The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1903-12-04

leaked out and within a few lays after
the police agents visits the revolutionary
documents were in their hands again, sur
rendered to the authorities by soldiers who
felt 1T their duty to give Information.
The few who failed to turn In the seditious
papers at once either have been arrested
or have been placed under the closest
surveillance by the police.
Within a few days further distributions
have been made, this time actually by the
social democrats, but SO wary have the
soldiers become that many of the men
known to have anarchistic leanings have
promptly informed the police of the dis,
tributions ana turned over the contraband
literature.
AS the Russian forces stand in such abb
ject fear of their chiefs, it is difficult to
determine exactly how much this extra
ordinary disaffection has undermined dis
cipline. No outbreaks nave occurred and
the highe officers apparently are uncor-
rupted. but the recent actions of the gov
ernment indicate that it is taking no
chances, and almost everyone connected
with the service is more or less under the
eye OF trusted police spies.
What the authorities fear most, Is, Of
course, that the army. by the aid of which
only can despotism continue Its sway, may
yield to the persistent eXhortations of the
socialists and, in the event Of uprisings,
take sides with the people. That this fear
is q long way from being groundless is
proven by the recent publication in the
Petite Republique. the Partisan socialist
organ, Of two revolutionary manifestoes
dated In April and August of this year
which emanate directly from the Mill
tary Revolutionary OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
more courageou of the two secret socie-
ties known to exist among the officers of
the Russian army. The first of these which
10 aHlraScnI tn" nfipnTS rnfarS TO the uni
vcrsal discomfort In the country OF the
car and to the clique which
governs Russia IN the nnme of Nicholas
II. and then urges commanders to 'fulflil
their sacred duty by refusing to lead their
soldiers in the fratricidal war against
their fellow countrymen."
The second manifesto. addressed to tho
rank and file, breathes n similar spirit
and dwells especially upon the bonds that
unite the soldier with the peasant and
working class brethren. 1t goes on to as
sert that among the superior officers are
many who are perfectly conscious of the
odius part they are obliged to play. They
are not sure, however, whether their men
are with them or against them. But,
whatever may be the views Of the officer
In command, 1t Is not he who aims and
fires, but you yourselves, the soldiers. 1t
therefore depends entirely upon you not
to fire.
While the authorities nave been busy
trying to control the troops who already
wear the Russian uniform, the enlistment
officers have been uncoverlng one of the
most remarkable schemes for assisting in
dividuals to evade military service dis
covered in the history Of the empire and a
special court-martial, sitting at Odessa.
has just found four men guilty of mon
strous practices.
Mutilated TO Escape Service.
For years this quartet which has -four.
ished under the firm name of Kirk & Co,
has been getting rich by performing upon
young men Liable for military service sur
gical operations, the results Of which in
sure their being rejected by the army
medical examiners. Organized through
out southern Russia, this gang has mu-
tllated, In some cases fatally. scores Of
perfectly sound youn men who to escape
the dreaded military CONSUMPTION, paid
the manners literally.
Equipped with almost every instrument
and appliance known TO modern surgery
the band was able to do permanent injury
to almost any organ or to inoculate any
system with incurable disease. One ia
forite treatment was the inhaling Of
strong chloride fumes which produced
bronchitis, While other applicants were
gwen a course of such powerful cathar-
tics that their constitutions were perma-
nently ruined in bringing about the de-
sired appearance of anaemia.
In other cases castor oil was admins
tered to produce catarrh of the stomach
while another injury favored by many
was that Of destroying the ear drum
either by piercing 1t with a sharp instru-
ment or placing in the ear q caustic So
luton of carbolic acid. The gang also
had means of producing artificial leprosy.
The prices demanded by Kirk & Co
for even the simplest injuries were high
enough to insure rapid wealth for the
operators. On the trial a soldier swore
that he and his relatives had raised $50
to pay for making him anaemic, while
another recruit whose ear drum had been
pierced was obliged to produce $3.50 before
the band would consent to operate.
kirk. the leader of the gang, received
the heaviest sentence. being condemned tc
lifelong loss of all rights, state and per.
sonal. as well as two and a half years
confinement in a military prison. Da.
VidoVlch, Kinks first assistant, and Mel.
nitchanski. who did most of the operat.
Ing, each received two years impr.son.
ment with life loss Of all rights. while
the fourth man, K~abatnikoff, who actet
as agent between the firm and Its patient
was sentenced to six months hard labor
Three soldiers who were found guilty o,
receiving the injuries solely to shorter
their terms In the army also received
sentences of Imprisonment.