Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1925-04-18
OOUKHOBOR LEADER
CALLED GREAT MAN
Peer Veregin Had Implicit
Confidence of Followers.


modern history was killed in mys
trr:ous bomb explosion short time
hoard Canadian Pacific train en-
rta between Nelson and Crane
nrks. r. c.. a writer in the Chicago
HIrnal informs us. He was Peter
"re"in. head Of the Russian religious
trt known as the DOukhohorS. OF
Nniril Wrestlers" The Canadian pc
zee say the bomb was plot TO Kill
"regin Five others met similar
iatr.
.he figure OF Peter Verpgin was in
IL ed on Of aweinsplring personality
II ever there WAS born lender of men
Peter Vercgin was one. He was the
seventh leader of the religion. Pre-.
led ,ng him was II woman LoOkeria
IH$SleTnn. who succeeded her hus
and in this cdpn.'ity She found and
.lnrked verpgin for leadership when he
:;.S Il merc hoy. lie ejuIged 70 u
,try wealthy family If the pou.h. hci
persuasion and he foil w,'d her liz
plicitly.
Npregin was given a thOrou~h et,lci.
tlon' and prepared pninstakin:..y to- as
sumo this important post witch she
;issed on to him on her death bed. M
ooner had he assumed the leadership
than he started Il movement of u lsSive
resistance to the Russian government s
system Of compulsory military service
md was eXiled to Siberia. where h.
I,, h., tnt . he 4. 20,
Doukhobor had migrated to Canadn
md II was through them that he was
lardoned and allowed to join the Sas
ratchcwan colony. over which he haG
never rtlinquished his dominating
power
He was looked upon by the Doukho-
hOrs us reincarnation of Jesus Christ
Whenever he went TO village the
,..ople turned out. even in drenching
Gather and the chill of the northern
nrairie wind. to PROSTATE themselves
on the ground. He Silently received
their alteration.
They prayed to him as If to the
creator. and sang hymns Of praise t.
his name. Although veregin had a
life and family in Russia. he was
constantly surrounded by young won.
n. and never travelled without O large
number Of them in his party.
1t was alleged he lived in a polyg
amous state. as they all professed to be
his wives married at least. in the
strange rites of their church and re
ligion. Witnesses Of the worship of
Veregin by his fellow Doukhobors dc
clared it to be a nauseating exhibition
Ut idOlatry.
A circumstance which did much to
bring the Doukhobors into disrepute
md created wrong impression of
them in 1900 was an unfortunate
pilgrimage" near Yorkton On this
occasion several hundred of the 1000
members Of the community were in
duced by a fanatic to abandon their
homes and march out unclothed across
the snowy prairies on Il religious pill.
grimage in search of Christ.
Veregin was pronounced the best ex.
ample of the benevolent despot in the
world. He was absolutely devoted to
the interest Of the DOukhObors, al
ways planning to advance their cause.
not enriching himself, exacting implicit
obedience and exercising rigid dis.
cipline.
He was big man in every sense of
the word. The history and traditions
of his people, his own sufferings. his
contact with great men, were his edu-
cation. He inherited the characters.
tics Of his race, among which are
strong reasoning, diplomatic skill and
subtlety. He was theocratic car.
possessing not only the genius but the
capacity for governing.
1t is now 25 years since the first
shipload Of these idealists arrived in
Canada upon invitation of the Dolnin-
ion government to settle the huge tract
Of wild land on which homestead rights
had been filed in Saskatchewan. Since
that time their wealth in land and
worldly goods has increased from moth
ing we'll beyond the 100000 mark.