The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-02-16
SIBERIA'S LIVING SHAME,
MADAME sIeIDA's DEATH DUE TO
THE FLOGGING.

Copyrighted bg the Net0 York Associated Press.)
LONDON, Feb. 15.-Provided with cable
dispatch of introduction from George Ken
non, the celebrated Siberian traveller. the
London agent Of the Associated Pre- called
this morning on Sergus Stepniak, a WELL
known writer upon Russian political and
social conditions Mr.. Stepniak was asked
whether he could give any Information in
regard to the outrages in the political prison
at Kara in Eastern Siberia, rumors about
which had recently reached the public
press by way of the Russiau colony
IN Paris Mr.. Stepniak stated that
the reports already published gave only
hint OF the horrible tragedy enacted at Kara.
Perfectly Trustworthy information, he said,
had been received in cipher letters that sue
ceeded in getting through to Paris and Lon
don from the exiles in Eastern Siberia.
These letters, which are nothing but meager
scraps Of paper, tell the story of the recent
horror only in is main outlines. But one
who knows about Siberian prison life does
not need circumstantial recital to under
stand the cruelty of the discipline and the
agony Of suffering of which this
horror was the elimination. Full details
of the dreadful story can not be long now
soon after the publicity given to the
Yakutsh atrocity Mr. Stepniak thinks it can
hardly fail to deepen the sense of horror
already felt by the civilized world at Rus
sia's treatment Of political offenders.
MADAME sIGIDA's DEATH.
The fac s 30 far received are as follows:
Madame Sigida did not commit suicide, as
the earliest reports stated. She died from
the effect Of the cruel foyging to which she
was subjected. The tiogging took place
Wednesday, Nov. 8. 1t was csutinued until
under the brutal blows the unhappy victim
lost consciousness and lay as one dead. The
poor woman never revived from the terri
BILE shock, but continued to grow weaker
and weaker until Friday, when death came
TO her relief. The news of her shocking
official murder produced wild spread dis
may and anguish among her fellow prison
ers, and three OF them, unable longer
to bear their wretched fate, committed sui
eide by tIking poison. How they obtailed
the poison is not kno vn, but probably they
had long had it in their possession and were
keeping it as a last resort.
The names sof the women were Marie
Kaluzhnaya, Marya Paulorna Karalefs-
kaya, and Madezhda SmirnitSkaya, and
these facts are learned il regard to them.
TRICKED INTO A CONFESSION.
Marie Kauzhnava was arrested in 1884,
loyalty. Her father was a merchant at
Odessa. During her Imprisonment every
means was tried in vain to extort from her
confession duplicating her friends. AT
last Col Katauski a gendarme officer,
brought to her skillfully forged state
men. Purporting to be confession of
her fellow consplrators, and promising
Marie fen into the trap, confessed
and her confession was used against her
friends who were sentenced to penal servi-
tude. When she learned they had made
no confession, but had been convicted on
her testimony alone, she procured a re-
volver, and on Aug. 81 called upon Col
Kalauski, and fred at him, wounding him
slightly in one ear. For this attempted as
sassination she was condemned bv court
martial at Odessa on Sept. 10, 1884. and
sentenced to twenty years penal servitude.
LOVE AND INSANITY.
Marya Paulorna Karelfskaya was a
young married lady about 81 years of age,
the daughter Of well-known landed pro-
prietor IN the south of Russia, Paul
Vorautsof, and q sister of Basil Vorautsof,
one of the best known Political econom SITS
in Russia. She joined a secret circle, which
was surprised and captured by the police in
February 1879, and sentenced TO thir-
teen years penal servitude with exile
TO Siberia for life, and deprivation
OF all civil rights. 1eF uuSDduu, JHOliSu
not present, was sent by administrative
process a Thousand miles from the mines to
which she was sent. The separation drove
her insane, and she was put in a straight
jacket. In 1881, she was allowed to join
her husband in Q hope of restoring her to
reason. She recovered, hut the new gov
ernor separated them again, and she was
restored TO the Kara mines.
FROM COLLEGE TO MINES.
Nadezhda Smirnitskaya was 33 years old
and a student in the Woman'S college. She
was sent to tie K IRA mines for fifteen years,
with penal servitude.
Shortly after the suicide Of the three
women brother of Marie K luzhnaya, also
q political prisoner, died suddenly. 1t is
not definitely know as yet whether he, too,
died by poison or whether his death was the
result of overpowering grief on learning OF
the death Of his sister.
Another exile, named Bobokor, COM
mitted suicide rather than submit to
the cruel humiliation and suffer
ing of flogging. Bobokor was
university student, aud took part in some
public dem nstration of the students which
was displeasing to the authorities. He was,
therefore, ordered to make his abode at
Pinego, a small village in the province OF
Archangel, the northernmost of European
Russia. From there he attempted to make
his escape and for this hei ous offense he
was exiied to the mines Of Eastern Siberia.
BRUTE RATHER THAN BARON.
The fogging Of Madame Sig;da occurred
under orders issued by Lieut.. Gen. Baron
Karff, governor general of tie province OF
Amour, in which the Kara prison is stu
ated. These orders directed that the secret
edict of March, 1888, signed by Galkine
Nraski direct n general # prisons for the
empire, should b. unhilchingly en-
forced This edict was TO the
effect that political convict' should
be treated by prisoa officials in precisely
the same manner as criminals condemned
for common law offenses. Political prison
ers were thus made liable to hogging for
breaches of prison discipline. In what par
ucular way Madame Sigida had trans
gressed the prison rules is not clearly ex-
planned. But Aoggiug sensitive and cu
tured woman to death for any lact OF
conformity to prison regulations, Mr.. Step
max Thought, would impress the western
world with profound horror.
FLoGGINGS AT SAGHALIEN.
Political prisoners at Kara, Mr.. Stepniaa
said, had in some way learned that political
exlles imprisoned at Saghalien had alst
osen subjected to cruel hogging. They
were constantly in dread OF similar torture
20 that inflicted upon Nine. Sgida. MIR
ntepniak was asked whether he thought th'