Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-01-12

and the Ukraine to massacre and despoil
their lords; and how Sowarrow, after the
storming Of Prague, left no living creature
within its walls The world did not, and
still does not, believe that this system was
then commenced which drives us away in
thousands into the heart of Russian Siberia
to fill prisons and casemates; that in War
saw in the days of Constantine, brother of
Nicholas, no Polish family could lie down at
night without fear that perhaps ere morn
one of its members might be torn away, con-
signed to a dungeon. s,lurged and tortured
with hunger and thirst 50 that the confess
sion needed might be wrung from his agony.
Sierocinski and four others who had been
drafted into the ranks Of the Siberian army
we're condemned each to 1000 blows with
a stick, without mercy II any one of the
members 0utlived the sentence he was sent
to the Nerchinsk mines for the rest OF his
life. The great mass of persons implicated
were variously condemned to 1000, 1000,
or 600 blows with the stick, and those who
survived in some cases TO hard labor for life,
in others for number of years to penal
colonization, and others again for military
service. at day-break two
battalions of 1000 men marched out Of
0msk, one charged with the execution of
those condemned to : 900 blows, the other
with the execution of the lesser sentences.
The battalions halted, each formed in double
line face to face, leaving passage through the
long drawn ranks. The executor, Galaheyef,
superintended the arrangements, and re-
mained with the men who had to give the
1000 strokes. According to general usage
the soldiers charged with such. duties are
placed closely shoulders to shoulder in deal
ing blows, but slightly raise the arm from
the elbow and keep the feet together as
when ON parade. The stick should only be
80 thick that three can be dropped in a car
bine barrel. On this occasion all this was
reversed; Galafeyer placed the soldiers at
arms length from each other, made them
raise their arms high in carrying out the
sentences, and tho sticks were very heavy
The condemned were brought from their
prisons to the place of execution. The
bloody work was begun simultaneously by
both battalions. From both came the same
shrieks Of agony. Sierocinski was left to
the last and compelled to witness the fate of
his friends ere his own turn came, and he
had long te wait for that deadly walk.
Then his shirt was stripped from his should
ers. and his hands, according to the regula-
tions in such cases, fastened to carbine,
held by two soldiers, who thus compelled him
to keep regular step. The order to march
was given. The priests entered the street
of death, reciting in a low voice, 'Miserere
mel Deus secundum magnam misericordiam
man, Gala6eyef shouting frantically,
Harder, harder, strike harder and the
submissive tools of despotism obeyed so well
that Sierecinski. after walking once down
the line and receiving 1000 blows, fell in
sihle, weltering in his blood. He was lifted
to his feet to fall again Immediately, and
then hurdle, prepared for this occasion
was brought. lie was bound on it kneel-
ing, and 50 dragged up and down until his
sentence was fulfilled. lie had given at first
a few shrieks of agony, and still was breath
ing until the 1000 blows. The remaining
5000 were struck on his corpse. or rather
his now feshless bones. Eye-witnesses as
sure me that the flesh was cut in strips by
the rods the very bones were crushed and
splintered and the entrail, exposed"