The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1903-07-23

Reforms Instituted to Show
Mercy to Ills Prisoners.
CLAIMING ooEVIoTs PROHIBITED.

Only Criminals Convicted Of I'm
usually Brutal Conduct In Jan to
Have Heads shaved-Russia's ruler
AboIishes some of the worst Tor
tures-RemarkabIe EGect Of Blows
Delivered by FIoseer In siberia.
The car sent a confidential official
to the principal central prisons Ia Euro.
pean Russia and in Siberia last Febru-
airy to get an absolutely impartial, un-
colored report about the state Of the
prisons and the nature Of the punish
ments inflicted on prisoners for refrac-
tory conduct.
This official. a former colonel in the
guards. named Zabelnikoff. has now re-
turned TO St Petersburg and made
full and fearless report to his imperial
master, as result Of which some inn
proyement in tie condition Of things
has already been made, says the New
York World
For instance, no political prisoners
head IS to be shaved-only those Of
criminals convicted Of unusually brutal
conduct while IN JAIL
No woman and no male under
eighteen is to be subjected to blows or
stripes from a stick or whip for any
offense, and in all cases where whip
ping is regarded as necessary by the
prison authorities the consent Of the
governor Of the province must be first
obtained and full reports Of circum-
stances be sent to st. Petersburg.
The practice Of claiming refractory
.cOnvicts to cars in mines or elsewhere
has been abolished.
The minor punishments, such as CON
fning prisoner in a totally dark cell
underground, have been much modified.
No prisoner is to suffer this punish
ment for more than three days. The
doctor who accompanied Colonel label
nikoff on his journey says a weeks
confinement III a totally dark under
ground cell injuries the eyes beyond re-
covery.
Colonel Zabelnikon's attention was
especially directed to complaints which
had reached.his imperial masters ears
that in the military prisons Jewish sol
diers suffered far worse treatment than
Christians Zabelnfkoff found this to
be the case in only isolated instances
and that any difference in the treat
ment Of the two religions was due
rather to the attitude of the lower
ranks Of wardens than to the action
Of the prison directors.
A Russian traveller and litterateur
named Doroshevitch recently returned
from sakhalin, a penal island off the
east coast Of Siberia While there be
had an interview with one Komleff, a
man employed to fog prisoners. Kom-
left is an artist with the whip.
Doroshevitch asked him with how
many blows he could Kill a man.
Komleff answered. Two" Then, re-
hecting, he said. with one" explain
ing that he thought he could break the
backbone.
Komled distinguished between APP
parent blows and real blows. He told |
to lay his thick notebook
on the fogging block. The traveller
did So and with one whizzing blow
shattered it into d thousand |
Now put your hand on the block"
said Komleff
Doroshevitch complied and heard the
same dreadful whizzing sound, but his
hand was only gently touched by the
whip.
1t is optional with Komleff what sort
IF blow to inaiet. He said:
Il can either torture or tickle, as it
)leases me.
When Doroshevitch told this terrible
man that sort of punishment would
low be abolished the executioner re-
lponded fervently
"God grant it may be sol''