RUSSIAN SUPERSTITION.

Waikato Times, Volume XL, Issue 3207, 14 January 1893, Page 2 (Supplement)

RUSSIAN SUPERSTITION.

Tub Uaily.News cites a striking' examplo' of Russian superstition. A few days ago eleven pers'org 'were charged beforo tho Criminal Court at Moscow with the murder; of an dd woman in the villago of Snamenskoo.. Darya, Vasillieva, a desi.titute widow, aged. 75, besought alms from a neighbour.' Lukoria Ivariorna,' who alleges that whilst her son wa» handinß bread to the mendicant tho latter cast upon hor an M evil and. vicious glanc?,",; Somofew hours later .Lukeria was seized with ah epileptic fit; and on regaining obtisoiousnoiis swore that her distemper was the result of the old woman s witchery. This allegation reaiily accepted by, the villagers, who' next day subjected the. reputed witch to an old fashioned test, A horse-collar was placed over tho neck of Lukeria and the old woman foroibly brought into her presence, when the former had another epileptic seizure,' or, more probably, an attack of hysteria, genuine'or simulated. This was proof pesitive of the poor, creature's diabolical possession, aud she was thoreupou dragged by the hair into the loadway and maltreated'in a" most shockingly cruel manner, two of hor most active and brutal: assailants being tho villago elder and the village scribe. Tho victim was left for dead; but subsequently showing signs of life, sho was carried by a second mob of the villagers into a by. lane aud beaten to death. All tho prisonerß;Btoutly maintained thoir right to kill a witch, Five of them were sentenced' to the lo>aof flivil rights and to four years' hard labour, and tho rest to two months' imprisonment eaon.