Year: 1865




who had submitted to the tyranny of one
man for years before they slew him, bore
with his successor scarcely eleven months
before he, too, was dispatched.


Such an occurrence as the murder Of two
stewards in succession was so unoxamplcd,
even in Russia, that it was felt by the au
thOri,ies that It must not pass unpuni,hcG
4 detachment Of military was sent to the
village, and Quarterud on the inhabitants,
with orders to remain there till the guilty |
persons were discovered. The body Of Paul
Javoga had been first seen by woodman, |
lying face downward in shallow pool of
water formed by the overilowing Of we'll |
TO which be had gone to draw water, and the |
nrst proceeding of the officer in command
was 10 order this woodman's apprehension, |
as the murderer of the man whose corpse he |
had been first TO see.


1t SO happened that this man Of whom |
there is no doubt it was intended TO make a
victim, was little more than youth, and so
remarkable tor his gentleneSs that somebody
Ia. giren him n feminine termination to his
name, by which he was more generally known
than by his right one. Nobody believed .hat
he had been concerned in the murder, or
that he knew who were the perpetrators
but en- the other hand the military officer
was determined TO put somebody to death,
as warning, and it is to be feared that the
villagers weie only too willing to submit TO
his being made the victim, to save them
selves from being completely ruined by the
soldiers; not to speak Of certain exeesses
which the latter perpeiratcd without fear of
punishment from their officers, or Of retala
ton on the part Ct the peasants, and which
were pretty sure to be practiced more and
more extensively the longer that they re
manned.


The prisoner was confined in hut, under
the guard Of two soldiers, one beng IN the
same room with ham, the other posted out
side the door 10 prevent anybody approach
ing the hut. 10th soldiers were armed, so
that the chance Of the prisoner making his
escape would have been considered hopeless
by any person however deeply attached to
him. Great, therefore, was the surprise Of
the villagers whcn it was announced that he
had Disappeared, aud that the soldier who
had been placed within the hut 10 guard him
had been found dead on The bench where the
straw was placed which served them as u
bed. 1t was quite evident that the soldier
had been sufocatcd, and the hole in the wall
showed the way by which the prisoner had
escaped, and the broken sword the means
by which the hole had been made.


The youth and comparative weakness OF
the prisoner caused it to be suspected that
he could not have killed the soldier, who
happened to be particularly powerful man,
without the assistance of sene person. In
consequences Of this suspicion both the sen
try who lad been on duty before midnight,
and he who had relieved him, were arrested
The first swore positive that the soldirr who
had been killed. and the prisoner were sleep
ing side by side, when he was relieved a;
midnight. and the sentry who relieved him
confirmed this statement, and swCre that
from thnt time TIL he himself was relieved,
anh the discovery was made that the prison.
eI had escaped, he had not heard q sound sit
was impossible for the officer to conceive any
reason why one of his men should assst
stranger IN numbering his comrade, unless
he had been bribad and the whole Of the
villagers avcrrrd that the prisoacr had no
means whatever Of doing ;hs.


II was naturally supposed that the fugitive
would make Tor the woods and for days and
weeks afrcrwarti the soldiers were engaged
in searching these, but all their cndeayors to
rccapturc their prisoner were frnitlcS3 and
it was only when the wretched peasants had
been reduced to starvation, in the hope that
thcir desire to got rid Of the human locUsts
would force them to betray the hiding Place
Of their fellow villager, that the soldiers were
withdrawn. Tinlc after time the officers of
Justice were sent at unexpected periods to
see f the fugitive had returned to his viilage,
but always with the same result; nothing
had been seen or heard ol him.


Three years after the death Of Paul Javo
"a, white haired brg-ar one day entered
the village. The account he gave Of himself
was that he had been u soldier, and having
served his time, and, moreover, been serious
" Ill, he was discharged, and was then on
his way to distant village. Among those
who listened to the account he gave Of him
self was young woman, who, to remain
faithful to.the pledge she had given to the
unfortunate youth who had been charged
with the murder Of the bailif, bad refused
several offers Of marriage She lived with
her father in hat on the verge Of the forest.
This young woman invited thc beggar to
come to her fathers cottage. Ilo Of course
accepted the invitation, but instead Of after
ward journeying onward to the distant vii
lage he spoke of he remained where be was
1t was soon rumerCd about the viliaga that
he was to marry old Vliskas daughter but
the wedding was continually being postponed
and, in the meantime, it was observed that
the GIL was growing more and more deprcs
sed aud melancholy. s ........


At last the day was actually fixed, and
the marriage performed. But instead Of this
restoring the brides high spirits, she became
n,ore gloomy and despondent still, aud her
husband, for some reason or other. seemed
as if ashamed to meet the eye Of everybody
he met


One day the starost and two officers of
justice came to yliska's hut, and seized the
unhappy husband and great was the as.
tonishment Of the villagers when they were
told that he was the fugitive woodman who
had been charged with the murder Of Paul
Javoga, and with killing the soldier who had
been placed to cuarl him. Who had be.
traycd him was never known in tie village :;
but it was rumorcd that bis wife. had sold
him to the starost, aDd this was generally
believed until it became known that it was
She who had supplied him with nearly al!
the food lac ate during the three years lac was
hiding in the wood. His place Of conceal
ment was a hollow tree, and the anxiety and
physical suffering he underwent during this
period changed his appearance from youth to
that OF old age. ... ...... ..... ......sr
On his examination he constantly declared
that he was not the murderer Of Paul Javo.
ga nor did he know who had done The deed
lie admitted that he had killed the soldier to
save his own life; and when he was told
that the sentinel who was on guard at the
time had been subsequently killed in the
| Crmea he confessed that he had been as
sisted by him, both having belonged to a
sect whose distinguishing character was self
| nutilatIon OF very extraordinary kind.
Whether the discovery that he belonged 10
this sect was the reason OF his wife bctray.
ing bin remained secret but there is no
doubt that the woman, who for SO long pc.
riod had visited and fed him, and had been
the means Of preserving his life, was the
person who bad betrayed him, for no other
person had suspected his infdeli.y In con.
sideration of the sufFtrings be bad under
gone, Instead of being executed, he was
banished % Siberia, to which place many
y a. r. al !. l.. 4 a -T s.- z