West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1885-04-24

cused OF having been in secret relations
with political eNilcs living in Siberia
This man was one day called before the
commandant Of the pri on and for some
tritling infraction OF rules ordered TO be
logged in presence Of the other prison
ers. This was done TO show 10 the lat
ter what fate was in store for them.
and a. proof of his sincerity Zyplov was
logged "A second time and a third.
Now, on the continent of Europe. and
above all in Russia. corporal punish
mcnt Is regarded 10y educated people rs
the very worst of degradation They
resent il ~ the most deadly OF Insults.
When Vera Sassoulitch shot Trcpoif Tor
striking Begolioubov she was acquitted
10y the jury on the ground that tho blow
inflicted ON him, who. being bound. he
was unable to resist fully justified her
in shooting his aggre,sor
STRIKE BY STARVATION.
Nearly al! the Russian political pris.
oncrs belong to the class of mobiles: a
high sense of personal dignity and the
threat of being publicly logged stung
those OF Kara to madness They re-
solved to strike. The cOmmandant wa,
informed that unless the threat of pun
i>hnS them for any oilcusc whatever
with the stick was uncondtlonally
withdrawn they would ca. no more
food. The cOmmandant refused and tie
struggle began. These men, though
cniecblei 10y long confinement and in.
sufficient nourshmcnt, Ina yet enough
strength of viii to lie down on their
beds and refuse to eat For nine dav-
the strange contest lasted and they were
all like To die when the cOmmandant
! owned himself beaten and promised
that, II they would only consent to live.
he would undertake never TO inlliCt cor
poral punishment ON the prisoners un.
der his charge. But their health, al.
ready impaired by confinement. was
ruined outright by their long fast Tc
several it proved fatal. but the com.
mandant kept his word
AN ORGANIZED FAST.
This is not the first instance ON record
OF death by starvation in Il Russian
/ prison. The example was set i'm the
| prison of NOvo Belgorod i'm 1873, when
one of the political prisoners was terri.
/ bly, ill-trcatcd by Il brutal taller called
| Djebaderi, and they were denied the
/ privileges which were granted To the
commoncst malefactors that of work
ing in the workshops. of being together
during work, of getting foot from out
side, OF reading books permitted by the
State censorship. and of commonly hu
name treatment from ia'lcrs and war.
dens. As protest against their treat
ment and as means of enforcing com
pliancc with their demands they re-
solved to abstain from food. At first
the Director made light of the matter
Let them alone for Il day or two. he
said, land they will eat fast enough -
But when three days past and they
| still! tasted he became alarmed
dismissed all the obnoxious iail
ers and cntrcattd the strikers
to break their fast Not until all their
demands were complied with, they SAID
and the fast went ON three DAYS longer.
Then the Director, beside himself with
fear-tOr what would Russia say. What
would Europe say if Il hundred prison.
crs should die of S.arvat on .-tcle.
graphcd for instructions to the Govern
or of kharkoff. The Governor sent
down Commissioner with plenary
powers. accOmpanic by the chief doc.
tor OF the province, who tried to force
food into the prisoners mouths, and
sought by other means to defeat thci.
| designs; but all was i'm vain, and after
a fight OF ten days the authorities gave
in to their demands. None but mem.
berS of the Sclav race are capable
selt-sacriiicc so supernatural, of endur.
ancc so heroic, a was displayed by
these prisoners. Men OF English blood
would have made a comb ned attack or
their jailers ut all hazards, and died
lighting rather than perish of hunger
-LondoH Cor. san Francisco ChrO1p
icLc.