STRANGE DEATH OF A RUSSIAN PRELATE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 799, 22 November 1882, Page 2

STRANGE DEATH OF A RUSSIAN PRELATE.

General SkobelofFs strange death if not the only one which has lately exi cited the intense curosity of the in* habitants of Russia, and Moscow in particular. That of Mgr. Makarios, the head of the Russian religion after the Emperor, and consequently the second chief of the realm, is still a deep mys; tery. Many are the rumors to which it has given rise, among which the follow: ing supposition is the one which finds the most credit among the people. It will be remembered that the Archimandrite, Mgr. Makarios, whose death occurred about a month past wrote a letter to Alexander 111,, ear* nestly begging him to change his present mode of life for one more in keep-t ing with his dignified position as Em-) peror, and especially to show himself more'frequently in public. His Majesty answered the prelate, telling him that his letter begging him to mix constantly, with his subjects at a time when to do; so, owing to the cruel and persistent plots of the Nihilists, was equivalent to exposing/ -himself .to ’ certain ideath, seemed more the production of a Nihilist pen than of a loyal subject and a prelate. Mgr. Makarios made no an-| swer to the Czar, and the affair would 1 most certainly have been forgotten by this time had not a curious incident occurred, which brought the. whole, a J|f a ' r into publicity again. Amon§ ihe numerous arrests which were made, among the Nihilists at the epoch of. Ignatieff’s leaving office there happened to be a woman in whose effects were found a valuable comb of gold and precious stones which was recognised as the one given:’to Mgr.- Makarios by Alexander 11. The woman, on being ’questioned, acknowledged tb having had criminal relations with the prelate, add confessed to hkving taketi the comb- fronvliim. Upon the Emperor’s being informed of all this He sent a telegram to the Archimandrite him to explain the secret relations existing between him and this Nihilist hwoman. This placed the prelate in a very awkward position, for, supposing him to be ignorant of the woman’s revolutionary character, he was found guilty of openly sinning against his vow of chastity. However this may be, the next morning he was found dead. All evil rumors were hushed up as much as possible. How much truth there is in this story it is impossible to say; but, contrary to all previous custom, Mgr. Makarios has, already a successor.