New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-12-23
rs THIS VERESTCHAGNf
A Confession OF CRUELTY TRANSLATED FROM
RUSSIAN MAGAZINE

A Confession OF CRUELTY TRANSLATED FROM
A RUSSIAN MAGAZINE.
From The Pail Mall Gazette.
In the Middle Ages CHASTITY stories used 10 pe en-
cused about the 1 @ncH Of 'p ps Who
burning with desire to hold the mirror up 70
other forms of vvisectOn. for tho sake OF ooseins
the death throes and transferring their oosers ~
c 20 sch stoccs but apparently not too squeam
lsh get Others to commit them sucn, a. eass, -
the conclusion to be drawn IRON hc 10 m
concerning the truth Of which there can DC no ,r
Of doubt, seeing that Il IS the Russian psnte cs
yercstchagn who relates It Of himself In the pages Sa o.
pened during the late Russo.iurksh war, WITH ,
Verestchagn vas with sko6eles army seene S
In such place and at such time We give tno
story in the lpsssima yerba of the artist:
Two Albanisns were brought before General Strukon
two desperate highwaymen whom the Bulgarians
accused of abominaDle atrocities Inc Genera! ga,s
orders that they should be bound together as tSnuy
back back, drew the cords so tight at the elbows
that they became perfectly lvid and were unable 70
Sp from under nTSTH eyebrows like two tigers scowns At
composed mainly of women and children, who were
ssyn hG% a their T,9 faSs o I9d of to a
them did not OF course move finger to stop this
treatment requested strukoif to hang them. but he
ing people IN war time and that he ,, would CoI
science. He would hand them over. he said, TO
/ answered, 81 shall ask Michael DmltneVltch
(SkobelelD he won't make any delay" why. whae
ever is the matter with you, Mr. VeIeschagn that you
should be so bloodthirsty! never suspected you OF
such leanngs before"
Then / confessed that had never yet witnessed
hanging that the performance thereof would In
tereSt me extremely When on the following day
came to have look at the two Albanians compassion
got the upper hand of met was a pity, thought,
that they were not shot at Horribly swollen.
blue from the cords with which they bound they
fell 10 the earth mutterng, in husky tones, Aman.
aman - Their turbans and fezzes were knocked or,
their faces and heads were cut and bloody, and the
mob still went thrown. stones at them The
soldier guard continued 10 walk impartsy TO ana
by him with the sport going on. skobeef arrived ia
the evening. I requested him to hang the two high.
waymen. lie replied, "Oh. yes, that can be DONE
and summoned the commander of the battalion OF
rfemen Colonel X, and commanded him % call
together field courtmartsl TO try the two Albanian
prisoners, adding, "And kindly see that they are
hanged" Nine to obey, your Excellency" was tho
response. . .
And so looked upon the affair as arranged-that
IS was sure that before leaving Adrianople should
witness this execution and should afterward transfer
ID to canvas. But reckoned without my host A
short time before my departure finding the two friends
they be hanged after all ~ and received the answer
No" Having heard that field court martial was
about to try them, s. asked NJ de skobeleH as .
personal favor not TO hang the two cavaliers that
IL is very probable that they still we'll and loud
in their praise Of the soft hearted Russian authorities
1. | drew them bound together.
NJ. Verestchacn has also In the above lines drawn
a portrait Of himself which few persons will consider
hattering.