San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-07-17
MADAME SIHIDI.
How They FIogged Her in the Prison
of Ust-Kara.

of Ust-kara.
| OF all the atrocities which bav,
been appealing to the universal in
dignation in connection with the
Russian treatment Of political prison
ers, none is worse than the f1oggins
to death of Nine. Sihidi in the prison
of Ust-Kara for a revolt against the
indignities of penal servitude. A
full account is given by Adolphe
Smith in the Universal Review, in an
article entitled, "By Admins
trative Order"
There is i'm Paris a lady who knew
Nine. Sihida, and was for some time
her companion in exile. From this
lady have ascertained a few details
which only paint in darker color the
drama of the Ust Kara prison. Nine.
Sihlda was not more than q at the
time she was logged to death. She
| was the daughter of q merchant, and
completed her education at the gym.
| nasium of her native town. Tagan-
| rog. When her examination had
been successfully passed she became
| school teacher, and exercised her
profession in the same town. In APP
pearance she was brunette of medi-
UNI size. Her features were of a very
pronounced character, though her
nose was of the genus "tip-tilted;"
but her large black eyes never failed
to attract all whom she met by their
intelligent and energetic express
sion. In her manners she was eX-
tremely quick and lively. Easily
reused, easily agitated, her friends
were won't to describe her as "a bun
die of nerves." She dressed very
simply, but with much neatness and
good taste. Her general appearance
did not belle her remarkable charac-
ter. Even in Russia it would be
difficult to find more extreme ideal
ist than Nine. Sihida. She insisted
on the most implicit fidelity to prin-
ciple, and could tolerate no COM
promise; not even in the minute de-
tails of daily life. For these trifies
she demanded the same courageous
consistency as in the most impOrta nt
moments of trial. If once a friend
rendered himself culpable. in private
life, of some little action. however
trifiing, not in harmony with his
principles. he was at once lost in her
estimation, and this in spite of
very great merit displayed in public
life and in graver circumstances.
Ust-Kara, where Nine. Sihida was
imprisoned, is the first of the villages
which, taken together, constitute the
gold-mining district of Kara. 1t is a
large village, boasting of three shops,
and inhabited principally by Rus
slams, who live either by agricultural
pursuits or by trade. Here is the fe-
male political prison. 1t Is a large
square building, situate in the mid
die of fields and therefore cannot
be approached without attracting
attention. AS usual the prison is
surrounded by q high stockade, which
forms a spacious yard. The cells are
small, and give on to a passage. This
passage is carefully closed and
watched, but the doors are left
open so that the prisoners are free to
visit the various rooms, and make the
most of each others society. The
rooms are very damp and unwhole-
some. The prisoners complain that
there is no ambulance chest provided,
though it exists i'm the convict goals.
The service is done by gendarmes,
which Is of course very unpleasant
for the prisoners. 1t was in this pris-
on that Nine. Soluzef-Kovalsky was
dragged from her bed in her night
dress, and made to walk the passage
to the officers room. Here even her
slender night garment was torn
from her and convicts robes sub.
stituted amid the jeers of
brutal goalers. Three times the
women organized hunger strike to
obtain the removal of Masukoff, the
director of the prison, who had
caused this outrage to be committed.
The last of these strikers lasted
twenty-five days. The women were
only kept alive by food mechanically
forced upon them. Then, at last,
Nine. Sihida contrived to box Masu-
koff's ears; and, instead of being
hung as she had hoped, was flogged
to death. The Russian government
boasts that it has abolished the
knout, but it has established in it's
stead the plet, sort of birch. which
according to the testimony of Russian
officers, quoted by George KEENAN,,
can be made to cause death in 100
blows. 1t was precisely to 100 blows
that Nine. Sihida was condemned,
and this in spite of the protest of the
prison doctor, who refused to be pres
ent. The execution, there Is good
reason to believe, was illegal, since,
according to law, corporal punish
ment should only be administered af-
ter judgment pronounced by q tribu-
| nal, and after examination and ap-
prevail by medical man. Both con-
ditions were wanting IN the present
case. Nevertheless, and at the single
command of the chief director of con-