New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-02-16
THE KARA PRISON TRAGEDY.
MADAME SIGIDAS DEATH DUE TO THE
FLOGGING NOT TO POISON.
sTEPNIAK SUPPLEMENTS THE BRIEF ACCOUNT
OF THE ATROCITIES IN THE RUSSIAN
POLITICAL PRISON - THREE OTHER
WOMEN PRISONERS KILL THEM,
sELvES-wHERE THE RE-

WOMEN PRISONERS KILL THEM
sELvEs-wHEEE THE RE-
sPONHBILITY LIES.
copyrfqht; 1900 by me Ne,c. York AS,Oetdt>d PTefn
London Feb. 15-Provided with cable dSpatch
! of Introduction from George KEENAN, the siberian
traveller the London agent Of the Associated Press
called this morning on SergiuS Stcpniak, the we'll
known writer upon Russian political and social con
dtions. Mr.. Stepnak was asked whether
he could give any information in regard to the out
rage in the political prison at Kara, in Eastern
siberia rumors about which had recently reached the
public press by way Of the Russian colony in Paris
Mr. >tcpniak replied that the reports already PUB
! lshed gave only hint of the horrible tragedy
enacted At Kara. Perfectly trustworthy information
! he said had been received In cipher letters that
have succeeded in getting through 10
/ Paris and London from exiles in Eastern siberia
These letters which are nothing hut mcaCrc scraps Of
paper Tell the story Of the recent horror only in its
main outlines But one who knows about siberian
prison life does not need crcumstantial recital TO
understand the cruelty Of discipline and the agony OF
suffering Of which this tragedy was the culnllhatioh
The fn detail, 81 the dreadful story cannot be long
/ now I'm reaching the Western world. Coming so soon
after tho publicity gwen to the YahutSk atrocty Mr.
,tepnia thinks il can hardly fail deepen the sense
Of horror felt by the civilized world at Russia
/ treatment Of political offenders.
The facts 50 far received are follows: Madame
| Sgida did not commit suicide as tho earliest re
port, stated. She died from the effect Of the cruel
/ noggng 10 which she was subjected. The hogging
/ took place Wednesday. November g. II was con
| tinucd until under the brutal blows the unhappy vic
/ tim lost Consciousness and Law one dead
The poor woman never revived from tho terrible shock
bu; continued fo grow weaker and weaker until friday
when death came to her relicf Tho news "t her
shocking ofNclal murder produced widespread dl'hay
and au1sh among her fellow prisoners, ana three
of thciu unable longer 10 bear their wretchcd fate
,or.,rtt,I suicide bv taking poison. How they ob
aincd the poison is not known. but probably they had
onr mad it In their possession. and were keeping II As
lat resort. The names of the women were Mario
Kauzhnaya. Marya Paooona Karalefskaya' ana
Nadczhda smirnitskaya, dthese facts ARE learned
in regard 10 them
Marie Kaluzluaya arrested I'm 1--f being tl'n
A girl Of eighteen. on a charge Of disloyalty Her
/ father WAS a merchant AT odessa During her I'm
| pr-ournout every means vauly tried 10 eNt"rt
from her q confession mplcating her friends NJ Ia''
| Colonel Katauski gcndarme officer brought 70 h'r
.klfllly forged statement purpoFtmg To be 'he
confession oi her fellow cou,pirator'. and promising
/ Immunity n she also confessed Marie fell INTO the
trap confessed and her confession was used against
| hcr friends who wcrs sentenced 10 penal scrvtudc
When She learned they had mado no confession, hu'
/ had been convicted her testimony alone. she pro
/ cured q revolver and on Au1st ~ called upon
/ colonel Katau-h and fired At him. voundmE MN
slightly IN ono car. For this attempted -,inauon
She was condemned by court martial at odessa on
september 10 l-74. and sentenced to twenty years
| penal sclyitudc.
! Marya Paoloona Karalctskaya was a married woman
| ,bout thirty i've years Of age. daughter of well
known landed proprietor in the south Of Russia Pau
Voroutsof and sister 81 Basil NorontSof one OF the
list known political economists IN Russia. She
,in.l secret cir, c which surprised and captured
] ,i,, ir I,hrfI 20
io thirteen years penal scrvitudc. with eAilc 10
/ liberia for ufc. and deprivation of All 'Nu rHh''-
| Her husband. though not present. was sent by al
nlui,irativc process 900 miles from the mines 10
which ,hc va, sent Tho separation drove hcr insane
/ and She wa, put in a strait jacket In l77l she
Wa allowed To- join her husband. n hope ot restoring
/ hcr reason. size recovered: bnt new Governor
/ .ep,r,ied them again and she returned 70 Tie
| Nara mines
Nadezhda ~mirnit,kaya. was thrry-th years old
/ and a student in woman'> college. Size was sen
tcnc~d ~ the Kara Mines FOR fifteen years with penal
,crviiudc. shortly after the suicide "i the thr'e
women. A brother of Marie Kau1hnaya, also political
prisoner. died suddenly. II i, not definitely Known
A, vet whether he too died by poi IN. or whether h'
death ra the result NJ oycgpovorng grief ON learning
/ OF the fate of h- sister. Another exile. named
Bobolov. committed suicide rather than submit To th'
cruel humiliation and suffering of hoseine. Boho
kov va, university student, and took part I'm some
pul't demonstration oi the students "Hhh WIZ us
pleasing To- the au'horltie lie thcrcupon ordered
10 make hi, abode at Pincga small village IN the
Province of irchanrcl the northcrnmo-t part oi
! European Russia. From there hc attempted e. make
hi, escape and for the offence he Wa, cNiled to the
| mines Of Eastern siberia.
The logging of Madame >gida took place under
order, issued by Lieutenant General Baron kort, the
Governor,iencral Of the Province OF the Amour In
which the Kara prison +, situated. These
order, directed that the secret ciict of
March, l-7- signed by Gamn"r Nra'h,
Director General Of Prison, for the Empire. should
| he unninchingy enforced. This cdiot Wa' to the
| effect that political couvicts should be treated Oy
prison Official, in precisely the same manner ~
criminal, condemned ioc common.laW offences f"lu
cal pr. ourr, were thu, made liable io nog-lhS iOf
WAY Madame ieda had tran -grcs,ed IN" prison rue
T. not clearly explained. But u0s~lh- a SENSITIVE
,ud cultured woman to death for any lack ot con
formiy to prison regulations, Mr. stcpua@ thoushl
wcnld impress the western world with profound
horror. -, i, ,,
Imprisoned AT Saphalicn had also been -ube'lcl 10
! cruel nogginl They were constantly 40 uicdu "i
Similar torture 10 tliat innctcd upon Aaaahe 9lsiud
Mr.. Scpnak asked whether ne thohSh, tt
Gar IN Wow OF the fact that these cNceptlohdl ro
| tie al Kara had been made public, Mouu htcIlero
10 mitigate the severity Of the prison discipline ~ tne
thought not unlikely that the punhcall0n oi the
facts would force the superior oh' 'alN oi hu.Sa !"
take some notice Of the affair. lul he cotuedi tno
Gogglng and all the other bruall'lrs were rhilrcN
due io the direct order, of the Central doVcrnmcnt
at St Petersburg namely. the edict OF Nar'Ii lo7H.
The Ministry Of the Interior was thrl'ioc' uiru,at L
Of political prisoner which had been suspcideu IN
1577 after Ircpon ordered Bogolnboh 20 be hogged
cVopCE EENNAN,S I\DIGNATION