I ""I X . I 1 I I ' I I sSt-xJ r in EVENING LEDGER-PHILADELPHIA, luESDAT, OCTOBER 23, 1917 Pictorial Sietfon v V 'DEVIIfSAINT (Coprlht. 1017, Publlo Ledger Compny. All rlchta reserved.) fjte Characteristic Feature of Rasputin's Domi nance as a Holy Mystic Is That It Was Made Use of by Conspirators in the Government to Farther Their Own Ends It Was This Duplicity Which Was the Principal Harm Done by the "Monk" It Was Not Long Before the Siberian Peasant Wearied of the Limited Field Offered His "Religious" Powers at Home and He Turned Uis Steps Toward Russia Proper There He Won Many Converts to His Sect, Which Observed Objectionable Doctrines CHAPTER II THE beginnings ui mc mrecr oi uregory itasputin arc shrouded with a veil of deep mystery. He was a native of Siberia, of a small f 11im in the government of Tobolsk, called Pokrowskoie. Some L pMpl "to tnat wncn qu'to a yutl1 nc was compromised in a crime JUch attracted some attention at the time the murder of a rich I merchnt who was traveling from Omsk to Tobolsk to acquire from I is inhabitant of Tobolsk some gold diggings, of which the latter j, planed to dispose. This merchant was known to carry a large sum ef money, and as he never reached his destination inquiries were itarted. At last his body was found, with the head battered by t!ow. hidden in a ditch by the high road, together with that of tho f coachman who had driven him. The murderers were never discov ered, but dark rumors concerning the participation of the youth Euputin in the d,ccd spread all over the village. Rasputin's Start as a "Prophet" Whether it was the desire to put an end to them, or remorse for in action of which ho knew himself to bo guilty, it is difficult to ; Ity, but the fact subsists that suddenly Gricha, as he was called, t developed mystical tendencies and took to attending some relirrious settings at which a certain wandering pilgrim used to preach. The Utter used to go from place to place in Siberia predicting the end cf the world and the advent of the dreaded day of judgment when Christ would once again appear to demand from humanity an iccount of its various good or bad actions. For something like two years Rasputin followed him, until at last he began himself to I usame the character of a lay preacher, to apply himself to the study . f the Scrintures and to trv to nstnhlUfc n nrwf nt fcio ,..., i j v. r -- -- .. . wi.vv v ...a Wt11 UIU f principles of which he exposed to his followers in these terms: "I am possessed of the Holy Spirit, and it is only through me that one can be saved. In order to do so, one must unite oneself with me in body and soul. Everything which proceeds from nt is holy and cleans one ,from sin." On the strength of this theory Rasputin declared that he could it whatever he liked or wished. He surrounded himself with wor- iWpers of both sexes, who believed that by a close union with him they could obtain their eternal salvation, together with divine I forgiveness for any sin3 they might have committed during their I previous existence. Strange tales began to be related concerning the religious as 1 itmblies at which the new prophet presided. But, nevertheless, tho I whole village of Pokrowskoie, whither he had returned after his . few years' wanderings, accepted his teachings and submitted to his j decrees with scarcely any exceptions. These unbelievers were looked jj upon askance by the majority of tho inhabitants, who had succumbed to the "monk's" power of fascination and hypnotism. It was with nothing else that Rasputin kept his "flock" subjugated. He intro- duced among them the cult of his own person, together with certain t rites which he called "sacrifice with prayer." j According to the narratives of some people, who out of curiosity j lad attended these ceremonies, this is how they proceeded: In the L night, as soon as the firBt stars had become visible in the skies, j Rasputin, with the help of his disciples, dragged some wood into $ a deep ditch dug for the purpose and lighted a huge bonfire. tOna . tripod placed in the midst of this fire was put a cup full of incense l and different herbs, around which people began to dance, holding themselves by the hand all the while and singing ina voice which became louder and louder as the wild exercise became more and more accelerated different hymns, which always ended with the pirase: "Forgive us our sins, 0 Lord, forgive us our sins." The dance went on until people fell exhausted to tho ground and groans and tears replaced the former singing. The fire died out slowly and. when the darkness had become comnlete. the' (, Tolce of Rasputin was heard calling upon his disciples to proceed to the sacrifice which God required them to perform. Then .followed a icene of general orgy. As one can see by this tale, tho strange practices introduced hy the seer, about whom people were already beginning to talk, differed in no way from those generally in use among the Khlysty, f and. indeeH. Pflftnutin mnrln Tin cnrif nt Tia nllffrrinnpn in this nnr- 1 ticular form of heresy, in which, however, he had introduced a few ' alterations. For instance, he did not admit that the souls of his j followers could be saved by a general prayer, but only thanks to I My TheDiriricfessRadziwiiL "I am possessed of the Holy Spirit, and it is only through mc that one can b saved. In order to do so one must unite oneself with me in body and soul. Everything which proceeds from mc is holy and cleans one from sin." Creed of Gregory Rasputin, the 'Prophet.' "Around this fire people began to dance, singing in a voice which became louder and louder as the wild exercise became more and more accelerated, 'Forgive us our sins, 0 Lord; forgive us our sins " Hffl one uttered in common with him, and by a complete submission to his will. Some persons have alleged that during tho early wander ings of Rasputin he had gone as far as China and Thibet, and thorc learned some Buddhist practices, but this is hardly probable, as in that case his instruction would have been more developed than it was. It is far more likely that during his travels he had mot with exiled sectarians belonging to the different persecuted religious Russian communities, of which there exist eo many in tho whole Oural region, and that they initiated him into some of their rites and customs. They also made him attentive to the hypnotic powers, which he most undoubtedly possessed, teaching him how to use them for his own benefit and advantage. Rasputin Wins Converts Very soon Rasputin found that Pokrowskoie was not a field wide enough for his energies, and he took to traveling, together with a crowd of disciples that followed him everywhere over tho eastern and central Russian provinces. There ho coptrived to win every day new ad.herent3 to the doctrines in which free lovo figured so prominently. Among the towns where he obtained the most success can be mentioned those of Kazan, Saratoff, Kieff and Samara. Concerning his doings in Kazan, people became informed through a letter which one of his victims addressed to the bishop of that diocese, Monsignor Feofane, who had shown at the beginning of Rasputin's career a considerable interest and who had protected him with great success. In this letter, which later on found its way into the press, the following was said among other things: Your Reverence, I absolutely fail to understand how it la possible that you continue to this day to know and see Gregory Rasputin. He is Satan in person and the things which he docs arc worthy of those that the Antichrist alone is supposed to perform, and prove that the lattcr's advent is at hand. The writer then proceeded -to explain that Rasputin had com pletely subjugated the mind of her two daughters, one of whom was aged twenty, whilst the second had not yet attained her sixteenth year. One afternoon, writes this unfortunate mother, I met in tho street, coming out of a bathhouse, Rasputin, together with my two girls. One must be a mother to understand tho feelings which overpowered me at this sight. I could find no words to say, but remained standing motionless and silent before them. The prophet turned to me nnd slowly said: "Now you may feel at peace, the day of salvation has dawned for your daughters 1" Another woman, who Lad also fallen ' under tho spell of Rasputin, wrote as follows about him: "I left my parents, to whom I was tenderly attached, to follow the prophet. One day when wo were traveling together in a reserved first-class carriage, talking about the sajvation of souls and tho means to become a true child of God, ho sud denly got up and npproached me, and proceeded to clean me of all my sins. Toward evening I became anxious and asked'him: 'Perhaps what we have been doing today was a sin, Gregoryfimitsch?' 'No, my daughter,' he replied, 'it was not a sin. Our affections are a gift from God, which we may use as freely as we like.' " Bishop Feofane finally was obliged to recognize the evil which Rasputin was constantly doing, and he bitterly repented having been taken in by him and by his hypocrisy. He reproached himself especially for having given him a letter of recommendation to the famous Father John of Cronstadt, through whom Rasputin was to become acquainted with somo of tho people who were later on to pilot him in the society of St. Petersburg. The Bishop was not a clever man by any means, but he had been sincere in his admira tion for Rasputin, a fact which added to the consternation that overpowered him when the truth about the famous sectarian became known to him. He assembled u kind of judicial court, composed of one bishop, one monk and three well-known and highly respected civil functionaries, and called upon the prophet to come and explain himself before this court as to the actions which were imputed to him. Among these figured his jrenernl conduct in regard to th women who had enrolled themselves in tho ranks of his disciples But somehow the adventurer succeeded in dispelling tho suspicions that had become attached to his namo nnd conduct, nnd ho explained in a moro or less plausible manner tho things which had been told about him. His leanings for feminine society, and his Invariable' custom of bathing himself together with women ho declared to be quite innocent things, and only a proof of his desire to show that it wna quite possible for human beings to riso above every kind of carnal temptation. In 8pito of this episode, which would have interfered with the career of any ono but Rasputin, tho famo of the latter grew with every day that passed. Ho established himself at last in the town of Tiumen In Siberia, whero ho hired a whole large house for himself and some of his most favored disciples, and ho began to turn his activity into another nnd moro profitable channel. He established reception hours every day, when all his followers, admirers nnd friends could come to speak with him about any business they liked. Hundreds of people used to attend those receptions, among them somo very Influential persons curious to see nnd speak with the modern Peter the Hermit, who declared that he had been called by God to save Holy Russia. In some mystorious manner ho acquired tho reputation of having great Influence in high quarters, whero (this must bo noticed) ho was nt tho timo yet qulto unknown. Governors fearing dismissal, rapacious functionaries whoso exactions had become too flagrant, aB well ns business men in quest of somo good "geschaft," to use tho German expression employed before tho war among financial circles in Russia, crowded round him, waiting sometimes hours for on opportunity to speak with him, and fully believing in his capaci ties for obtaining what they required. Rasputin soon became a kind of business agent and surrounded himself with a number of secretaries of both scxe3, whose occupa tion consisted in attending to his correspondence he could hardly read or write and in receiving the numerous offerings which were being brought to him dally. These secretaries, among whom figured a sister of the Bishop of Saratoff, Warnawa, mado an immense nmount of money themselves because no ono was ever admitted, into the presenco of Rasputin without having previously paid dearly for this favor. Very soon they established a tax in regard to tho audiences granted by their master. "Spiritual Sisters", of Rasputin Besides this sister of Bishop Warnawa, Rasputin had another femalo secretary, and they both accompanied him in all his travels, calling themselves his spiritual sisters. They constituted, so to s'ay his bodyguard, and wherever ho went, even in St. Petersburg, they never loft off attending him and seeing to nil his wants. They were tho channel th'rough which everything had to go, nnd without their consent no one was ever admitted into tho presence of the "Saint," ns they already had begun to call him. Gregory Rasputin very often used to visit Tobolsk, where ho was always received with great ceremony and pomp, as if he had been really the important personage he believed himself. The police man in the streets saluted him as he passed; the carriage in which ho drpvo was escorted or preceded by a high police functionary, and tho governor asked him to dinner. The same kind of thing used to take place in other Siberian cities. In one of them the staterooms reserved at the railway station for any high authority on a visit to the place were thrown open to him. In another triumphal arches were erected in his honor, while in a third he was met by deputations in tho midst of which could be seen civil functionaries and religious dignitaries. How all this happened no one knew or could explain. In what consisted the fame of Rasputin and what he had dono to" deserve all these honors nobody could tell. But fame ho had acquired, honors he had obtained, and whero another person gifted with a smaller amount of impudence than he was possessed of would have been put into prison or sent to a madhouse, Gricha, as he was familiarly called, had it all his own way, and defied governors and judges with an equal indifference, sure that nono among them would be daring enough to try to put a stop to his progress or to his avidity. Most friendly, not to say Intimate, relations were established between Rasputin and Bishop Warnawa, especially after the letter's elevation to the episcopal See of Tobolsk. The first sermon which Warnawa preached in that town ho dedicated to the wifo o Rasputin. One need not say that tho whole clergy of the town and of the diocese trembled before Rasputin, who did not fail to exact from it large sums of money, which he extorted, thanks to the promises which he made but never meant in the least to keep. During the course of the year 1909 complaints about Rasputin's behavior increased to a considerable extent. He was once more called before an ecclesiastical court to give explanations in regard to his general conduct. Among his judges figured again Bishop Feofane. This time Rasputin could not clear himself of the charges preferred against him, and he was invited to retire for one year into a monastery by way of penance. But Rasputin refused to submit himself to this sentenco and categorically declined to. do as ho had been told. Ho gave as a reason for his disobedienco to the commands of his ecclesiastical superiors that his conscience obliged him to resist because it would be impossible for his "spiritual sisters and daughters" to accompany him in his retreat and live together with him in the monastery they wished him to enter. (CONTINUED TOMORROW). FRANKFORD ELEVATED CONTINUES ITS PROGRESS NORTHWARD OTHER NEWS PICTURES JIAi ar Ji iJa iff JWHrJsha y V. wffft StiY K SbHbv. li Bv xW s $fK f f&?MMm v JtPfji jtJIbbbM (lv MWbHJBLJf jEL j&J&vfit feiw B, iflJi bwkV) rfcy wifcTllMlcjl, jf F bHL I til K m jS MW. si 4-'I $" f r hbbKbibbHi I mSm iJ tK9 illlllH IBBBBBKIT -BBBBLV BBBBBBBBbV i? TlrvF tBBBBBBlf'dl SBBBBhHbBBBHbV LsWBbBK jftBBBBaHBiVTlTT Si I H lilililV BBBBBBBBbPHK lt BvSjffJBBBBB K HSIIDbBBBHbW'- J iiiiiiiBMlafVifliiiB"!HS .( - " p I I I - -w d- " -' . SUPERSTRUCTURE FOR NORTHEASTERN OVERHEAD LINE NOW EXTENDS TO DYRE STREET Tbpugh progress is not so rapid as ardent advocates may wish, there is tangible evidence of gradual r accomplUwwiiu ' "CI RAW" WILLIAMS MARINE The star of last year's Red and Blue eleven is winning new JureU under "Eddie" Uaba Copyright. Wtitern X"wippr Union. AUSTRALIAN ADVANCE DRESSING STATION ATTENDING A STRETCHER CASE A remarkable photograph showing an incident of field hospital work during the recent activities along the BritUh western front IN i . i V'am 'i m t "J 'it y ,, A t - 5
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