Tolstoi in Court.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 16 April 1910, Page 4

Tolstoi in Court.

♦— A curious scene is reported from Tula, the Russian provincial city near Count Tolstoi's estate of Yasuaya I'olyana. A number of the peasants living in the vicinity of Tolstoi's house were arraigned at the Criminal Count of Tula on the charge of waylaying and assaulting the driver of his Russian Majesty's mails. ft is .an offence punishable with prolonged transportation to Siberia, and the case excited great interest in the neighbourhood. The defence of the peasants was that thev wore drunk, that thev had meditated no assault, and that iit was only when the driver pointed a revolver at them that thev attacked and disarmed him; but in reality it was nothing more serious than a drunken brawl. In the middle of the case there was a rustle of expectation, and then a sudden silence. An old man with a long grey beard, and dresse' l like a peasant, was s?en slowly making his way to a seat in the middle of the court. It was Tolstoi, the lord of Yasnaya Polyana. Those in court stood up a.nd remained standing until he was seated. He listened intently to the case, an' 1 when the eloquent advocate of the prisoners succeeded in obtaining a verdict of acouittal for his clients the famous old man stepped up to him. shook him warmly by the hand, and in a voice audible throughout the court, said: "You have done us brotherlv service : yon have done the cause of truth n service." Tolstoi slowlv moved i" lie door, tl'p crowded court again landing and numerous men and women striving to shake his hand. Ho smiled benignly at them, ■natter! them on the back and made his wnv out to the slreot. whore a laree crowd nwidtcd him and cheered hinto tho echo.