Butte record., 1854-07-01
NUMBER 81
TIE ENOUr.

Tue following is the way of administer
ing the knous Conceive, reader, a ro-
bust man, fuli Of life and health. This
.n1n IS coude mncd to receive fifty or
hundred blows OF the knout. He is con.
Quoted, half naked. 10 tie place chosen
for this kind ofcxccat;oH all that he has
on is Il nair Of simple linen drawers round
his cxtrelneties; his hands are bound to-
gether with he-palms lail fat against
one another; the cords are breaking his
wrists, but no one pays the slightest at
ten.ion to tha-, He is laid fat upon his
billy. on frame inclined diagonally, and
at the extrelneiios oe which are Gzed iron
rings; his hands are fastened TO one END
OF the frame, and his feet to the ether; he
Is then stretched in such manner that
he cannot make single movement, JUS!
as an ecl's skin is stretched in order to
dry. This act Of stretching the victim
causes thc bones to crack, and dislocates
them-Nhat does that matter: IN a lit
tie tinc hs bones will crack and be dis
located in q very different manner
At distance Of FIVE and twenty PAGES
stands another man ii is the public exc
cutioneT. He is dressed in black velvet
trousers, stuffed into his boots, and col
orcd cotton shirt, buttonins at his side.
His sleeves are tucked up, so that moth
ing may thwart Or embarrass him in his
movements. With both hands he grasps
the instrument Of punisqment-a knout
This knout consists Of a thong Of thick
leather, cut i'll triangular form, from
four to five yards long, and an inch wide
tapering off at one end, and broad at the
other, the small end is fastened to lit.
tie wooden handle, about two feet long.
The signal is given; no one ever takes
the trouble to read the sentence, The
executioner advances few steps, with
his body bent, holding the knout in both
hands, while the long thong drags along
the ground between his legs, On COM
ing to about three or four PAGES fron the
prisoner, he raises, by vigorus move
ment, the k"out towards the top of his
head, and then instantly draws it down
with rapidity towards his knees. The
thong flies and whistles through the air.
and descending on the body Of the victim,
twines round it like hoop OF iron. In
spite OF his state OF tension, the poor
wretch bounds as If he were submitted 10
the powerful grasp of galvanism. The
cxecutioner rotraccs lis steps and repeats
t..eslme operation as MANY times as there
are blows 10 be inflicted. When the
thong envelopes The body with its edges,
the flesh and muscles are literally cut in
10 strips as if with razor, bat when it
falls f4t, then the bones crack; the flesh,
in that case, is not cut, but crushed aud
ground, and the blood squirts out in all
direction. The sufferer becomes green
and blu, like 4 body in state Of decom.
position. lie is now removed to his hos.
pital, where every care Is taken of him,
aad IS afterwards sent to Siberia, where
he dis lpears for ever it the bowels of tho
earth. Tlc knout is fatal, if the justice
OF the Car or the exocut:oner desires it
to be SO.
If the autocrat's intention is to afford
his people sight worthy Of their eyes
and intelligence, if same powerful lord. or
some great lady, wishes 10 ind.l3 3e in tho
pleasure of viewing the sangrinary spec
lacle; If they sh to behold ne victim,
with his mouth GOV ed Wi il foam and
blood, writhe abou and expire in fright
ful agony, the fatal olow is given at the
very last The exeoutioner sells his
compassion and pity for hard gold, when
tlla faniiy of the miserable sufferer de-
sires 20 purchase the fatal blow In this
case he inf.cts death at the very first
stroke, rs surely a. ii it was an axe that
he held in his hand. TIE Kncat and
!ts Rassi2m