The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1804-09-22
PsrEksEuReA, (RgIEaJ June $.
Extraa of a Letter.

"
attention was much engaged by one of the mott
attrocious murders ever heard OLA whole
family was found maf,acred in their fleep, in the
fubtrbs of Peteriburgh man and his wife lay
IN bed with their heads nearly cut of-an UNI
der officer lay itretChed the floor in the fame
itate$ near the door was boy, about ~, who
probably having attempted to efcape, was be-
headed, and cruelty mangled; in cradle was
found child, nearly frozen to death and up
on table in the room were feen pack of cards,
an empty brandy bottle, and few pieces of
copper.
1t was about four days after the murder be-
fore this diicovery was made, when his Imperial
Majefty attended in perfon, and iaw the horrid
fpeStacle, frozen into one MATS of ice he threat
ened the police with fevere coniequcnces if the
a.iaiinS were not unprecedented in IS hours !;
gave 100 roubles for the relief of the infant, and
proiniied thouiand for the ditcovery OF the Of
Tenders.
BY the day following I47 perfons were taken
up, among whom was the william who had been
guilty of the crime. 1t appears he was car
penter who had worked in the neighbourhoooi,
and having heard that the people potielied
trfe of money, went one evening to beg a lode-
ing, when after having regaled them with bran
d., he took an opportunity, when they were all
aileep, to treat them as have related, robbed
the houfe of about 100 roubles, fattened the
windows, having fixed paddock on the door,
and walked of unnoticed. Twas determined to
Tee toe countenance of man who could be
guilty of fucb deliberate viainy and refolyed,
however uncomfortable might feel myfelf, to
Zee him puniihed. On the Saturday morning
following, about ten O'Clock, l was informed he
was on his way TO the place of execution. I
overlook the procefiion about mile on this jide
-frl came the police matter, then a potle of
police officers, on hovfe-back, two and two
four ranks of foot folders, 10 deep; behind the
lat rank was the murderer; on each lide of him
marched folder, with drawn fabre; on his
right and left, IL with fixed bayonets
He was tall handfome young man, about oS
years of age, about feet high, drel1ed in blue
coat, like bue-coat boy; he was accompani-
ed by two others, who were to iufer for forgery,
with the executioners carrying the knouts, tied
up in canvafS, and about fix ranks of foot fodi
ers cloied the rear.-I walked by his tide nearly
half mile, and examined his phyfognomy well.
If Lavater had feen him, l think it would have
haggered him little his countenance was open
and honeft, nor had he the leaf appearance of
wearing 70 bad heart. As found myfelf over
come by the prefiure of the crowd, and the heat
OF the fkins in which was wrapped up, and
the melancholy preparations before me, I pufll-
ed through the rabblc, and got into tavern,
where, after tofiing off two glailes of brandy
and crutt of bread, made the ben of my ,yay
to,the place of execution: they had entered the
ring, which was now furrounded by very great
throng, and fhould certainly have returned as
wife as came, but for meeting young officer,
whole brother was prefsnt with his regiment
Do you think Gays he) you can fupport fuch
fight ?''-I told him had refoved would
| 10 taking me by the arm, we palied through the
crowd, one rank of horle, and two of foot, and
food very near the fake which was prepared
for the murderer: the two others were by NV
fide.
The fake was ftrong block of wood fixed
in the ground, with three grooves at the ton,
and two rings near the bottom; the middle
groove was for the neck, and the two others
for the armpts, the rings below to lock round
the ANGLES. About the fakes were laid coarfe
ikins, Especially where the knout-mafter trod,
upon which lay his whips, marking irons, pin
GERS, &c.-An officer then read paper to the
people, fignifying that forgery upon the Imperi-
al Bank, being a capital crime, and two of the
priloners being convicted of it, were condemned
to receive eleven blows of the knout, TO have
their notrilS pulled out, and be baniihed for life
to Siberia ; the murderer of 70 many perfons to
receive 500 blows, to be branded three times in
the face, have his nofrils pulled out, and (f then
alve) to be banilhed for life to the mines of Sibe
ria.
The executioner and his afiftants, then "trip
ped him, tied his hands acrofs, and led him to
the fpot. After fixing his ANGLES, they bent his
neck and arms over it, and drew the rope, with
which his hands were tied, through ring on
the oppo6te fde, which feemed to ftretch all
the mufcles of the back he then retired about
four or five yards from him, and taking rip one
of the knouts, worked it with his hands, to give
it proper elafticity; the blows are then given as
have feen an awkward boy try to ffnack
whip he walks to the part with four or FIVE
Ready feps, then taking fpring ftrikes per-
pendicular ftroke with heavy, loud crack.
They hrlt cut him from the right fide ofthe bot
tom of the neck to the left armpit the effect
was vifble in moment, and by the violence of
his fcreams,I fuppofe the pain was very great !;
the iecond was about half an inch below the
firft, and 70 on till 25, when changing the whip,
he Grated the former wounds, ftrkng from the
left lide to the right, afterwards quite perpen-
dicular; they were given with the greateft re-
gularity between each, one might deliberately
count eight, the executioner always walking to
and from the fake.
His cries were now 70 terrible that was for
cedto putmy finger in my ears, and turn my
back whining to make my way out as faa as pot
iible but it was not without the greafeR lificul-
ty effe6ted it, having feen him receive 1875, l
walked feyeral times round the ring on the out
iide, and noticed the different fpeaators all
were quiet and flent, and the crack of the
knout washeard to great diitance. After three