The Texas Republican. [volume] (Marshall, Tex.) 1849-1869, 1854-04-15
rum the United ~rf,icr loufna
r II q Z N o U r

OF all punishmen,s the knout is the mos
severe and sauguinarf, but It Is seldom in
ilicted except for crimes Of the decpes
dye Although it may appear TO the cas-
ual observer little worse than our punish
ment OF whipping petty ollegd,-s, yet it
effects are greatly increased, and dealt
frequently onsucs in consequence of tn,
pains taken by the Judicial authorities il
Russia to perfect the execuioners in tn,
horrd occupation.
The knout is u very heavy thong, abou
AS thick as a mans wrist, and weighing
from two to three pounds the lash o
leather, about the breadth OF broad tape,
and narrowing ut the end aud the hand,
is about two feet long
The place usually chosen at st Peters,
burg for the public nihclion of the knout,
is an open mudd, plain, near the river Me-
va aud the execution IS always attended
with n military guard of tossacks aud
other troops As soon ~ the culprit ar
ri,es o. the platform, paper IS read aloud,
which contains description OF his crime,
and the sentence of the cour: before which
he has been tried
In ordinary cases, the criminals, each in
their turn, ar, fastened to an Inclined post,
having ring At the top, to which the head
is SO tightly fixed by means OF rope as
TO prevent the patient from CRYING out.
The hands are closely tied ON either side
at the bottom; the feet are secured hy the
means OF two rings, the back Is barred 10
the waist and the eNecu,ioucr commences
his duty
The able Chappee d'Auteroche relate.
AN execution of female IN the reign OF
Elizabeth. He stated tina, Madame LAPS
pookiu, who was one of the most beauti>
iul women belonging to tbs court OF that
empress, had been indi-creet enough to
mention some OF the endless amonfs OF her
imperial mistress, and was, therefore, cons
demned to undergo the knout.
The beautiful culprit mounted the scai>
fold in an elegant uudress. She was sur
rounded by the executioners, Oh whom she
ga1ed with astonshment, ana seemed to
doubt that she was the object of such
preparations. Que of the exeeutloners
pulled of "A cloak which covered her bo>
som, at which her modesiy took alarm she
started back, turned pale, aud hussG into
tears Her clothes were soon stripped of,
aud she was naked to the waist, before the
eager eyes OF an immense coneourse Of
people, profoundly silent. Two Of the cN
ecu,ioners then took her by the hands, aud
turning her half around, raised her on their
backs, inelining forward, aud lifting her a
little irom the ground upon which another
eXecutiunef adjusted her on the backs of
his coadlutors, aud placed her ia the most
proper posture for receiving the puul.h>
men, He then retreatcd few steps.
measuring the distance with steady eye,
and. leaning backwards. he gave stroke
with the kuoui, so as to carry a piece OF
SKIN from the mech "a tue uuuun 81 the
back, st''Li"p his feet against the ground,
he made second blow parallel to the tor
mer. aud ia few minutes all the skin Of
the back was cut AWAY IN small slips, most
Of which remained hanging down; her
tongue was cut out Immediately after, aud
she was bau.shed to Siberia.
In the time Of the early '2lfs, the per
formers OF this horrid task wcre regarded
with SO much respect. that they were ad
miited into the best society Nay, It Is
even said, that in those days, merchants,
thinking 1t honorable thu. to pass iuto the
ranks above them. paid large sums OF
money to be allowed to lulG the murder.
Gus duty When their ambition was salts
fed they re.sold the vocation at an euor,
nous profit
So expert are the executioncrs of the
present day. that they can handle the knoul
with much more readiness than our coach
r;cn their whips Asaproot oi their dcx
tcritv. wager was laid by two Rus.iau
nobleman, relative to the professional tai.
outs OF two OF them aad an eve witness
relates the following to be the result.
Tie person who won the bet, gained it
by the following feat he placed his com
panion ut arms length from him. and On
dertook to strike two hundred times with
his knout, though he should not strike OF
nlure his person at each blow he prom-
isrd to bring away n narrow strip oi his
| friends shirt, which lie actually performed
without, infcting even the mercst scratch
on his body,
| ~ way of expressing bis gratitude for
I the patience his companion had elected
NhtN ne hAu UNtshcN iHf spectrum hHiNpri
OF blows, he lifted up his weapon, and IA a
/ playful manner appearou To- give slight
| fi.p towards the man on whom his .klll had
been exhibited he hardly seemed IL
touch his body. but on inspection wound
of at leasta foot and hall in length wa.
perceived, bearing an exact resemblance t.
one which might have been given hl a rN'
xor or other sharp instrument. The ont
who had received the blow seemed to taxi,
it in good part as = Joke, coolly remark
ing that he should not he long in embra
cling au opportunity OF returning sn equiv
nleut t. the favor received The two mct
positive, asserted tina, they coald, without
any remark able efforts on their parts, XII
the strongest man, with only three blows @
this simple, though dreadful instrument
rnE kNOUr.
DisrARirX ot AGE ~ NNsRiAeF.-Na
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