The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1886-04-03

utRFduS III Uldu ny COI1DtillDS OF DIiD'
ing him to take the life of a fellow
creature in cold-b!ood? As to the deg
radiation there can be no question,
for, though one may feel honored by
the friendship of the judge who passes
sentence, who would care to know a
common hangman or even to touch E.s
hand Flogging is bad for him VINO
takes and who gives; equally bad, too,
for those who order and look on.
Among the officers of the prison where
Dostojevsky was confined were two or
three whom repeated experiences OF
this sort had so brutalized that fog
gine gave them positive delight, and
they took a diaboiic pleasure in tor
menting their unhappy victims, much
as cat torments the mouse which
has fallen into its clutches.
1t was the custom for a convict
when the half.naked and trembling
wretch was about to be dragged down
the "green lane" to implore the officer
to have mercy on him-not to let the
soldiers beat him too severely, and
when a certain Lieut.. Jereblatnikoff
was in command he would pretend to
listen favorably to the petition and
promise to be as tender as he could,
consistently with his duty to the
state. He would even go further and
protest that, albeit he was SHINING
against the law, he would not be hard,
If the culprit on his honor would un-
dertake to behave better for the fu-
ture.
"Most high-born," cries the wretch,
~ promise with all my heart, ] swear
before the Creator"
"Well, well, think | may trust you.
You seem truly repentant."
MAY the Almighty strike me down
dead, and may be eternally-"
"Hush, hush, don't swear. | only
want your promise. Your word is
quite enough. You do promise, don't
your"
II do, most high born. Heaven
bless you!" (weeping).
"Well, forgive you for the sake OF
your tears and your mother. You
have one, have you not ?"
"No. ! have neither father nor
mother. | am an orphan"
81 forgive you because you are an
orphan then. But mind, it is for the
last time. II you offend again
Here, soldiers, take him away"
Then follows pause, and the miser.
able man fully believes he has been let
off, but the next moment the drum
beats, the terrible procession starts,
and the officer, bursting into a lOId
laugh that shows how thoroughly he
enjoys the sport, shouts: "Take him
away Flog him Hit him again
Strike harder, harder, harder Floe
the orphanl Leather the scoundrel
Lay on, men, lay on Give 1t to him
hot Faster, faster, faster" The
blows fall on the unfortunate. thick as
hail. He howls and shrieks for mercy
while the lieutenant runs down the
line behind him, holding his sides and
bent double with laughter. 1t is such
fun, don't you see, to take fellow IL
like that. First of all, make him be
lieve he is going to be let off and ther
fog him within an inch of his life
Another dodge was to offer victim,
the chance of really running the CANT
let all alone without being dragged
with muskets. The unsophisticated
under the impression that by running
very fast they would receive fewer
blows, were generally only too glad tc
close with the offer. But man with
irons on his legs cannot get up much
speed, and before he had hoped many
PAGES the poor devil would fall or bt
knocked down, blows all this time
raining on his devoted back. Then he
would get up, pale and trembling, and
beseech the officer to let him be pun
ished in the regular way and according
to law.
These were the scenes amid which
the future great Russian novelist was
forced for four years to live. No won
der that he wrote with terrible reals
tic power and intense sympathy fol
the suffering and the afflicted, anG
that his stories are the most thrilling
of tragedies.