The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1886-03-20
TORTURE OF FLOGGING,
A FEATURE OF THE OLD SYSTEM OF
PENAL SERviTuDE IN SIBERIA. .

Wretch Is Sometimes Deceived.
One Of the most frightful features of the
old syg-em OF penal servitude in Siberia
say twenty-five years ago-was fogging.
don't think it is quite abolished even yet,
though it is supposed to be, but at that time
running tho gauntlet, beating with stick
and birch rods were of everyday occurs
renee Prisoners were not onlys beaten to
enforce discipline, but as a part of their
punishment, convicts being sentenced to so
many years hard labor and to receive so
many stroies-sometimes 1900. No man,
however, could receive 1000 strokes and
live. When the victim had been beaten lit
orally within an inch of his life and the
surgeon (who stood by on these occasionsl
testified that the man could stand no more,
he was released, taken to the hospital, and
when strong enough received the balance
Of his sentence, or SO much OF it as he could
bear Political prisoners and men Of gentle
birth were exempt from corporal punish
ment, the Victims being invariably murder
ers and other malofactors
As may be supposed, convicts have a
great horror of being flogged; they gener-
ally contrive TO get half-drHnk before under
going the ordeal, and will do almost any
thing to obtain few days grace. Dosto-
jevslky mentions one poor wretch who feared
his punishment so much that on the eve Of
the fatal day he swallowed a tnmbler 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 pusillanimous Some display
a Spartan-like fortitude, and it is said that
after several beatings a 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 so far becomes a second nature that
Siberian convicts find fogging enjoyable.
TOOK 1000 STROKES WITHOUT FLINcHING.
Dostojevsl5y tells of enc fellow, named
Orloif, who took 1000 strokes without
flinching. But he was an altogether phenom-
email creature-a monster in human form.
Perhaps under other circumstances he might
have been a Napoleon and fought battles
for his own pleasure; as 1t was he had been
brigand and murdered old men and
young children to crafty his thirst for
blood
Three sorts Of corporal punishment were
In vogue in Dostojevsky's time, as l have
already mentioned, but whereas tho 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 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
the birching. A very strong man lOrloif was
slightly built could stand, on occasion,
1900 blows of the stick, yet nobody could
/ - A.
birch rod; not such a rod as was welded by
our grandmothers, but 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 SC
much owing to the way in which they were
used as to the action of the former on the
nervous centers. The bundle Of twig,
might not hurt so much at tho time, but
every twig that came in contact with the
flesh inflicted a separate blow, thereby i'm
plicating far greater number Of nerves
1t may be mentioned that the victims o.
both sorts Of punishment were fogged whil'
lying on the ground
Running the gauntlet, or the "greeI
lane" as the convicts called it, was also q
terrible punishment. Two rows of soldiers
each of whom was armed with a stick, wer'
formed, and the culprit's hands being fast
ened to two muskets, he was slowl,
dragged between the ranks, and every sol
der had to give a blow with all hi
strength on tho wretch's bare back Al
officer stood by carefully watching, an
woe betide the man who did not strike wit
sufficient vigor. He was himself made t
march down the green lane.
DECEIvING A MISERABLE WRETCH.
1t was the custom for convict, when tn
haIf III oh
to be dragged down the green lane, to i'm
plore the officer to have mercy on him-no
to let the soldiers oeAt him too severely; au
when a certain Lieut.. Jerebjatnikof was 1
command he would pretend to listen favor
ably to the petition and promise to be a
tender as he could, consistently with b
duty t. The stated He would even go furthe
and y that, albeit he was sinnin
agaiDs, ~ law, he would not be hard,
the tul, TT on his honor would undertake t
behave better for the future.
"Most high-born,n cries the wretch,
promise with all my heart l swear befoT
the Creator
"Wel, well; l think | may trust yoi
You seem truly repentant'
May the Almighty strike me down deaf
and may he eternally-'
, "Hush, hush; don't swear only war
your promise. Your word is quite enougl
! You do promi Sc, don't your
Il do most high-born. Heaven BILE
you" lweeping.l
swell, l forgive you for the sake of yoI
tears and your mother. You have on
have you notf'
i "No. have neither father nor mothe
, am an orphan
, II forgive you because you are an orpha
then. But mind it is for the last time
you offend again Here, soldiers take hi
away"
Then follows a pause, and the miserab
man fully believes he has been let off, bl
the next moment the drum beats, the teri
bic procession starts, and the officer burs
ing into loud laugh that shows how tho
oughly he enjoys the sport, shouts: "Tal
him away Flog him Hit him again. Stril
( harder, harder harder Flog the oipha
3 Leather the scoundrell Lay ON, men, lay o
r Give it to him hot Faster, faster, faster
The blows fall on the unfortunate thick
hail He bowls and shrieks for mercy, viii
a the lieutenant runs down the line behiI
: him, holding his sides and bent double wi
t laughter 1t Is such fun, don't you see,
Q take fellow in like that First of a
make him believe be is going TO be let o
( and then fog him within an inch of
Il life.
S These were the scenes amid which t
4 future great Russian novelist was forced
b four years to live. No wonder that be wro
e with terrible realistic power and inten
sympathy for the suffering and the Athlete
|, and that his stories are the most thrillii
t Of tragedies William Westall in San Fra
i cisco Chronicle
d The Perfume of the Ede1weiss.
y The perfume Of the Alpine flower, {