Rensselaer Union, Volume 11, Number 31, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 April 1879 — Witch Burning in Russia. [ARTICLE]

Witch Burning in Russia.

Early last month a woman named Agrafena Ignatjeva was burned a* a witch by the peasants in the Village’of Wratshevo, in the Government of Novgorod. It seems that the wretched woman, who was the widow of a soldier, had the reputation of being a sorceress and witch, and strove to promote this delusion by every means in her power. The peasants of the whole neighboring districts had such a dread of ner powers of mischief that they endeavored even to anticipate her wishes, And, although an absolute pauper, she lived very comfortably on the contributions spontaneously made to her. There were many persons in the district suffering from epilepsy, and it was popularly Delieved that the witch had thus punished them for offending her in some way. One of these epileptic sufferers, a girl from a distant village, besought the peasants to burn the witch and so release her from her sufferings. At an assembly of headmen and seniors of the village it was resolved to extinguish the source of mischief. They proceeded to her hut, which they found fastened up. They broke it open, discovered the wretched woman, charged her with the crime and then nailed up the window and door to prevent her escape; By this time over 200 men hjid assembled around the hut, and amid their jeers and shouts of exultation it was set on lire, and the whole crowd remained until it was quite consumed. The sum of twentyone roubles and ninety eopecks (nearly $16.50) Was collected and offered to the rural policeman as a bribe to secure his silence. But he rejected it, arid so this terrible tragedy came to light— Bt. Petersburg Government Messenger. Thebe are about 100,000 Jewish refugees in Turkey. Their misery is perhaps not so glaring as it was last vear, when they were huddled together in mosques in masses of 4,000 and 5,000, but it is feared, in point of fact, that sufferings from cold and hnnger are, if possible, riiore intense amongst the 100,000 dispersed over Constantinople and the Bosphorus than last year. The Potto can do nothing.to help them. • \ i ennui ■ ,nMi. The tramp who entered our sanctum the other day and said he was a live lord, became a lie floored, indeed, be fore he 16ft— Yonkers Gazette.