Washington sentinel., 1854-02-05
The Horrors of the Knout.

Z x +.
Of all punishments, the knout is the most
severe and sanguinary; but it is seldom inflicted,
except for crimes of the deepest die. Although
it may appear to the casual observer to be little
worse than our punishment of whipping petty
offenders, yet its effects are greatly increased,
and death frequently ensues in consequence Of
the pains taken by the judicial authorities in
Russia to perfect the executioners in their hor-
rid occupation. The knot is heavy thong,
as thick as mans wrist, and weighing from
two to three pounds; the lash of leather about
the breadth Of broad tape, narrowing at the
end, and the handle is about two feet long.
The place usually chosen at st. Petersburg for
the public infiction of the knout is an open
muddy plain, near the river Neva, and the exc
cution is always attended with military guard
Of Cossacks and other troops. As soon as the
culprit arrives at the platform, paper is read
aloud which contains a description of his crime,
and the sentence of the court before which he
has been tried. In ordinary cases, the crimi-
nals each in their turn, are fastened to an in
clined post, having a ring at the top, to which
the head is so tightly fixed, by means of'arope,
as to prevent the patient from crying ont. The
hands are then closely tied on either side; at
the bottom the feet are secured by means of
two rings; the back is then barred to the waist,
and the executioner commences his duty. The
Abbbe Chappe dAuteroche relates an execu-
ton, of female in the reign of Elizabeth. He
states that Madame Lapookin, who was one of
the most beautiful women. belonging to the
court of that empress, had been indiscreet
enough to mention some of the endless amours
Of her imperial mistress, and was therefore con-
demned to undergo the knout.
The beautiful culprit mounted the scaif'old in
an elegant undress. She was surrounded by
the executioners, on whom she gazed with as
tonishment, and seemed to doubt that she was
the object of such preparation. One of the ex-
ecutioners pulled off cloak which covered her
bosom, at which she modcstly took alarm !;
she started back, turned pale, and burst into
tears. Her clothes were soon stripped off,
and she was naked to the waist, before the
eager eyes of an immense concourse of people,
profoundly silent. Two Of the cxecutioners
then took her by the hands, and, turning her
half round raised her on their backs, inchning
forwards and lifting her a little from the
ground, upon which another executioner adj
| iusted her on the backs of his coadjutors, and
| placed her in the most proper posture for re-
ceiving the punishment. He then retreated a
few steps, measuring the proper distance with
a steady eye, and leaning backwards, he gave
q stroke with the knout so as to carry piece
of skin from the neck to the bottom of the
back. Striking his feet against the ground, he
made second blow, parallel to the former,
and in few minutes all the skin of the back
was cut away in small slips, most Of which re
mained hanging down. Her tongue was cut
out Immediately after, and she was banished
| to Siberia. In the time Of the early czars,
the performers of the horrid task were regarded
with so much respect that they were admitted
into the best society; nay, it is even said
| that in those days merchants, thinking it
honorable thus to pass into ranks above them,
| paid large sums of money to be allowed to per-
form the murderous duty. When their ambi-
ton was satisfied, they resold the vocation at
| an enormous profit.
So expert are the executioners of the present
| day, that they can handle the knout with much
more readiness than our coachmen their whips.
| As proof of their dexterity, wager was laid
| by two Russian noblemen relative to the pro-
fessonal talents of two Of them, and an eye
witness relates the following to be the result.
| The person who won the bet gained it by the
| following feat He placed his companion at
arms length from him, and undertook to strike
| two hundred times with his knout, though he
should not touch or injure his person, at each
blow he promised to bring away q narrowstrip
Of his friends shirt, which he actually per-
! formed without lnnlcung even the merest
scratch on his body. BY way Of expressing his
gratitude for the patience his companions had
elected, when he had finished the specified num-
ber of blows, he lifted up his weapon, and in a
playful manner appeared to give slight flip
towards the man on whom his skill had been
exhibited he hardly seemed to touch his body,
but on an inspection wound at least a foot
and half in length was perceived, bearing an
exact resemblance to one which might have
been givenby razor or other sharp instrument.
/ The one who received the blow seemed to take
it in good part as joke, coolly remarking that
he should not be long in embracing on oppor-
tunity of returning an equivalent to the favor
received. The two men positively asserted that
they could, without any remarkable effort on
their part kill the strongest man with only
three blows Of this simple though dreadful in,
] strument-THE KNouT.