The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1873-02-01

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In the whole history IT esininsl jurispru.
dencs there has probsbly never been any.
thise 36 s. Jhe llSn(ln lsisl 1bichl ~4s
condscted At Moscow. in Russis, on the elst
ut November. and IN which were srraigned
i've 1,uadred prisoners. upward of Two hun
dred OF whom were convicted and sentenced
to crsel peasities Among tho accused
weTe persons In every station ip ifc--gray.
haired men and youths. men and women
among tho latter some highly accomplished
and prepossessing in appearance. All the
prisoners were charged with one Of the gEa-
west ohsnses in the criminal code Of Russia
that Of coun,crfeiting. The codc says !:
THE person that counterfeits the coin or
currency Of tho Imperial Government shall
suffer DEATH" Notwithstanding this rigor-
ous provision, Russia has been flooded for
many years past with well executed coun-
terfeiis Of the Government treasury notes.
The prompt execution of several who were
caught In passing the spurious currency did
not check the evil. and for the last three
years 1t became 50 great that the Minister of
Finance was almost in despair. Offers of
the largest rewards did not lead to the de~
lection of the guilty parties. Changes in
the appearance Of the treasury notes did not
do much good either. for 20 vast 10 the ex.
tent of the Russian Empire that It takes the
Imperial Government six months TO COM
municste IT'D DEGREES to the remotest part of
the country. .,.:
/, At length, in July last . curious accident
gave the Government the long.looked for
clue, which led to the discovery Of an 1850.
citation Of criminals of both sexes banded
together tor the purpose Of circulating the
spu rious currency. and which extended
from the bleak and frozen shores of the
White Sea 70 they olgs and Black Sea. In
the course of the two following months,
three thousand men and women were ar
rested but after preliminary examination
twenty five hundred If them were discharged
and about five hundred were held for trial.
Among the latter were six Frcnchmen, Of
81. Petersburgh, who had been caught print.
ing the countefeit notes, and . comparative.
ly large number of women. The prisoners
wers all conveyed to Moscow where they
were confined in the vast vaults underneath
the Krcmlin Palace. Criminal law in RUS
ia is barbarous ct the best, and the male
prisoners were hcrded together like a. many
hogs. They received the coarsest Of fare,
and straw was their only couch. The wo>
men were treated but little better
On the Goth of October the trial was
opened In the large hall Of the Krcmlin,
which holds nearly five thousand persona
The proceeding were protrac,ed for amon,h
and the prosecution succeeded in establish.
ing the guilt of over cne>third of the ac>
cused. Two hundred and three Of them
were found guilty, among them shout fifty
women. Sentence of death was passed up.
on the six French printers. and the other
convicted parties were confined TO hard h.
Dor In the gold mines of Ural Mountains for
nfe, Of for ten years. The doomed men and
women burst into piercing shrieks and
b owls, and well they might, for in the case
of the former the sentence included bar
bsrous Jogging and branding on the fore>
head with red hot iron; while tho women,
some Of whom were OF refined descent
shuddered At the idea of having to do the
most mcnia work for life, or for ten years
1t the station houses, where the keepers Of
the male prisoners reside. In their despair
some Of the unfostunates threw themselves
upon the ground, and their piercing cries,
mingled with the clanking Of their chains,
produced truly horrible effect Tho cx-
element and frenzy of the condemned
grew from minute TO minute more intense,
and she judges. IN order - ressors qssesade,
had to call In the soldiers, who, with their
kantschubs, beat the prisoners right and |
left, and then dragged them back to the
vaults Of the Kremlin. ... .-~