The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1886-06-05


going the ordeal, and will do almost any
thing to obtain q few days grace Dosto-
jevsky mentions one poor wretch who feared
his punishment 90 much that on the eve of
the fatal day he swallowed tumbler Of
brandy mixed with snuff. Seized at once
with violent vomiting and hemorrhage, the
miserable man was taken to the hospital,
which he never left again He died six
months later Of consumption. But not all
prisoners are pusilanimoua Some display
spartan-like fortitude, and it is said that
altar several beatings mans back gets
hardened and he suffers much less than
those whose hides are more susceptible to
first Impressions do not suppose though,
that use 20 far becomes second nature that
Siberian convicts lind fogging enjoyable.
TOOK 1000 STROKES WITHOUT FLINCHING.
Dostoievsky tells of one fellow, named
Orlo8, who took 1900 strokes without
ainching. But he was an altogether phenom-
email creature monster in human form.
Perhaps under other circumstances he might
have been o Napoleon and fought battles
for his own pleasure; as it was he had been
q brigand, and murdered old men and
young children to crafty his thirst for
blood.
. Three sorts Of corporal punishment were
In vogue in Dosto;evsky's time, as have
already mentioned, but whereas the pains
Of the stick and the birch rod were inflicted
as part Of tho culprit's Sentences running the
gauntlet was penalty for violation of
prison discipline, ordered at the discretion
and depending on the caprice OF the prison
director, who, whatever might be his rank,
was invariably known as the major. Strange
TO say, the worst Of these punishments was
y A ekv 1<fF
slightly built could stand, on occasion,
1000 blows Of the stick, yet nobody could
stand more. than SEQ strokes with the
birch rod; not such rod as was welded by
our grandmothers, but q formidable weapon
piled by a convict chosen for his strength of
arm The difference in the effects 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 ceuters The bundle of twigs
might not hurt SO much at the time, but
every twig that came in contact with the
flesh inflicted separate blow. thereby i'm
plicating far greater number OF nerves
1t may be mentioned that the victsns Of
both sorts Of punishment were fogged while
lying on the ground
Running the gauntlet, or the agreen
lane" as the convicts called it, was also
terrible punishment. Two rows OF soldiers,
each of whom was armed with stick, were
formed, and the culprit's hands being fast
ened to two muskets, he was slowly
dragged between the ranks, and every sol
dier had to give a blow with all his
strength on the wretch's bare back. An
officer stood by carefully watching, and
woe betide the man who did not strike with
sufficient vigor. He was himself made to
march down the green lane
DEcEIvING MISERABLE WRETCH.
It was the 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 nGercy on him-not
to let the soldiers beat him too severely; aud
when certain Lieut.. JerebjatnikoR was in
command he would pretend to listen favor
ably to tho petition and promise to be as
tender as he could, consistently with his
duty to the state! He would even 60 further
and protest that, albeit he was SHINING
against the law, he would not be hard, If
the culprit ON his honor would undertake to
behave better for the future
"Most high-born," cries the wretch, u
promise with all my heart! I swear before
the Creator"
"Weu, well; think I 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 you1"
II do, most high-born. Heaven bless
you!" tweeping.1
"Wen, forgive you for the sake Of your
tears and your mother. You have one,
have you nots"
mo. 1 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. If
you offend again Here, soldiers take him
away" p
Then follows pause, and the miserable
man fully believes he has been let of, but
the next moment the drum beats, the.terri-
bic procession starts, and the officer burst
ing into loud laugh that shows how thor
oughly he enjoys Che sport, shouts: "Take
him away! Flog him! Hit him again! Strike
harder, harder, harder! F1og the orphan!
Leather the scoundrel. Lay ON, men, lay on!
Give it 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 It 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 off,
and then fog him within an inch Of his
life
These 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 and intense
sympathy for the suffering and the afflicted,
%l,o% f1So,,
Of ira gedies.-William Wessali in San Iran
cisco Chronicle.
Tive perTu,,,. .,f the E..e.veis.