Sharp County record., 1885-04-23

world arise from ignorance OF thiS lln-
portant fact.
Another lunatic confined in the prison
of Noyo Belgorod is Bogol oubOy, for
striking whom Vera Sassoulitch shot
General Trepoff He fancies that all
the world is in conspiracy to kill him
that the air he breathes, as well as
the food he eats, is poisoned. When
the barber comes to shave him he re-
sists. and before the operation can be
performed he has to be throttied and
held by the hair of the head.
Lastly, there is Plotnikoy. He labors
under religious mania, and iSperpetual-
ly asking for the chaplain, functionary
with whom his comrades, without ex-
ception, will have nothing whatever to
do. He calls himself great sinner,
declares that everything which is ex-
lists by the will of God, and that it is
consequently sin even to relieve sut-
ferino or resist evil. All these men
have gone mad from solitary conilne-
ment. and these instances are taken
from one corridor alone.
ASKING FOR DEATH.
But perhaps the fate of the mad is
more to be desired than that of those
who are still sane and whose suferingS
are so terrible that they welcome death
as happy release During the short
Dictatorship of Louis Melikofa general
officer was sent to inspect the Belgorod
prison. Entering the cell OF Prince
Zizianoff he put the stereotyped queS-
ton: "Have you any requests to
make?" Il have one, and you can
easily grant it, was the answer 81
ask as favor that you will Commute
nv sentence to punishment to death.
To live as we live here is todie by inch
es. | entreat you to shorten my sui
ferings and have me condemned to in
stant death. "
PRISONERS DRIVEN TO REBELLION
Now for Siberian prison-that of
Kara. Not very long ago some OF the
prisoners escaped, and by way OF him
dering future attempts of the same sort
and Furnishing those who remained Tor
not betraying their comrades, the Cos
sack guard was let loose on them, They
were dragged out of their cells in the
nfght, rolled on the ground, beaten
with the butt ends of muSkets and
searched for concealed weapons and
tools. Then everything was taken
from them-books, tables, stools and
nearly all their clothing. Their friends
who lived in the town were not allowed
to see them, and as a further indignity
they were informed that they would no
longer enjoy immunity from corporal
punishment. Among the political
prisoners was a certain Zyplov, an
ordinary criminal, who was further &C
cused of having been in secret relations
with political exiles living in Siberia.
This man was one day called before the
commandant of the prison and for some
trihing infraction of rules ordered to be
logged in presence of the other prison
ers. This was done to show to the lat
ter what fate was in store for them.
and as proof of his sincerity Zyploy was
logged second time and third.
Now, on the contineEt OF Europe, and
above all in Russia, corporal punish
ment is regarded by educated people as
the very worst of degradation. They
resent it as the most deadly Of insults.
When Vera Sassoulitch shot Trepoff fol-
striking Begolioubov she was acquitted
by the Jury on the ground that the blow
inflicted on him, who, being bound, he
was unable to resist, fully justified her
in shooting his aggressor.
A STRIKE BY STARVATION.
Nearly all the Russian political pris-
oners belong to the class of mobiles; a
high sense of personal dignity and the
threat of being publicly flogged stung
those of Kara to madness. They re-
solved to strike. The commandant was
informed that unless the threat of pun
ishing them for any ofense whatever
with the stick was Internationally
withdrawn they would eat no more
food. The commandant refused and the
struggle began. These men, though
enfeebled by long confinement and in
sufficient nOurishment, had yet enough
strength of will to lie down on their
beds and refuse to eat. For nine days
the strange contest lasted and they were
all like to die when the commandant
owned himself beaten and promised
that, if they would only consent to live,
he would undertake never to inflict 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. 10
several it proved fatal, but the COM
mandant kept his word. q.
AN ORGANIZED FAST.
This is not the first instance on record
of death by starvation in Russian
prison. The example was set in the
prison of Novo Belgorod in 1878, when
one of the political prisoners was terri
bly, ill-trcated by a brutal jailer called
Diebaderi, and they were denied the
nrivilnUes which were GRANTED to the