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Show FA5ATICISM OP TUB RCSSIAS PEAS AS TRY. A trial which straneely LUnstrates the fanaticism of the Russian peasantry peasan-try took place the other day at Sara-toff. Sara-toff. The defendants, three men and a woman, were accused of murdering a woman named Pelagia Schvetzoff, on Jutie 13, 1 S69. It appeared from the evidence of one of the defendants, peasant named Stasseokoff, that on the day in question Pelagia Schvetzoff, himself and other peasants, all of whom belonged to the sect of the "Chiysty," were driving home from a village where they had heard a sermon from one oi' the chief men of the sect. While on their wav one of their parly, a woman named Prascovia ivoshevni-koff ivoshevni-koff spoke in an inspired tone, calling herself "the great martyr Barbara" and "the mother of Christ," and this produced such an impression upon hi in (ritassenkoff) that he did all she asked. She lirst ordered hiui to throw a woman wtio was passing into the river; ho obeyed, but fortunately the woman could swim, and thus saved her life. Soon after he seized the woman Shveizotf, threw her down head foremost fore-most i'rum the cart, and holding ber by the leet bumped her head aod body repeatedly against tho wheels until she was dead. Prascovia Koshevnikoff, who was ossuring him all tlic time that he would bring bis victim to life again, then slopped the cait, and iStas-senkoff laid the dead body in front of the wheels, upon which she led the horses twice over it. The nest evidence taken was that of Prascovia Koshevnikoff. She said she belonged to the sect of the "Chiysty," and had accompanied the others to hear the sermon, but that she knew nothing about the murder. She had kniwo the preacher for two years, aud believed he was "the Hue God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit." Some physicians who had examined her and the others declared they were all perfectly sane, and only under the influence of religious fanaticism. Another An-other peasant woman pwoie that she had been taken to the house of the "Chiysty" preacher, and told that! he was ''the true God," and that she afterwards drove home with tho defendants de-fendants and witnessed the murder of Pelagia Schveizuff. The jury found a verdict of guilty against all accused. Stassenkoff, tho peasant wbo commit-the commit-the murder, and Prascovia Koshevnikoff, Koshevni-koff, the woman who instigated him to the deed, were sentenced to seventeen years and a half hard labor in the mines, and Katasaonoff, the preacher, to banishment for having propagated false religious doctrines. |