, 1886-03-31
TORTURE OF FL0GGING.
A FEATURE OF THE OLD SYSTEM OF
PENAL sERvlTuDE IN SIBERIA

One of the most frightful features OF the
old sys.em OF penal servitnde in Siberia
gay twenty-five years ago-was logging. ]
don't think It is quite abolished even yet,
though ii Ia supposed to be, but at that Tins
running the gauntlet, beating with stick
and birch rods were OF everyday ocSurs
renee Prisoners were not only beaten to
enforce discipline, but As a part OF their
punishment c~onvicts being sentenced to SO
many years hard labor and to receive so
many strokes-sometime3 1900. No man.
however, could receive 1000 strokes anil
live. When the victim had been beaten lit
orally within an Inch OF his life and the
surgeon c~ho stood by on these occasions
testified that the man could stand no more,
be was released, taken to the hospital and
when strong enough received the balance
of his smtence, mr. % much of 1t as he could
bear. Political prisoners and men OF gentle
birth were exempt from corporal punish
msnt, the victims being invariably murder
ss and other malefactors
. may be supposed, convicts have a
great horror OF being logged; they gener-
ally c~ontrive TO get half-drunk before under
going the ordeal. and will do almost any
thing TO obtain . few days grace Dosto-
tevsky mentions one poor wretch who feared
his punishment 50 much that on the eve of
the fatal day he swallowed a tumbler OF
brandy mixed with snuff. Seized at once
with violent vomiting and hemorrhage, the
miserable man was taken to the hospital,
which be never left again. He diel six
months later OF consumption. But not all
prisoners are -pusilianimous Some display
q Spartanlike fortitude, and 1t is said that
altar several beatings q mans back gets
hardened and he suffers much less than
those whose hides are more susceptible to
first Impressions l do not suppose, though,
that use 30 far becomes a second nature that
Siberian c~onvicts find hogging enjoyable.
TOO 1900 STROKES WITHOUT FLfScH1NG.
Dostoisvsky tells of one fellow, named
Orlof, who took 1000 strokes without
hinching. But he was an altogether phenom-
email cresture-a monster in human form.
Perhaps under other circumstances be might
have been q Napoleon and fought battles
for his own pleasure; as 1t was he had been
q brigand, and murdered old men and
young children to GRITTY his thirst for
blood
Three sorts of corporal punishment were
In vogue in Dosto 'evsky's time, as l have
already mentioned, but whereas the pains
OF the stick and the birch rod were inflicted
as part OF the culprit's sentence, running the
gauntlet was a penalty for violation OF
prison discipline, ordered at the dis retion
and depending on the caprice Of the prison
uireCtor, VINO, Whatever might De MS rank,
was invariably known as the major. Strange
to say, the worst Of these punishments was
the birching. A very strong man lOrloff was
slightly built could stand, on occasion,
2,0J blows of the stick, yet nobody could
stand more than 500 strokes with the
birch rod; not such a rod as was welded by
our grandmother S, but a formidable weapon
piled by a convict chosen for his strength Of
arm The difference in the etfe- Is of the
rod and the stick was nevertheless not so
much owing to the way in which they were
used as to the action OF the former on the
nervous ~centers. The bundle OF twigs
might not hurt so much at the time, but
every twig that came in contact with the
flesh inflicted a separate blow. thereby i'm
plicating a far greater number of nerves
1t may be mentioned that tho victims OF
both .orts OF punishment were Hogged while
lying on the ground u M
Running the gauntlet, or the green
lane" as the ~convicts called it, was also a
terrible punishment. Two rows OF soldiers,
each OF whom was armed with a stick, were
formed, and the culprit's hands being fast
ened to two muskets, he was slowly
dragged between the ranks, and every SOL
der had to give a blow with all his
strength on the wretch's bare back. An
officer stood by carefully watching, and
N0o Dtlluc the mAu HuO ulu uot blTlkt Will
suficient vigor. He was himself made to
march down the green lane.
DEcKIvIN5 A MISERABLE wRETcH
1t was tho custom for a convict, when the
half-naked and trembling wretch was about
to be dragged down the green lane, to i'm
plore the officer to have mercy on him-not
to let the soldiers beat him too severely aud
when a certain Lieut. J~erebjatnikoff was in
command he would pretend to list. favor
ably TO tho petition and promise TO be as
tender as be could, consistently with his
duty to the statsi He would even 60 further
and protest that, albeit he was SHINING
against the law, he would not be hard, Il
the culprit on his honor would undertake to
behave better for the future.
Most high-born,7 cries the wretch, II
promise with all my heartl l swear before
the Creator"
swell, well l think l may trust you.
You seem truly repentant"
May the Almighty strike me down dead,
and may | be eternallyg
t-Hush, hush; don't swear. l only want
your promise. Your word is quite enough.
You do prom SO, don't your
al do, most high-born. Heaven bless
your rweepingl
.-Well, ! forgive you for the sake OF your
tears and your mother. You have one,
nave you nOtf
-No have neither father nor mother.
| am an orphan
Il 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 a pause, and the miserable
man fully believes he has been let off, but
the next moment the drum beats, the terri
bic pro ,es~ion starts, and the officer burst
ing into . loud laugh that shows how thor
oughly he enjoys the sport, shouts. ~Tako
him away FloR himi Hit him again Strike
harder, harder, harder Fiog the orphanl
Leather the scoundrsli Lay on, men, lay onl
Give IL 70 him hot. Faster, faster, fasterl"
The blows fall IN the unfortunate thick as
bail He hows and shrieks for mercy, while
the Lieutenant runs down the line behind
him, holding his sides and bent double with
laughter. II Is such fun, don't you see, TO
take = fellow in like that First OF all.
make him believe he Is going TO be let OF,
and then nog him within an inch of his
life.
Thsss were the scenes amid which the
future great Russian novelist was forced for
four years to live, No wonder that he wrote
with terrible realistic power n intense
sympathy for the suffering and the afflicted,
aud that his stories are the most thrilling
Of tragedies William westan in San Fran
cisco Chronicls,