The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-06-22

of former regimes of repression was to
be fully sustained. None would be
| spared or temporized with who were in
| any way suspected of utilization with
| Nihilism, and not only this, but it was
clearly seen that many traps to waylas
the unwary and draw them into self
condemnatory course would be adroitly
set by this new incumbent of the Office
which Trepoff and Messentsoff had
| invested with terror and vacated
through violence Talk of the Middle
Ages and Of the atrocities which are
looked upon by US of the nineteenth
century as exclusively belonging to
those barbarous times Why, the tale
of Russian police methods of TO day is
far more startling. The story of
Gresser's persecution of Togarnieff, the
Nihilist, against whom the police, though
they had long known him TO be one,
had not been able to prove any acts of
commission, has already been told in
part from time to time. Gresser was in
from prisoners by means of electric
shocks, fiendish device to which he
resorted in the case of Togarnieff, whom
he also subjected to a process of fasting
for several days at time. Solitary con-
fDement in a rat haunted cell was
another method, the prisoner being
shut in without ray of light penetrat-
ing the darkness of his dungeon. Sus-
poets who had been temporarily arrested
and were undergoing q species of ex-
animation were systematically tortured
with view to eXtort some admission
from their lips, the intention, of course
being to get some kind of a statement
from them; whether it should be true
or not mattered little, so long as
it was discriminating. 1t was
hoped that one of these unfortu-
mates, goaded into condition
of semi-insanity from the cruelties in
fiicted upon them, would nIadly shrek
out any admission rather than continue
under the torture. 1t remains fact,
these instances were rarely, if ever, real
lied. In the case of Togarnief, above
referred to, il is known that his brutal
jailers failed to accomplish their pur-
pose. Here the police employed not
only electric shocks, starvation and soil
tary confinement, but also a barbarous
practice supposed to be relic of the
Spanish inquisition-the application Of
redhot irons to the soles of the
feet. In fact, under Gresser's rule
those unhappy enough to fan into
the hands of the police found
themselves while in durance in
veritable chamber of horrows from
which there was no immediate escape
and detention in which for any length of
time was an ordeal SO terrible that even
to describe it seems almost beyond the
power of words. Within those gloomy
walls, surrounded by the pitiless despot-
ism and by the very instruments of tor
ture intended for his physical torment
should he fail to respond to the demand
that he surrender the secrets he either
possessed or was suspected OF possessing,
the political prisoner found himself cut
off from all hope. Let those who live
in free country, and under the benef-
cent influence of constitutional laws,
picture to themselves tne awful position (!
How great, then, must be our admiration
OF the heroism Of sucn men as Tozar-
nieff, who withstood il with unshrinking
fortitUde. Gesser, not content with the
Immunity he continued 70 enjoy so long
while praoticing his tyranny and bar
barism, had sctusily the temerity TO
license unspeakable outrsges upon some /
OF the female victims who were caught IN
the drag net OF his atrocious authority.
One fragrant instance OF this, and which /
is sufficient for my purpose in seeking /
to illustrate the iniquities OF his system. /
occurred very lately in the arrest Of
Olga Beburuff. 3 young woman Of excel (
lent social connections and WHO fell f.
under the ban OF the dreaded Third Sec
ton The circumstances Of her sxDeri- !,