Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1900-09-13
A FOOD STRIKE.
At that they went on II strike.

~ Stflkc among hUSSlal polIii
cal prisoners means that, being
weary of life, they agree to die. 1t
is called IL hunger strike" and 1t
has the peculiar property OF re-
lieving the prisoners Of all annoy
ancc, because, when it ends, they
are dead, and of giving Il Govern
or Il great deal of annoyance, be-
cause he is appointed to merely
torture prisoners, not kill them.
Mai. Khalturin, however, be-
side being careful and conscicn-
tious, was an officer of much firm
ness of character. They wanted
to starye, did they! Well, let
them starvc. SO they starved.
For five days not one Of the
strikers tasted food. The Minis
ter of the Interior ut st. Peters
burg was telcgraphed to for in
structions. However complaiSant
Russian Major may be in the
matter of starvation, he prefers to
have authority for it from head
quarters.
The Minister of the Interior
wired Maj. khalturin that he
would appreciate information of
any marked change that might oc
eur. No marked change did oc-
eur, the hundred skeletons contin
uing to starvc, as per program o.
riginally outlined.
At the end of two weeks the
Major informed the Minister of
the Interior that he expected Il
marked change shortly. The Skcl-
etons, from being living ones, were
about to become dead. The Min
lister of the Interior replied that he
appreciated the tenor of the com
munication, and would take the
liberty of suggesting that the hum
ger strike be brought to an end.
The Major told the wives of the
prisoners who lived in the settle
ment around the Jail that he would
graciously permit them to take
leave of their husbands, who were
committing suicide. The women,
instead of bidding the prisoners
farewell, implored them to live.
The prisoners declined to live if
they were to be logged. Major
khalturin reluctantly agreed to
forcgo the logging. The women,
with all the piteouSncsS that love
can breathe into cntreaty, went on
their knees once more to the wrecks
their faithful hearts held dear. and
the hunger strike ut Ust Kara
came to an end.
The tloggings came aftcrward,
with the tritling change that i'll
stead of being logged together
they were logged separately.
If Siberia has spelled death to
men who revolted against tyranny,
it has meant all shames and fire.
qucnt dishonor TO women.
At intervals there rose up Il
mong female political offenders
women who, their patience worn
to shreds, turned assassin that the
world might learn their crime and
cry out against the cruelty that
could make II woman Il murdercss.
RUSSIAN STATEsMANsHIP.
Russian craftsmanship of the
past, having buried its heroes in
Siberian dungeons, consistently
turned loose upon the open coun-
try its thieves, highwaymen, va
grants and homicidcs, at the rate
OF 900 every year. 1t made
colonies of them, and every year
the population of Siberia, unwil-
ling to be morally poisoned, mem
Orialized Russian craftsmanship to
abandon the practice, because
homicides and highwaymcn will
no more remain in colonies than
wolves will live on skim milk.
Great bands of Grimm alS roved
over the land, pcrpetuating the
ancient and exciting callngs of
robbery and manslaughter, while
the peasants in the intervals be-
tween memorials loaded shotguns
and made shift at defending
hearts and homes. Caravans a
long the highroad between Torusk