Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-12-02
THE NOyGOROD TRAGEDY.
A Russian 1futiny, and How 1t Was
I'll Punished.

A Russian NEs,tiny. and How 1t Was
Punished.
One need not be surprised at anything
that happens in Russia. While smok
ing cigar with one Of my old friends,
who has seen, read and travelled a great
deal, says writer in a foreign journal,
I was told Of an incident which occurred
some forty years ago at Novgorod, quite
as sinister as that which recently oc-
CURED at Smargon, when population
of raging madmen flung children into q
blazing fire, and revelcd at the sight of
the poor little bodies writhing like vine
stems upon the blazing Goals. But in
the narrative am about to relate there
was no race hatred or religious passion
for motive.
The Colonel of certain Russian regi-
ment, ferociously tyrannical, and, I may
say, merciless toward his soldiers, was
in the habit of treating this human flock
like pack Of brutes. He disciplined
with the knout sentencing men to
whipping for having one button INSULT
GENTLY polished; whipping a non-com-
missioned officer for one stain on his
cloak striking veterans Of Borodino in
Viz 1dCG 1OI 0d1OCluS wv SlOWly
poor wretches to Siberia for giving too
free an answer. In short, during the
lapse of years, this Colonel had made him
self SO detested by his men that he
reaped a frightful vengeance from the
seeds of hatred he had sown.
One morning during parade he sud-
denly saw file off from the regiment a
company of soldiers bearing, instead Of
rnuskets, those long rods which cut
deeply into the flesh at every blow.
Nevertheless he had given no orders.
There was no soldier to chastise.
"Who is that for 2" he.demanded.
A grenadier advanced from the ranks
and replied with terrible GOODNESS
For thee p
The entire regiment, nol-commis-
stoned officers and soldiers, where in the
plot, which had been concocted in the
barracks. The whole regiment was pre-
sent at the terrible spectacle. The
Colonel was seized, hisssuniform torn off,
he was tied down in wheelbarrow and
wheeled up and down before the ranks
Of the grenadiers, armed with rods, all
Of whom struck and insulted him. The
officers who attempted to aid their
Colonel were Immediately seized, and
bayonets pointed at their Threats. Some
were taken away; others garroted.
Only one soldier attempted to take part
with them. Then sergeant, still pal]id
from the effects of his last whipping with
the knout, put his musket to the soldier s
temple and blew his brains out.
| And all the regiment saw its Colonel
pass under the rods.
| When it was all over they opened a
kiln-oven. The Colonel was flung into
it, all bleeding, together with the officers
who had well obeyed him. And when
the furnace was we'll fed the soldiers
heated it slowly, very slowly, until at
last that hideous, heavy, revolving smell
of melting fat and burning flesh arose
in the air which the savages of the
Russian frontier inhaled.some days ago
at Jewish cemetery at Smargon.
But the tragedy of Novgorod was not
yet over
An imperial courier bore to the Gar
the news of the mutiny. Nicholas
listened, became white, but said nothing,
except to order four batteries of artillery
to Novgorod. Ten days after white
haired and gray mustached Major
General, accompanied by a single aid
barracks, which the soldiers had never
left since the murder of their chief.
| The General gazed coldly upon those
pale men, all neatly and faultlessly uni
formed, who gave him the military
salute.
Not reproach- one useless word.
He only said to them:
cat o'clock tomorrow morning the
regiment will assemble in undress uni
form and without arms at the Tartar
camp, upon the Little square. Order OF
the Gar"
Not voice replied. But the next day
upon the narrow square, all In ranks,
without arms, with their long gray coats,
their sergeants at their usual posts, all
the mutinous soldiers were there, in lines
regular as if adjusted to string, with q
double line of lance bearing Cossacks
before and behind. Then all at once
from every far spire all the great bells
began to toll. The Cossack horsemen
withdrew. Only the unarmed infantry
remaining upon the square, with folded
arms, waiting. Then there came long,
low roll of drums, and with it from ali
the avenues leading into the square came
volleys of grape like iron hail.
Then nothing was heard for while
but the thunder of the cannon in that
city, otherwise silent as cemetery, when
men, women and children, kneeling be-
fore their holy images, were praying for
the soldiers they were shooting down in
the square. for the soldiers were diving
with the prayers of their childhood upon
their lips. Tho cannon Numbered for
hours. Then all was silent. Powder
and iron rested awhile. The cannon
GERS entered the square and recoiled at
the sight of those ranks of men mown
down like wheat-the marsh of blood.
From under the dead they pulled few
still breathing victims, able to live a
while.
"What shall be done with them, Gen
eral? Shall we put them in the hos
pital?"
L D. IL II