New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-11-06
FLOGGING IN SIBERIA.
A RUSSIAN SURGEONS STORY OF CON-
VICT LIFE IN SAGHALIN.
THE WORST CRIMINALS ARE CHOSEN TO WELD
THE KNoUT-CoMPARATIvE IMMUNITY
Is TO BE PURCHASED.

TO BE PURCHASED.
From The vratsch. a st. Petersburg Medical
Weekly.
Passing along a gloomy passage OF the Alex
ander Prison. whose walls covered with
black mouldiness and reek with the strong scent
of pine cones strewing on the floor. find at
the end Of the corridor chairs and tables for tho
authorities who witness the nfcton of the
punshments: among the officials are a lawyer.
the chief OF the prison. and the surgeon, and a
little way off is placed the block OF threatening
aspect. behind which stands the wiolder of the
knout. VINO awaits his victims with a curious
look. His Garb is apparently intended to make
the situation all the ore impressive: he wears
tall white head covering. soft felt shoes. a
bloodred shirt with its sleeves turned up. ana
he carries the knOut in his hand. Along the
ono wall stands OF convicts with smoothly
shaved heads, and facing them is long line
OF warders armed with loaded reviewers in the
hand The Stiffness, as OF the gave. which
stamps all present is broken from time to time
by the rafting OF the handouts and the leg fet-
ters and by n furtivc cough or the rustling OF
the papers upon the table Of the prison Cow
ernor.
"Who will be the next" is the question that
is all TO clearly to be read upon the dcathlike
features Of the "arrestants"-
"SdOrov" is called out by the Governor in a
quiet restrained voice. SidOrOy steps unStcadily
and with an increasing tOtter and rafting Of his
chains out of the line Of gray, long felt coats.
! note his lips growing pale and the fear in his
widely opened eyes, as though he were a hunted
wild beast.
the sign Of the cross his breast SidOrov lies
down at length the bench, and throws each
arm around it: ne is then bound by lcathern
thongs to the bench and his hands are tied to-
gcthcr beneath H.
How many" asks the warder charged with
counting the strokes.
"Sixty." is the quiet answer of the Governor.
Look out" or Pull yourself together" forms
the general remark Of the knout -wiclder. and
the next moment the blows are raining in fear
full thrds upon the bare back Of Sidorov who
mi Hare hn, ft,t., mi. tI,,.n
the warder calls aloud the tale of the stripes.
every one Of which Kisses and leaves its mark
on the culprit. The cry that at first followed
every stroke has gradually become an unbroken
howl and roar. and readers must have strong
nerves if they can picture further all the hide
BUSINESS Of this diaboIica form Of punishment.
This sort of castigation is inflicted upon con-
vets whenever 1t is ordained by the law or by
the police and local authorities The dispenser
of blows is always fellow taken from the pris-
offers themselves. and in his hands the fate OF
the delinquent may be aid literally to lie. The
knout consists of a thick wooden stick to which
is fastened a strongly plated lash. about thirty
inches long and two inches wide and this thong
Is cut SO as to form three lashcs al its end A
conN let who retains the smallest degree of hui
man feeling can never be induced to underta Ike
this office and thus only the most reprobate
and hardened criminals chosen for the dread
work TO these inhuman crea urcs the courts
! Of Russia intrust human life 1t is in their
power to inflict only light punishment upon the
condemned. to make him cripple for the rest
OF ms Gays. or 10 SEND MN TO MS grave on the
spot; and yet the officials never deem II neces-
Sary to put any restraint on these nOgGers. The
| experienced hoggcrs are really skilled at their
work If they wish to show any mercy to the
| delinquent they rain blows on his body with the
middle part of the WHIP while the cruel tips Of
! it fall beyond the prisoner and on the bench
but if no mercy is to be given. then the knout Is
made to do its fell purpose In the hands of 4
skilled fiOggcr the motions of the knOut are 81
quick that they can scarcely be rightly followed
! by an inexperienced observer In either case
the prisoner naturally bowls; but the difference
in the result is very marked. The lightcned
| form of punishment can bc bought. and woe ia
him who Is not able to prOpitiatc the logger.
/ Permanent injury and death as the results OF
the knouts were formerly by means rare. but
now they are exceptions. Very much depends
also upon tho personality Of the chief OF the
prison: if he is a man of the least kindly feeling
| he will not allow the hoGging To be carried out
! to grewsome lengths; but. are there many such
men To be found on the OutcrmOSt fringe Of the
! Russian Empire?
The courts generally condemn h hogGing con-
! frmcd criminals. fugitvcs from Siberia and
vagabOnds many of whom have received alto
gether from five hundred to six hundred blows
An old Siberian tramp finished his curriculum
/ vitae with the following words: Il have re-
Ceived all told fourteen hundred stripes of the
birch rod six hundred blows from the knOut
/ and numberlcss thrashings by sticks As
is to be expected. the statistics of the ST.
beran prisons show the futility Of these punish
ments as corrective measures. In proportion "a
the DunshmentS increase in number and cruelty
! crease Nostalgia. or intensified hom"sickncSs
| is curiOusly strong in the inmates Of the ST
| beran prisons. and will not be repreSscd Ivy the
most cruel system of whipping.
! Hitherto we have dealt only with the knout
/ which is the form of punishment. and
must be ordered by a court Of law. The usual
! corporal punishment by means of rods and
sticks is somewhat different. for they form the
ff.an