Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1891-04-08

shaInilxs use the lash as indiscriminate-
ly as when all are VIGOROUSLY innocent.
In district of the Government of
Tshernigoff, for instance, a peasant
complained that his turkey cocks had a
disagreeable way of disappearing from
his farmyard and from the village gen.
orally. He did not know exactly. who
was committing these depredations on
his property, but he suspected a little
boy of eleven, who might possibly
be aided and allotted by rela
tions who were of an age
to know better. The Zemsky Natshal-
mix at once declared that it would save
much time and trouble if the child were
logged till he made a clean breast of
1t; SO he told the peasants to assemble
and do their duty. These rude, half
civilized creatures, however, had more
scruples about carrying out the sem
tence than their betters felt IN pro-
nouncing it. Hesitating to fog mere
child and afraid to disobey the "Tsar's
ambassador" as the Zemsky Natshal-
nilSs liked to be called, they compro-
missed the matter by fogging an elder
brother of the child. In comparison
with this sort of thing, fogging peas
ants in order to compel them to pay
taxes seems q natural, legal and wise
procedure. AS an instance of how it is
done may quote the following order
Ephremovsky district of the Govern
ment Of Toola, and published by the
Electromagnetic Vedomosti' few days
ago: 81 hereby order the starosts (peas-
ant-elders) to call the peasants together
tomorrow, and make known to them
that they have got to pay all taxes by
Saturday next, and, when 1 verify the
list all who have not paid will be
logged in presence of the assembly,"
Here and there, no doubt, traces of
the old spirit are still extant, as was
shown few days ago in the Govern
ment of Smolensk, where the peasants,
having refused to appear ;t some meet
ing, were summoned in body to the
Volost Board, without being enlight-
ened as to the object for which they
were wanted. Reluctantly they obeyed,
and when the whole seventeen of them
were safe in the room of the hut the
Waterman closed the door, turned the
key and put 1t in his pocket. "Now,
what might that meanP" asked
one of the mystified rustics. 1T means
a hot poultice for every mothers son of
ye-that's what 1t means" was the can
did reply; fifteen piping hot for each
of ye, brothers" ''It's not lawful to
lock the door," protested one. 1.-THE
sentence should have been read over to
u.s." urged another. Its dead against
the law, brothers, and we won't lie
down." cried a third; and so they
argued, protested and stormed until
they were tired. Better have it over,
brothers" shouted out a stout,
burly fellow with thick skin and no
nerves to speak Of The others list
ened in silence, and at length agreed
that he was right. Then arose the i'm
portant question of precedence. Who
was to handle the lash?. No one was
DESTROYS of the equivocal honor. At
last the same wise man solved the queS-
ton satisfactorily. Its all one, boys;
the first will get no more than the last,
so don't mind if l lie down''-and,
suiting the action to the words, he
made the necessary alterations in his
toilet, lay down like a lamb, and
the dolorous operation was begun
Meanwhile storm-cloud burst over
their heads and the rain poured down
in torrents. THE scene," we are told,
twas highly impressive. In the hut it
was pitch dark. and nothing could be
heard save the dull thud of the lash. the
subdued moan, the wincing and wrig-
Cling on the floor, and the vague, mar
ticulate murmurs of the peasants
around. Suddenly brilliant flash of
lightning turns the night into day,
revealing the bare back with the red
marks made by the rods, the brick
colored, wedge-shaped, shaggy beard Of
the heaving mass on the ground, the
anxious crowd standing closely up
against the wall of the room, the
vigorous sweep of the lash, the gloomy
figure of the elder, and the ironical
glance of the secretary. Il won't lie
down. exclaimed one Of the peasants,
for am not the owner of house, and
wasn't sent for My father asked me
to come and see what's up It's all
one,' said the practical elder; down on
your marrow bones and take your
fathers share. We've no time to wait
for him to turn up And, seeing that
there was no help for it, he lay down
and received his fathers portion. The
operation was not over till daybreak,
when they adjourned to the nearest
tavern, drowned their sorrows in
vodka, and returned home drunk and
disorderly, threatening to wreak venge-
ance on their prosecutors"