New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-12-03

convict like beast ~ burden. and gives him as
little rest and h little food NJ possible. Nhen
wages are demanded the colOnst has an Original
way of satisfying his laboier. The money 10 PAID
without deuIur but, before the convict can get
clear, he falls dead killed by bullet from the gun
OF his cruel employer. This method OF payment -
sometimes carried out on n large scale. III Is
adopted in the case of vagabond laborers who,
having finished their autumn work IN the nelds'
return to the neighbOrng village to he pald OH.
he wages are forthcoming, and the labOrers
allowed To depart with their hardly earned money.
But they have no sooner gone than the peasant
farmer assemblies his ncighhOrs, and having pro
Vlded them with horses and firearms, the whoe
party salles forth IN pursuit OF the ya9aOohds.
The retiring labOreTs are speedily oVeTtaken; most
are killed on the spot all are robbed the recoNe Ted
money being divided between the farmer anu MS
confederates The only respect shown ior
authority Is the prevalent habit where tVbbery ms
been the motive of slaughter, Of ooncealine inc
dead. The murdered cOnvicts are usually cut up
and mutiated, aud the remains buried IN 0ut-3i-
the,vay places. This hunting of the "huhCl-
backs, rs the escaped cOnvicts are often called ~
derislOn. has gone for years. entering so deepy
into the habits of the people that has escaped the
attention OF few travellers through Eastern siberia
Where are the men J" asked OF woman
left in charge OF small village adjoining the hgh-
way. "GUne after the hunchbacks.' was the reply
such Il the prevailing denOraIZatlOn IN tnis TO-
spect that boys have been heard TO ask their
TO Kill gahOnds in order that they may sec now
the fellow will roll on his hump In some Oh the
governments It Is certain death tor "a convict
escaped, or still under supervision, TO De cauent
returning from the mIne occasionally the soidlGrs
vagabOnd. 1 he Cossack. a. well a the ordinary
cUlO.Is cOves choaD labor, and ~ III the haolu oI
rewardug with an ounce or two Of lead the CONVEX
who declines TO pass from one condition Oh oohu
slavery to another.
During the colonization OF the Transbalkal region
the hunting Of vagabOuds was one of the common
diversions of the newly arrived settlers. FROM
TOmsk to Chit there is locality that mas rem
defed itself notorious for tho puisnlt on large
scale OF escaped conyicts. In the Iomsk govern
ment itself whole villages are described a living
solely bv the robbery of vagabonds. The river
Karasan has been so filled with the bodies OF muir;
dered cOnvicts as to become putrd. Near lneul
open woods are known as a favOrte ground foI Tue
slaughter The whole of the district Is full oil tho
memories and traditions OF siberian man hunting
Heroes of the sport still alive BtkoV, KomahoV
and ZavOrOta each expert IN different ways
hOmanOy. tor instance, gained celebrity III, tue
village of Fugul whre he vas IN the habit OIL lying
In ambush close to the highway, and shooting
down every vagabond who passed. In the autumn
evenings Bitkov used to pick OF stragglers along
tho banFs of the river Augar During subsequent
sport along the Biryus there were indlyllua
Siberians who boosted that they had brought down
as many as sixty and in some cases ninety Naga-
bonds. Only upon one of these hunters OF men 90
the vagabonds seem to have taken vengeance;
They selected one ParamOuIch, who had been All
his life engaged in killing convlcts. Inc VaRa.
bonds assembled together, seized him and brought
his career TO "a close b, p.unging him alive INTO
cauldTOn of lnCa1desCent METAL