STRANGE RELIGIOUS SECT.

Tuapeka Times, Volume II, Issue 86, 2 October 1869, Page 6

STRANGE RELIGIOUS SECT.

A religious sect 4 called the Skopzen, whose peculiar views enjoin the most barbarous practices, has existed in Eussia for many years past, but has hitherto succeeded in escaping the vigilance of the police. The doctrine from which it derives its name is the mortification of the flesh, wich it interprets as signifying self-mutilation. The members devote themselves to trade, and are very wealthy The Government has been anxious to discover the leaders of this sect, as also the place in which their treasures were hoarded, but all its attempts have been baffled till a few weeks ago. Somewhere about the year 1850, Count Perowsky, the Russian Minister of the Interior, endeavoured to penetrate the mystery by the assistance of a clever agent, who adopted the manner of the sect, attended their meeting, and pretended to be one of themselves. One day the agent told the Minister that the operation of mutilation was to be performed that evening on a new convert. It was accordingly arranged that the house should be surrounded by a large body of police, which was to appear at a certain sign from the agent; but the signal was never given. A few days afterwards the agent presented himself, looking very ill, and declaring that he had made a mistake in the day. Shortly he left St. Petersburg, giving as an explanation that his wife had inherited some property in the country. It was not till after his death that the truth was discovered through the confession of the widow. Without his having any idea of the intentions of the, Skopzen, it was himself' whom they proposed to receive into their body as a new member, and they effected their abject by force. A? soon as it was accomplished, the head of the Skopzen approached him and said — * I am glad you have become one of us. If you betray us it will not benefit you, and then you will fall a victim to our revenge. Tou receive only a thousand roubles annual salary from the Government, but if you will he true to us, here are 25,000 roubles, as compensation for your sufferings, and besides this you shall receive 1000 roubles monthly." The agent knew what sort of people he had to deal with, and closed ■with the bargain at once. Herr Von Harting, the Civil Governor of Tambow Hen? Abassa, the Vice-Governor, and Harr Trisohantny, the head of the police, have' recently discovered the leader of the Skopzen at Morschanisk^

in the person of a certain rich merchant named Maxim Plotixyn. His. house is so large as to occupy almost a whole suburb, and contains a land of Skopzen nunnery. Nine nuns were residing there at the time, and among them, a sister of Plotizyn. The pictures of Seltwanow, Schilow, and others prophets of the sect, were found in one of the rooms. Search was made in the cellars for the treasure, and at first without result, as nothing was found but a large quantity of old clothes and other similar lumber. At last, after passing through six vaults, on entering the seventh supicion was excited by a large stove which stood in one corner, and appeared never to have been properly fitted up for use. On farther examination an iron door was discovered behind it, leading to a secret receptacle containing untold wealth. Besides enormous chests full of gold imperials, there were about fifteen millions of silver roubles, and above ten millions in bank notes. The revelations respecting Skopzen form the great subject for conversation at St. Petersburg' at present — all the more so as the sect has extensive ramifications, and it is believed to have political objects in view.