Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1879-10-23

/
ly a provincial scoolmistress ir
Russia, detailing the manner Of hel
treatment at the hands O: tho
Third Section" Early IN the
year 1877 Mile. Kafero opened q
school in the district of Wyehnyi-
Wolotschok, belonging to the Twer
government, and taught the peasant
children for two consecutive years
without exacting any school fees
from their parents. On the 18th
of last June she was arrested with
ont any previous warning and
thrown into prison. Her narrative
from this date may best be recount
ed in her own words. She writes
as follows:
"After l had lain for a few days
in the Jail of Wyschnyi-W WOODSTOCK,
the Governor of Twer, Sorrow,
entered my cell one morning and
acquainted me with the cau,e of
my arrest and imprisonment. Ac-
cording to his statement mr. of
fences consisted in having inpart-
ed instruction to peasant children,
which is only permitted to male
teachers, and in having, fifteen
years ago, been seen in a bost with
several students. For having COM
mitted these crimes it was the in
tention Of the authorities to send
me across the frontier. From
Wyschnyi-W olotschok | was CON
veyed to St. Petersburg, where |
remained for whole week in Jail :;
thence was transported by rail,
with fifty other prisoners, to Wilma.
From the Wilma railway station we
were all marched late at night to
the prison, where, admission being
refused to MS on account of The
lateness of the hour, we were com
PEELED to stand all night long in an
open courtyard under incessant
torrents Of rain. Next day we
were led into a totally dark cor
ridor and subjected to an examina-
ton of our clothes and persons
The women, of whom / was one,
were searched ard stripped by
gendarmes, who committed the
vilest atrocities upon rs. When
any one Of rs ventured to protest
against their abominble outrages
she was struck and kicked with
such brutal violence that the 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 a deep swoon
under these atrocious cruelties, and
when l came to my senses | found
myself lying on the stone floor,
between two fallen women i'm
prisoned for theft, who were doing
their best to revive and comfort me
in my afiiction. Shortly after
ward we were handcuffed and
carried off to Kowno. At the ex-
piration of a horrible week we were
again handcuffed and marched off
from Kowno on foot. A three
days march, in frightfully bad
weather, brought us to Marianpol.
My feet were covered with wounds,
my shoes full of blood. During
the journey | had repeatedly com
planned of my suferings to our
escort, and piteously begged to be
allowed to rest, as | could go no
further Their only answer was :
'Then we must drive you, yon-!!
At Marianpol l was taken to the
station master, as | could hardly
stand, that he might decide whether
| should proceed on foot or be sent
on by rail. L showed him my
bleeding feet and implored his
Raa9Fes managec he 60 saiai saaiaik wfGr three e
days and you will have to hold out
for the fourth On the fourth day
we reached Wolkowyski, more
dead than alive, whence we were to
be conveyed across the frontier into
Prussia. Meanwhile they lockeo
US up IN guard house, men ano
women all in cne room. There
was neither bench nor stool-no
not even a wisp of straw to lie
down upon. We had to stretch
ourselves out, all together, as besi
we might, on the damp and filthy
clay floor. The stencil and vormir
were intolerabie, quite beyond
description. During tie night
they turned in among us all tho
prostitutes picked mp By tie police
) in the public streets, as we'll as
drunkards, thieves and stark
naked madman. Some of the
prisoners at once commenced wor-
| rying and irritating this IN ortanate
! lnnatic, who began to foam at the
2 mouth and struck out in cry di-
: rection, knocking us about with the
2 most savage fury. From his der
: of inconceivable horrors l ontrivec
! to get letter conveyed tdGenera
Gourko, who promptly sent al