Here are a few dastardly facts which have reached us from Blagovestchensk. In July last was killed one of the most energetie and zealous clergymen, Father Nicholas Pojarsky. He received 17 out wounds. This is the exact wording of the letter "Fathex, Nicholas had gone down the line on the invitation of his faithful parishioners to fulfil his pastoral duti Having spent two days in the village of Talldan and receiving warning that he would be killed he decided to leave by the first train. The village bailiff having gone to the station to inquire about a train, Father Nicholas remained alone in the house. The local policeman with wife and child passing by invited him to tea Father Nicholas refused on the plea that he did not like to abandon the house. The policeman continued his way to the station and on returning tone 3 ta thee' Nicholas lying in a pool of bl "The inquest rpc "that he had been murdered by six people (an eight-year old boy had watched the murder through the window). Three of them had held the victim by the feet, two—by the hands, and one had struck at him with a knife in the back, neck, chest, heart and one ear, which was ' pierced, This murder had been decided upon a gathering of 11 local youthful hooligans. The names of the murderers are known and the widow of the deceased has a list of them (the sen of the bailiff being one of the number), but it is impossible to arrest or denounce them for fear of vengeance. For this same reason no one came to the funeral which had to take place at Talldan for lack of funds to take the body home.
"Other priests having received warnings moved to town."' o-& As for Blagovstchensk itself there are no murders there, but violence and _arbitrariness flourish. The Government Political Administration helps therein by doing its utmost to implant the still-born Living Church, the Church which. humiliates itself before the Communists.
At the present moment two young priests, Fathers -Leontieft and Efimoff, of whom the latter is consumptive, are being kept in the vaults of the prison. No accusation is brought against them, nor could any be brought. Father Leontieff is being detained solely in order to force his consent to become a Bishop of the Living Church as he is one of the most popular and freethinking priests.
The present Bishop of the Blagovestchensk Orthodox Church is constantly being cross-questioned by the communists. However, he is so much esteemed by the population and at the stine time he is so clever and so firm in his faith that they are afraid of molesting him...
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.