose hair is amazingly
yellow and eyes like blue tulip, who
speaks several languages and is high
ly educated, has held on to the fam
lily Bible until almost the very last
of the valuables that he managed
to save from magnificent estate
Bound in heavy leather, with tar
nished brass clasps and deep-cut let
tering in the title, the big tome stands
about IA by 10, by 6 inches. 1t was
compiled by Prof Leonhartus Hut
terus, who wrote the introduction,
and was printed by the court printer
at Wittenberg, dated July Y, 1905.
Picture Of Luther.
In the front are several queer, full.
page drawings in black and white OF
church notables, starting off with Mar
tin Luther himself, barefoot, and
wearing quaint robe falling little
below the knee. The seven electors
and other princes of that day and
time are shown in their Sunday
Clothes with noddine plumes upon
their hats and rich vestees OF embrod-
cred silks. The dOuble-cOlumn, large
printed pages are worn at the edges
and stained with age, Sut every word
is clear and easy to read, II you know
German. Now and then there are ex-
Quisitely repaired torn places. There
is a mellow old fragrance about the
leather, and an ancient, musty smell
to the paper, but its back is as sturdy
as the day 1t left the bindery that
church whose doors still bear the
prints of the nails where Marsin Luth-
er's ninety-f1ve theses were posted.
The Bible was taken from Holland to
st. Petersburg by the great-great-
t-great-great-great grandfather OF I
The present owner, when, as personal
physician to Peter the Great, he
Joined the court in the new imperial
city For two hundred thirty-four
years. then 1t was handed down from
'ather to son, cherished and guarded
~ each generation.
In Fuoitive's Baggage.
Until the Bolshevist outrages in
russia, the massive old volume had
never known anything but dignity,
uiet and splendor. Since then it has
'een a fugitive's baggage, has hidden
n strange quarters In Paris, has
rossed the ocean, and been transport
d around Fifth avenue busses in New
1ork city. 1t was finally placed on
at headquarters Of the Ma
ional Lutheran council. to be sold to
ONE foreign. ongued outsider in
, take care for another two or three
of the nobleman's young wife
nj little son, who is the last Of the
ne, while he finds work His father
nd mother, who refused to leave the
Id home in Petrograd, died during
ne early DAYS of the revolution, and
they possessed was seized
y the Reds. This stately copy of
lie Holy Scriptures, though it lose its
ID, honored connections, and spend
he rest Of its days In new country,
as escaped the wretched end of ifs
,rmer shelf-mates in the Petrograd
alace.