Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1854-02-23
$3.50 PER ANNUM, In ADVANCE.
The EfaOsat.

OF all punishments, the knou, IS the
mos. severe and sanguinary, but !. Is sell
dom inh.cied, except for crimes OF the
deepes. dye. Although il may appear 10
The causuul observer liule worse than our
punishment Of whipping petty offenders.
yet It's effects are greatly Increased, aud
death frequently ensues in consequence
"f the pains taken by the judicial au-
.horliies IN Russia to pariect the exscu,
tiOners in their horsii occupation.
The knou, is very heavy thong. as
,hick as mans wrist. and weighing
from Two to three pounds: ,he lash is OF
leather, about tie breadth VI broad
tape and narrowing at the end; and the
handle is abou, two feet long.
The place usually chosen at 81. Pc
ersburgh tor the public iniliction OF the
knou,, Is an open muddy plain, ear the
Neva. and The execution is AWAY attend
ed with a military guard of Cosacks and
other troops. As soon as The culprit ar
rives a, the platform. u paper is read a.
loud, which contains descrl lpt!on Of his
crime, and tbe sentence of The court, be-
fore which he has been tried.
In o:din r, cases, the criminals e,ch in
their turn, are fastened TO an inclined
pos. having a ring at the top. to which
the head is SD tightly fixed bv means OF
a rope, as TO prevent the patient from
crying out. The hands are then closely
tied on either side. and ., the bottom the
fee, are secured bv means OF two rings;
the back is then bared 10 the waist, and
the eyecutiuner commences his duty.
The abbe, Chappc' Au,eroche relates
the execution oi female in The reign oi
Elizabeth. He states thar Madam La.
pookin. who was one of the mos, beauti-
iul w"men belonging to The court Of tha,
empress, bad been lHdiscrees enough to
mention some uf the endless armou,s OF
her imperial mistress, aud was therefore
condemned to undergo The knoul.
The beautiful cuIprlt mounted the
scatioId IN an elegant undress. She was
surrounded by The execu,ioners, on
whom she gazed with astonishinen,, ana
seemed TO doubi tha; she was the otlec,
of such preparations. One Of the exc
cuiiensrs pulled oil a cloak that covered
her bosom, a, which her nodesty took
alarm, che started back, turned pale, and
burst into tears. Her clothes were soon
st,iped oil. and she was naked to the
waist before the eager eyes of an inn
menss conco1rse of people, profoundly
silent. Two 0! the execu.ioners then
took her by thu hands, and turning her
half round, raised iier on their backs, in
clming forwards, and lifting her l.,ile
from The grounG; upon winch another
execu.ioner adjusted her on .he backs of
his coadjuiors, and placed her in the
mos, proper position for receiving the
pdaishtaen,. lie then retrea,ed few
steps. measuring the proper distance
with a steady eye. and leaping back.
ards, gave q stroke with the knout SO as
to carry piece of flesh from the neck
TO the bottom of the back; striking his
feet agaiuss The ground. he made sec-
ond blow, parallel with the former, and
in 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 aud Immediately af-
ter she was banished TO Siberia.
In times Of the early Cars, the per.
formers of This horrid task were regarded
with so much respect. that they were ad.
mitsed into the best OF society. Nay. it
is even said. 'hatinthose days, mere hants.
thinking it honorable thus to pass into
the ranks above them. paid large sums
of money 10 be allowed to fulfil The MUIR
derous duty. When their ambition was
satisfied. they REL sold the vocation at an.
enormous profit.