The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-10-14
RUSSIAN PRISON HORRORS.


foreigner has always complained Of is the desire
of Russia to swallow him up" ifiss
RUSSIAN PRISON HORRORS.
NHrLIsrIc sToIcIsM---A HORRIBLE suIcIDE-A
LADY's STORY OF HER WRONGS AND SUFFER-
INGs
The st. Petersburg correspondent of the London
Daily Telegraph writes under date of the DIST of Sep
iember:-
In the extraordinary deathbed notes Of the RUS
sian colonial agent who committed suicide in Jhito-
mir by slowly burning his spine. reference made
to a who had some short time previous to that
awful tragedy burned himself death in Odessa
der peculiarly appalling circumstances. As the self
murderer alluded to nihilist of some local
notorety. who had been apprehended by the Russian
police and lying in Jail awaiting trial his sui
eide has been regarded in this country a political
incident of no small importance exemplfying the
stern stocism which would appear to characterize
the leaders of the revolutionary movement. Several
indeed. have exhibited the most undoubted heroism
at very foot Of the galows meeting their death
with perfect calmness-even. in one two cases,
with obviously unaffected cheerfuiners. It appears
that Serge Somof. ex-student OF the Odessa Uni
versity, had been imprisoned for many months in
the Jail of that city, the against him being
complete, and that the cell he confined in ALREADY
in filthy state when he first entered it) had never
tions Of and naneless denominations with which
its paved iloor was wholly covered gave out 80
vile an efi1uvium that he had complained for
some time before his suicide Of suffocation,
resulting in giddness and fainting fits and had
repeatedly implored the prison officials visiting his
cell to hasten his trial. as the tortures he was
enduring in the mephitic atmosphere of his dun
geon were absolutely unbearable. The governor Of
the JAIL irriated by his daily reiterated importun
ties caused corporal punishment to be inflicted
upon Somo with terrible severity and ordered that
his hands should be tied behind his back with
stout rope, in which condition he left alone in
his CELL stretched out upon the sloping boards
constituted his only sleeping place. Thus aban-
doned to his miserable lot bound, smarting from
severe fogging, and utterly desperate he struggled
into sitting position on his plank contrived to
seize with his teeth the petroleum lamp standing on
a bracket above his head, bit through the glass
we'll containing the petroleum. which caught fire
from the still burning flame of the lamp and allowed
the lighted liquid to stream down his body
ting his prison rags fire. Then he lay down again
and suffered the agony OF burning without q cry or
groan Presently the stencil Of his scorching flesh
made its way through the crevices Of his cell door
into the corridor where q sentry stationed, who
gave the alarm. and the turnkey. upon opening the
door, beheld the unfortunate prisoner enwrapped in
a fiery shroud Of lambent fame, Pickering dimly
amidst the clouds of thick and acrid smoke with
sound even when help approached him. but
garded his tormentors with steady and coldly
resenaul gaze. The surface of his body was
already carboniZed; but he lived for three hours
and half after the flames consuming him had
been extinguished. and answered all the questions
put to him with immovable calm and coinposure
He stated that he should have been content to sub
NIT the sentence Of any legal tribunal and to pay
for his political convictions with his life if
demned to death in the usual manner; but that he
had been unable to endure the humiliatng and in
human fortunes which had been inflicted upon him
Dy nlS Jailers
A TERRIBLE STORY.
Another terrible narrative of the atrocities perpe-
trated by the Russian police authorities under
of the estate OF siege" has just reached us
from Geneva, where q journal is published in the
Russian language, called the OtscAschee LJelo and
edited by Michael Dragomanow, an ex-professor of
the Kew University. This paper, although inscribed
in the Russian Index Expurgatorius finds its way
across the frontier in spite OF that circumstance.
with the utmost regularity. In its issue of the
oath ult. it prints lengthy statement made
by Olimpiada Kafero formerly provincial
schoolmistress in Russia. detailing tho manner OF
treatment at the hands of the Third Section"
Early in the year 1877 Mile. Ka6ero opened q school
in the district Of Wyschnyi- Wolotschok belonging
to the liver government, and taught the peasant
children for two consecutive years without exactng
school fees from their parents. On the 18th OF
last June she was arrested without any previous
warning ana thrown into prison. Her narrative
from this date may best be recounted in her own
words. She writes as follows
after l had lain for few days In tho Jail of
WyschnyiW olotschok, the Governor OF liver. Sorrow.
entered my cell one morning and acquainted
ment. According his statement my offences
consisted in having impaired instruction to
peasant children, which Is only permitted to
male teachers, and in having, fifteen years ago,
been seen in a boat with several students. For
having committed these crimes it was the intention
of the authorities to send me across the frontier.
From schnyi-Wolotschok l was conveyed to st.
Petersburg. where I remained for whole week in
jail thence transported by rail, with fifty
other prisoners, TO Wilma From the wilma railway
station all marched late ut night to tho
prison, where. admission being refused to
count of the lateness of the hour compelled
to stand oil night long in an open courtyard under
incessant torrents Of rain. Next day were led
into totally dark corridor and subjected to an
examination Of our clothes and persons. The
women, OF whom I one. were searched and
atrocities upon US. When any one Of rs ventured
to protest against their abominable outrages she
was struck and kicked with such brutal violence
that blood followed the blows and kicks. This
so-called visitation Of the women lasted several
hours, amid the laughter and mockery Of the SOL
diers fell into deep swoon under their atrocious
nAl mr. W m
myself lying on the stone floor. between two fallen
women imprisoned for theft. who doing
Shortly afterward We were handcuhed and carried
Off to Kowno. At the expiration of q horrible week
Kowno on foot three days march. in frightfully
bad weather. brought us to Marianpol. My feet
covered with wounds. my shoes full of blood.
During the journey had repeatedly complained of
my sulerings to escort, and piteousy begged to
be allowed to rest as could go no further. Their
only answer was Then we must drive YOU you
p At Marianpol was taken to the station
master. / could hardly stand, that ho
might decide whether 1 should proceed foot or be
sent on by rail. Ishowed him my bleeding feet and
implored his mercy. All he said was. you have
managed to walk for three days and you will have
reached wolkowyski. more dead than alive. whence
We to be conveyed across the frontier into
Prussia Meanwhile they locked us up in guard
house, men and women all In one room. There
neither bench nor stool-no. not even wisp of
straw to lie down upon We had to stretch ourselves
out all together. as best might, the damp and
filthy clay floor. The stencil and vermin were In
tolerable. quite beyond description. During the
night they turned in among all tn prostitutes
picked up by the police in the public Streets we'll
drunkards, thieves, and a stark-naked mailman.
Some of the prisoners at once commenced worrying
and irritating this unfortunate lunatic who began
TO foam ut the mouth and struck out in
every direction, knocking us about with
the most savage fury. From this den of
Uncomfortable horrors contrived to get letter
vcyed to General Gourko, who promptly sent
order to the Prison Inspector that was to be forth
with transported to the Prussian frontier At Eydt-
Eilhnen handed to the Pruasian police.
who at set me ut liberty. 1 travelled straight
to Paris. and thence to Geneva whore slowly re-
covered my health. and write this my miserable
story"
LAZAREFF'S DEATH
The newspapers from Russia contain full payticu-
lars of the death Of General Laxaref. Writing from
Duzolum August IA o. tho sps>cal Of