The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1899-01-13
FL0GGING IN SIBERIA
FEARFUL TORTURE TO WHICH CON-
ViCTS ARE LIABLE.

VIZ AhG LIABLE.
The Story of thc Ecrcilessly Brutal
IInout as Told by Russian Sur
geon-TLc Worst Criminals Chosen
to Weld the Lash.
Passing along u gloomy passage of the
alexander prison, whose walls are cover
oil with black moldincss and reek with
t..5 strong scent Of pine cones strewing on
tie floor, va 1ind at the end of tho CORR
dor chairs and tables for the authorities
who witness tho inflictiun of the punish
ments. Among the officials arc u lawyer,
tie chief Of tho prison and the surgeon,
ard little way off is placed the ''block'
Of threatening aspect, behind which stands
TIE wiCidCr of the knout, who awaits his
victims with Il curious look His garb is
apparently intended to make tho situation
al the more impressive. He wears a tall
wEite head covering, soft felt shoes, a
blood rcd shirt with its sleeves turned up,
and he carries the knout in his hand.
Along the one wall stands n row of con-
yicts with smoothly shaved heads, and
facing them is a long line of warders arm
cd with loaded revolvers in tho hand The
stillness, as of the grave, which stamps
by the rafting of the handouts and the
leg letters and by furtlve cough or the
JCstiing of the papers upon the table of
the prison governor.
"Who will DO tho neXtf'' is tho question
that is all too clearly to be read upon the
deathlike features of tho "arrcstants"
"SidOrov" is called out by the governo.
in quiet, restrained voice. Sidcrov steps
unstcadi!y ard with an increasing totter
and rattling of his chains out of the line
CT gray, long felt Goats. l note his lips
growing palo and tho fear in his widely
opened eyes, as though he were hunted
wild beast.
Lilo DOWN. is tho command. Hastily
making the sign CT tho cross on his breast
SidGrov li,s down Mt length Oh the bench
and throws each arm around it. He is
then Eound IL leather thongs to the
bench, and his hands arc tied together he
ucath IL
How many?" asks tho warder charged
With counting tho strokes
sixty" is the quiet answer CT the gov
ernnr.
"LcoIi out" or "Pull yourself togcth
cr,'' forms the general remark Of the
.:Eaut wiuldcr, and the next morcEt the
Flows arc raining in fearful thuds upon
The l:;:rc back If Sidorov, who utters heart
n'..Sins 49, i,In, o w.
e:cry orc Of which Kisses and leaves it!
mark on the cUlprit The cry that ut first
followed every stroke has gradually be
come an uhnro>eh now anu ro a. anu
reioerS III :" Lave s'r'hS ticr'eS II my
can picture iurther III 1he ni"t"'isiiess Vi
TINS ulaooilcal ioEih oi punishment
k...,, Il
ms SORT CT caStlgaeioh Is iAilcteu upon
cohVlctS whcAcNcr IL Is orc;ilheu ny .he
law or by the pence and local authori,ieS
Inc dispenser nt Dlows Is Always IL leilow
taken from the prisoners thciESo ives ana
IN his hnhds the late Oh tAe ucili.4H'i'
may re s:.ia i:'eraliy 10 lie. IAe ki'oI'
CONSISTS OF lnlSh Wooa," s'ich' 70 "hieh
Is lnstehcu S'f":iE'! pialteu i''Sii' ',',o.'
81 li-ches long "iia lhcnes "i''e' an" III.
thohS Is cut so as 10 iGElh tiroc iAst''T a.
us emu y CONVICT VINO rs'''i''S ''io Sl'l',i-
est ocEEco CT hEihhh lcoliES can never w
induced to undertake. this Office, and thus
only tho most reprobatc and hardeheo
criminals arc chosen Tor the drca.. WORK
10 theSo lHhIMah creatures inc courts OF
hEIsia lntrdst human ne. Ii Is III lacir
power to irulct only llRht punishment
upon tho condemned, to make hlh GRIP
plo for the rest OF lis days or to seEa MN
10 his grave on inc SPOT ana 9et inc ON
cl"is never deem 1t necessary 10 put any
restraint on these llog2erS. The cXl Crl-
cnccd no2g&rs arc really skilled ut their
work. If they wish to show any mercy tic
the delinquent. they rain blows Oh MS
body with the middle part Of the WHIP
whilo the cruel tips Of it fall beyond the
prisoner ana OH the Dehch, ECU IL 10
mercy Is to he given then the kEcut IS
nauc TO do It's lcll purpose. In TIC Ha"l"
0i skilled l2ggcr the motions at tee
knOut are 60 quick that they can scarcely
Ec rightly followed Ey an inexperienced
U!iS' :NIf. In either case the prisoner nat
uraliy fowls, hUS the difference III the lt-
suit is very marked. TIC llsh'ened form
OF punishment ran hC Bought. aAd woe 10
him WHO is not able to rropltlate the
hogEcr.
Ike courts generally condemn TO HOG
E!rE coni-":-c@ criminals, lu@ltlFes from
Sibtlla a:.u vhIaEHHI%, many ol "hoih
Lave iCt IivCd aitIEc;ntr from oou 10 "oV
Flows. IN CID siberian tramp ihiShca
his curriculum vitae with TIE following
words, Il have received all told l,AO0
stripCa Of the birch rnd, COO blows from
the knout and nunberlcss tkrashiEgs by
sticks. As is to be expected, til" stats
ties CT the Sincliah PR sons sho" lh' iU-
tl!liJ CT lEcar puhlshlhchtS Us CORRECTIVE
caiurcs. IL proportion las the punish
H;ci.ts i1crc 50 IL numb'r and cruelty so
the relapscj and backs!itiingS INTO crime
increase. NoStai-!h' or intensified nome
sickness, Is curl"usly strong III the IN
mates q the siberian PRISONS anu VIII Ecu
be rcprcSscd b. tho moS5 cruel system oil
whipping
Hitherto VIC have dealt only with ire
knCut, which Is TIC rA.> 1orlA oI PUNISH
meNt and must lie cGG~ feu D! court o'
law. Iho usual corporal p":lahihcht l!
means CT rot.s ana st!r';s Is soihcN,i'I oll
VI tio C!"FSI'i'o i''' '"io' 40 ":' ~
i)-i pa 4n'' i'iS A''''' - iN'-''''-'>-'