Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1890-02-20
NO PITY ron WEAK WOMEN.
The Reports of Narrowing Cruelty to Rus.
sian Convicts Verified.

LoNpoN, Feb Is. Copyright New
York Associated Press, 30 Provided
with cable despatch Of introduction from
Geo heumau the celebrated Siberian
traveller, the London agent OF the Associa-
ted Press called this morning on Sergius
Stepniuk, the we'll known Russian political
writer upon political and social conditions,
Stepniak when asked whether he could
give any information in regard to the out
rage, in the political prison at Kara in
eastern Siberia, replied that the re-
ports already published gave only a hint
of the horrible tragedy enacted Mt Kara
Perfectly trustworthy information, he
said, had been received in cipher
letters that tells the story only in
its many outlines The full
details of the dreadful story cannot he long
now in reaching the western world, COM
ing 80 soon after the publicity given to
the Nakutsk atrocity, The facts 40 far
received are as follows;
Madame Sigada did notcommit suicide
MS the earliest reports stated. She died
from the effect of cruel hogging to winch
| she WAS subjected. The logging took
place on Wednesday, November 9th II
was continued until under the brutal blows
the unhappy victim lost consciousness and
| lay as one dead The news of her shocking
murder produced widespread dismay
among the female fellow prisoners, and
| three of them. unable 60 longer bear the
wretehcd fate, committed suicide by POI
son. The names of the women were
Marie kaluzhnaya, Marya Paoona Kual-
efskaya and Madezhda Smeritskaya.
! Marie kuluzhmaya was arrested in 1884,
| q girl of IS, on "a charge Of dislOyaty.
| Every means tried 10 extort
a confession duplicating friends was futile
until Col kolauski brought her forged
statement purporting 10 be a confession OF
! her fellow conspirators and promising inn
munity. Marie fell into the trap and con
| ie2sed and her confession was used against
her friends who were sentenced to penal
seryitude. When she learned of the de.
ception, she procured q revolver and tried
to kill kolanski FOR this she was
! sentenced TO twenty years Of penal
servitude Marie Poalopa kmalefskoya
was young married lady about thirty
five years, Of good family In 1871 she
WAS sentenced for thirteen years IN penai
scrvitude with exile TO Siberia for life for
belonging 10 a secret circle. Her husband
was sent q thousand miles from the mines
TO which she was sent. The separation
drove her insane, and in 1881 she was
allowed TO join her husband IN the hope
Of restoring her reason. She recovered,
but the new government separated them
again and she was returned TO the Kara
mines
Madezhda Smeruitskaya was 33 years
old and student in the woman college.
She was sentenced TO the Kara mines for
I years with pen servitude Shortly
after the suicide three women and
brother Of Marie Kaluzhuaya, also politi-
cal prisoners died suddenly Another ex-
lie named Bobokov committed suicide
rather than submit TO the cruel humiliation
and suffering Of a logging. The logging
Of Madame Slglda occurred under
orders issued by Northumberland
Baron korii, governor general Of the Prov
ince of Amor. in which Kara prison is
situated These orders directed that the
iecret edict Of March, 1888, signed by Col
kinvrash director general Of prisons for
the empire, Should be unHinchingy en-
forced. This edict was 10 the effect that
political convicts should be treated bypris-
on officials in precisely the same manner
as criminals condemned for common law
ohenses.
In what particular way Madame Sigida
transgressed the prison rules IL not clearly
explained. But logging this sensitive
and cultured woman 10 death for any lack
Of conformity to prison regulations,
Stepniak thought would impress the west
ern world with profound horror The po-
litical prisoners at Kara Stepnlak said,
had in some was learned that the political
exies imprisoned at Soghalien also
have been subject to cruel aogging
They we're constantly in dread Of similar
torture to that inflicted upon Madame
Sigida. Stepuiak thought it not unlikely
that the publication Of the facts would
| force the superior officials Of Russia to
| take some notice Of the affair But the
aogging and an the other brutalities were
entirely due to the direct orders Of the
central government at St. Petersburg