TOLSTOY IN COURT.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 781, 2 April 1910, Page 5

TOLSTOY IN COURT.

. scene m Russian: court of ■.'■''. ■■;. ■ .-'. JUSTICE. : ' - ■ .'. _ A curious scene is reported from Tula, the Russian provincial city;-, near OountTolstoy's. estate of Yasnayai Polyana. A'number of tie peasants'living m the vioinity of Tolstoy's houso-were arraigned at the Ciriminal Court of Tula on the ■■ charge of waylaying' and' a*saultuig the driver of his Russian Maicsty s mails. It is an offence punishable with prolonged transportation- to Wberia, and tho ease exoited great interest m tho neighbourhood; The defence .of the peasants was that they were drunk, that they, had' meditated" no assault, and that it was only when the driver pointed a revolver at 'them that they .attacked and disarmed him; but m rcality.it was nothing - more serious than.a drunken: frolic In thei middlo of the case there was a rustle oi expectation, and then a sudden, silence. .An old man with a lone grey beard, and dressed like a peasant, was seen slowly making his way to a seat m the middle of tho court.- It was iolstoy, the lord of Yasnaya Polyana. xnose in court stood up and. remained standmg until, he was seated., Ho listened intently te the case, and when the eloquent advocate of tho prisoners succeeded in obtaining a verdict of acquittal for his clients the famous old man stepped up to him, shook him warm y-by the hand, and in a voice audible throughout the court, said-."You nave done us a brotherly service: you have done the cause of truth a service. .Tolstoy slowly moved to the door, the orqwded Court again standing, and numerous men and women striving to shako his hand. He smiled benignly at them, patted them on the back and made his' way, out to tho streot, where a large crowd awaited him and cheered him to the echo.