Murder of Rasputin

Horowhenua Chronicle, 18 January 1917, Page 4

Murder of Rasputin

'•liiJi- L'iiAK'i-Ei.iiD LJJiEUTiN'E •OF !!> .-.SiA." Gregory Rasputin, the Russian monk, who was murdered at Prince i I'al;ico in Petvograd lust week was an extraordinary pereson- [ age, who exorcised a strange influence > over the Czarina. it is .stated that :• iie inspired her wiLli the belief that so i_ ioi;,g as lie was near 110 ill could beta.ll | the Czarevitch, and when, by a strange coincidence tlie heir to the throne was liti'iekeii by a mysterious illness nearly -lire years ago, the fact that 1 taspn t in w.as away at the time strengthened ihe mother's boliei in his miraculous faculties. One by one the Czarina s trusted friends unci retainers left or were dismissed, and thiir places were taken by Rasputin's nominees. For instance, a woman who superintended the education of the Grand Duchcwc's. an old, trusted retainer, resigned after si stormy interview with the Czar, during which she pretested strongly against I'asputin being allowed to enter the young girlVapnrtnient at any hour of the day or night. Later on Rodzianko. lresident oi the Duma, also spoke to the Czar on the same subject, only to be. abused fur "impertinent interference.'' Two- voars a 'S'> Iv:onia. Goussiewa. a Siberian woman, attempted to stab the monk. Following tiu' ;;ews upon the attempt upon I'a-Np'itiii's life, the ternatioiial Now., Service correspondeiit went te P<:kr:;w.-k<Ke, where, after c-onsid. ruble diillosiity he succeeded in i..!:■! uieg an into, v.ow with ihe \\o- : ,i , me. (louss ewa. Sb v.'ih a pa hot ic figure. obi, be.f. iiu-l scmew'.iat hideous-looking. ■.i-i!:> !;«.•!• .if lost her nose as the r. -ult of illnt'is;;. < Tlse a snssin is a staunca supporter i,.f that notorious monk, Illidcirct. will! owes his di'.;/: ace to the influence o:f Rasputin. "I had long intended to kill Rasputin," said Mine. Goussiewa, "in order t<; avenge the hideous wrongs bo lias done nuder the guise of religion. Nobody can have any idea of what a monster he is. He deceives evei vbody : be has dishonoured our Czar and brought shame upon the whole of Russia. Knowing lie is assured cf immunity, dozens of women and girls, both rich and poor, have fallen under his spoil. It was lie v.'lio caused the fall, and disgrace of that holy man lllidipre. "I'm only s.-.rry I didn't kill hnn outright. I wanted to give hint another blow, but his son seized my hand. What do I care i\;'r life? I'm incurably ill. and it is a matter of indifference' to me whether I die sooner or later. "1. followed liasputin for a long time —determined t:> kill him. and bought the knife especially to do it a year ago. Before Whitsuntide in Yaltai I got quite near and was preparing- to strike, but he was surrounded by Court ladies, who always follow him, and I didn't wish to harm them." Here the woman burst into tears. "Even if lie doesn't- die now Rasputin will be-killed before long. Russia, can't bear the shame with which this monster covers her." The Czarina went into dreadful hysterics when she heard the news of the stabbing, and wanted to go immediately to Pokrow.rkoie to nurse Rasputin herself, but the Czar almost by force had heir put -on the Imperial yacht for Finland. ✓ Before leaving the Czarina insisted that her friend, Mine Wyroubeff, go to Rasputin's side immediately, mid semi daily reports of the monk's conditon. I'lllil ho was thirty years of ago Rasputin was only known in his obscure vilago "in the south of Russia. as a. house thief and debauehe. He was a splendidly successful horse lifter; he was a. Riabelasian reveller. Then he suddenly became religious, retired into solitude, and gradually ' acquired the reputation of a. saint and faith-healer. The r-mperstitious peasants saw in his reformation the intervention of their Providence. lie went to a simnll monastery and schemed 'Iris way irregularly into Holy Orders. In the confessional ho intrigued with a rich merchant's widow, inveigled her into becoming his patron, and through her reached St, Petersburg. He possessed some extraordinary Svengnli influence over all womenkind. They wore as putty in his hands, and he used them to push his way through the church to cotrrt, until he stood a.t the right 11 and 'of tbo Czarina, and became the law and word of hoth licr and the Czar. He became immensely wealthy by using his position at court, and although he was a common mou-

jik, .scarcely siblo to read or write, • his sv'ay wa<» -o universal that the ■ greatest jn the laud m; w.. ht admission : i-o liis caloii. Wherever lie wont ho was : a.lwayd accompanied by a bevy oi beau- j til'ul female deciples, quite a number oi whom died unexpectedly from some ! uudetected ailment. tlo was the , chartered libertine of Hussia, yet the Cz:.rilza openly attributed the birth of tlio Czarevitch in 1904 to Rasputin s intercession. He made open boasts of his i.To>s immorality, and was once banished for a particularly shocking .scandal.. Bub he told the that something teirible would follow his exile. 1 he- Czarcvilch fell ill, and he was brou.-iht posthaste to St. Petersburg to .".gain become the sinister mail of mystery.