RUSSIAN BARBARISM.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2519, 18 April 1881, Page 2

RUSSIAN BARBARISM.

A Russian contemporary, the “ Golos,” gives publicity to a terrible story of priestly and peasant barbarity, reaching that journal from Uschitza, in the Government of Podolia. Some short time ago three horses were stolen from the popa of a village in the Uschitza district. Suspecting two of his parishioners of being concerned in the theft, he resolved to extort from them by force a confession of their criminality, and for that end invited them to his house, as well as several of the most bigoted and unscruplous moujiks belonging to his congregation. These he made half drunk with raki, and then set them on to adminster torture to the unfortunate man who had fallen under his suspicion After having crushed their noses flat to their faces, broken their fingures joint by joint, cut off their ears, and torn out their beards by handfuls, the besotted instruments of priestly cruelty scared their victim’s faces with red hot iron until their agony becoming intolerable, they admitted a culpability which they have since strenuously denied to the officers of the law. These abominable proceedings having come to the knowledge of the State authorities at Uschitz, the popa and his brutal accomplices have been arrested and thrown into prison, where they are now awaiting their trial. The annals of the Holy Inquisition contain no more revolting narrative than that to which the “ Golos’ ’calls the attention of its readers in terms of unqualified indignation.—“ London Telegraph.”