Mystery of a Russian Monastery.

Southland Times, Issue 19032, 28 April 1903, Page 4

Mystery of a Russian Monastery.

Some time ago it. was reported that two young girls — one of .them an English girl named Rose Whnlley. the daughter of an Knglish mill-manager who lives near Moscow— had disappeared mysteriously from their homes. Mr AVhalley offered £100 fcr information leading to the discovery of his daughter, whereupon a lay brother of the Danilov Monastery claimed the reward, stating that the girls had been decoyed into the monastery, and that his daughter was lhing there among the monks.

The St. Petersburg correspondent of the Express adds : The father went at once to the head of the police, and after great difficulty succeeded in obtaining admission to the monastery . The girl was found on the premises, but she had been so shockingly ' maltreated by the monks that she survived only a few hours after her release. It is reported that Mr Whalley was at once offered a large sum of money by the GovernorGeneral cf Moscow to keep the affair quiet, but he refused and laid the case before the British Ambassador at- St. j Petersburg, who .made representations to the Russian Government.

Yielding to pressure, the Russian Government has ( (lOth March) ordered a strict enquiry into the outrage on the two young girls — the fute of one being still in doubt— and the Synod, the highest spiritu.nl authority in Russia. has sent a commission to Moscow for the

pu-rpose

Pending this investigation, the newspapers have been ordered to publish an official stattvnent to the effect thut Mr Whaftey's version of the case is unfounded, that the girl is still missing. and that no clue to her whereabouts has yet been obtained, and so strict is the Ru»sian censorship that only one newspaper had the temerity to stick to the origi-

nal version