Russian Priest's Terrible Death.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7940, 2 October 1905, Page 2

Russian Priest's Terrible Death.

A pope or Russian priest, has been buried alive by a mob of peasuats at Svino Krvza, in tbjs Crimea. Tho people had' ascribed the prolonged drought which had riuncd their crops this season to tho death of acerta.n old man who had been regarded as air "opyr" or wizard, no rain li,iv| ;: g fallen since his burial in March last. According to the popular superstition' it was necessary, in order to appease the sorcerer's spirit, that his remains should be cxhumod at midnight, and after being sprnklej wish holy, water by a Driest icphcel in the grave. Accordingly a procession of villagers, headed hy hoys naclgiils carrying torches and accompanied by fiddlers and flautists playing dismal dirges, set out for the cemetery. The body of the dead wizard was duly exhumed, and placed in a sitting posture against a tree, around which forty or fifty danced a wicrd dance to th 0 accompaniment of the village musicians. In the midst oi the, curious ceremonial, Father Consyaiitin, the village pope, arrived. Tho villagers, thinking he h a ,i Colue to. consummate the ceremonies hv pounng holy wato on the corpse, ij« led him with joyful greetings. To howU P S r*ff ISC a " d (liMa Pl'o"'tment, however, the priest not only decline 1 hem for,r ,he " ut "» llieni for their .superstitions and their sacrilegious baitiarily. The crowd a «'« grew indignant: Some o TLn who were under the influence of vo M- shouted that he was the rn?i wizard, a s the spirit of i,~ ,i ■nan had entered in ohi &ly tT I'nest was accordingly, se izT s '' \^ J'ospite his shrieks for £°rev £ .»rie<l l> y , OUI . of d," 1 ,, *« reopened erar<> in-> ,-„. ° "'e ™rsc,.ne"tg i ■ 'SV'" lh ° <«« eartl, and "lone". ,Wn Wil!l