davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1905-08-03
AND YET MORE SCANDALS.
Only Remedy for Republican Rotten
ness Is to Turn the Ras-
Gals Out.

The cotton scandal in the agricul-
tural department has been settled fol-
the present by the dismissal Of Holmes
the assistant statistician.
The secretary Of agriculture in his
breezy sty.e. declares: This is a
quarrel among gamblers but if that
is true it can in no way eXonerate the
department or Secretary Wilson from
completely in the scandal. Three years
or more ago evidence Of the existence
of frauds was published in the New
York Bulletin and Commercial Adver-
User, but the steps taken to cleanse the
department of the guilty officials were
non-effective. MIR. Hyde. the chief sta
tistician. has been continued in Office,
although the scandal was constantly
apparent to those interested in the
cotton market. There is not much
doubt that the statistics on wheat and
corn have been manipulated in like
manner, TO the great loss of the pro-
ldeers. Instead of the agricultural de-
partment protecting the interest Of the
BANTER anu ldIllelS. IL HIS uceH DIdt-
ing into the hands Of the gamblers,
These frauds and scandals will new
or cease until a thorough reorganiHa-
ton Of all the departments is under
taken and the heads of bureaus made
| strictly accountable not only for the
management of their office, but for
the efficiency and honestly of the Sub
ordinate clerks. II the civil service
is 10 be cleansed Of scandals and graft
the bureaus must he run on a business
basis. No manager of a business house
would have allowed such scandals az
those exposed In the AGRICULTURAL and
other departments to have continued
when he had the slightest evidence
that something was wrong.
The republican party has had snch
? looa lease of power that it seems I'M
possible to ston scandals ard graftir"
among its officials. Turn the ras"als
out!
Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1905-08-03
Senseless

Sensible Americans are disposed to
laugh when they read that King Ed
ward of England has thrown the
world of extreme fashion-those who
live for tailors and dressmakers-into
a turmoil by changing the crease in
his trousers, but they will be disposed
to applaud Queen Alexandra if her
latest example prove the vogue. The
~vulgarity of the display of dian~nds
and other gewgaws has Rco.De out
rageous in England. Therefore the
queen is frownjhg upon the barbarous
display AID is setting the example and
the fashion by wearing studiously SIM
PIC ornaments. ssiSh as a little brooch
or small collar. These modest orna-
ments shine conspicuously by contrast
with the coronets, ropes, sunbursts
and ~"tararas." Let us hope, says the
Philadelphia Ledger, that the fashion
of simplicity will go so far that the
prevailing habit in America among
the millionaires Of carrying around
with them a whole iewelry shop and
of being robbed Of their wares con
tinuously will fall into desuetude.
Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1905-08-03
The Russian Prison Colony and Its
Terrible TRAGEDIES.
DESCRIBED BY A RUSSIAN WRITER
Terrible Cruelty of the Keepers and the Exc
cutioners Methods of Punishment That
Stagger ACKNOWLEDGEMENT "knout"
and How 1t Is Applied.

ly green, but a step and you sink
in the deep, cold, sticky and viscous
mire.
The remark about the neatness
hardly escapes your lips when you
hear around the corner the rafting of
chains. Harnessed to a cart, grasp
ing the shaft in their hands, convicts
are dragging refuse to the sea.
What a depressing sight to see men
doing the work of horses.
The road leads past the prison, and
n can e the grimy window panes
behind heavy iron bars. Right above
us is the hospital and directly oppo-
site the mor.uary.
The Chain Prison.
The chain prison of Sakhalin is in
tended for the criminals of the worst
kind. Officially it ia called the "prison
for the testing of convicts," while the
prison for convicts showing signs of
reforming" ~ the free prison." is
used for convicts who have passed
the test of the .chain prison."
Our chain prison is bad, very bad"
remarked the inspector. We are
building a new one, but it will take
years to get it ready" 49,.
Attention" calls out a guard. A
rafting of chains, and the ~convicts
rise from the benches. On Easter
Sunday two of the convicts fled from
the prison, in spite of the fact that
the convicts in a body had given
their word Of honor" not to attempt
an escape. AS a punishment, all of
them were put in chains. 1t is moist
and close. Not an attempt at venti-
lation. No attempt at making the
place habitable. No effort to make
existence tolerable. Not even the
usual convict chests are to be seen
anywhere. Bare benches, filthy straw
mattresses are bundled together at
the head end of the benches. A
NANCY, lean cat plays among the
benches and purrs overwhelmingly. The
convicts are fond of animals, for they
alone regard them as human.
In the center of the room is a table,
or rather a tall bench. 1t is triangu-
lar in shape, wet and dirty, Gov
cred with bread crumbs and filthy tea
cans.
We enter a cell, where we find two
| convicts chained to barrows.
Lets see your instrument"
Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1905-08-03
Opinion Of Roosevelt Organ.

In taking leave Of this sorrowful
and shameful scandal, with it's failure
in high places to do justice without
respect of persons, the Inter Ocean
has no comment to add to the record,
save this: No majesty Of station can
make black white; no s~plendor of
wealth car make two and two any
thing but four; no documents issued
from a department of justice can make
lawlessness lawful. The power Of
truth is above every other earthly
power, and, in the case Of Mr.. Nor.
on, as in others, not all the govern
rlents, legislatures and rulers in the
world can together alter mi jot Oh
title Of i~t.-Chicago Inter Ocean.
Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1905-08-03

What a sweet time the administers.
ton will have when it PROBES the
sugar trust? 1t will be well for the
president and Mr.. Garfield to remem-
Der that Mr.. Havemayer testified be-
fore the industrial commission that
the protective tariff is the mother of
trusts, which, Of course. included the
sugar trust. What a commotion there
will be in congress and how the stand
patters will howl when the president
reports to that body that he finds from
the few trusts investigated that it is
too true; that protection has fostered
and incubated the trusts and he recon-
mends congress to abolish protection
and return to the democratic policy OF
a tariff for revenue and not a tariff
to foster and protect trusts. The
people are willing to pay a tariff To
support the government honestly and
economically administered, but they
are not willing to be taxed Ivy the.
trusts.
Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1905-08-03

ing the refuse and dumping it into
the sea. And these convict stations
and settlements seemed to me like
monstrous dumping grounds.
1t made me sad to think that down
in the prison settlements and all
around me all traces Of the human
which may have remained in this
refuse we're irretrievably doomed to
perish.
The second impression concerned
Sakhalin itself.
My first steps on the island ap-
p~arently took me back at least SO
years in the history Of Russia. The
grievous compulsory toll, the cringing
servility and dofing Of caps and many
other signs brought to my mind the
days Of serfdom.
The first impression of Korsak-
offsk is distinctly pleasant. There
is nothing at the first glance to re-
mind you Of the galleys. It is a neat
little place. Two rows Of pretty little
houses for officials are located on
the side Of a rather steep hill. The
prison is a long way up the noun
tain. It is a low one-story building,
and does not command the view nor
intrude itself upon the observer.
Houses Of settlers line both sides Of
the hill. Nothing horrible, nothing
somber is revealed at first sight. You
are inclined to rejoice over the ap-
parent responsibility of the place,
and driving up the road to Korsa-
koffsk you smile and think: well,
this is very neat. very neat, indeed"
But wait! Sakhalin is q swamp.
the surface of which is covered by
Pletsy meadows. 1t looks charming
Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1905-08-03

The rusty barrow squeaks, the
chains rattle, and the men attached
to the barrow show us the implement
Of torture.
The barrow, which weighs about
100 pounds, is welded to the chain
around the convict's ankles.
At one time the barrows were weld
ed to the handouts, but now the for
mer is the more usual method. No
matter where the convict may turn,
he drags with him the unwelcome
burden. He rel sleeps with it On a
bench made specially for the purpose.
How long is he condemned to be
chained to the barrow" l asked.
For two years; and the convict be-
fore him had slept in this bed for three
years."
| approached the bed" The head
end Of the bench is worn out with
the friction of the chain. The wood
had rubbed up against the iron for
five years. Even the wood wears
out" grumbles the convict.
The punishment is very cruel, and
would be intolerable II the convicts
did not eas their burdens now and
then. 1t is impossible to chain the
convicts so fast as to absolutely pre-
vent their freeing themselves. With
the help Of their mates sometimes
they grease the chains with soap and
take off their burden at night under
Incredible agonies. But still for a few
hours each month they manage to rid
themselves Of their incubus.
All around us we see angry faces.
They peer hopelessly into the future.
The glances are cold, hard, somber
and bitter.
Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1905-08-03

The interest OF the world in the
Russian penal system is awakened by
the capture of the island of Sakhalin
by the Japanese. From time to time
during the past quarter of a century
the civilized world has been shocked
beyond measure at the tales of cruelty
to which the Russian %convicts in this
vast prison have been subjected, and
the depths of degradation to which
these once human beings have been
brought. But Russia has been careful
that but little of the true picture of the
island should reach the outside world,
and newspaper and magazine writer's
from England, France and the United
States have made repeated attempts
to secure authentic descriptions of the
conditions in this great prison land,
and of the atrocious cruelties prac-
ticed there, but none have ever been
fully successful. Much has been
guessed at, and the world would
scarcely credit these pictures Of the
imagination.
1t has remained for a Russian to
give us a practically authentic pic
ture of Sakhalin, and though the pic
ture is tempered by seeing things
from the Russian standpoint, it is still
a picture that is so horrible that it
staggers humanity. This story of the
horrors of Sakhalin has been pub
lished in book form, and it is only
translated extracts from the book
that we can give here:
The First Impression.
First impressions are likely to be
very vivid. | shall certainly never
forget the moment when our steam
launch came alongside the jetty at
Korsakoffsk. The landing was crowd
ed with men. A few more steps and
I was lost in that sea which I so
yearned to fathom.
During the months | passed among
the convicts at Sakhalin I could not
free myself from two impressions
which held me in thrall, tortured me
and oppressed my soul like a heavy
burden. They still are holding my
soul under their ban and still are
depressing it. The first of these i'm
pressions concerns my trip to SAX
halin. Our steamer, which trans.
ported the convicts from Odessa, re-
minded me of a huge barge, like those
used in our %sea-coast towns for tow
Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1905-08-03

dressed. Inc doctor approached one
of them with a tube and an asculata-
ton hammer, but the Caucasians
jumped back terrified. Finally the
doctor gave up in despair.
1t was Bardunoff's turn. Were
you ever punished before?" mo, sir!"
Rub him!" A guard rubbed Bardun-
offs body with a cloth; the skin red
dened, and clear traces of former
punishments became visible.
| stood near the doctor, whose face
was flushed with shame.
Ivan Wassjutin." Ivan neared the
horse"
of with all clothes" said the exc
c%utioner. 1t was a long while before
he grasped the meaning of the words.
Lie down. Wassjutin mounted
the horse" astride.
Take your hands off, lie down;
put our arms around the horse"
Wassjutin embraced the horse" 1t
was humiliating, horribly humiliating,
to see a naked man stretched on that
horse and awaiting the cruel lash.
Chruspel, the executioner, looked like
a dog into the inspectors face.
Thirty rods" Chruspel picked up
a bundle of rods, drew one out of
the bundle with astonishing agility,
retired a step, and waited.
GO ahead" The rod whistled
through the air once or twice before
the inspector cor.nted one. Then an.
other whistling sound, and a red stripe
was seen on the quak.ng body. "Two,
three, four, FIVE"
Chruspel threw the rod away and
took up another. He walked over to
the ether side of the horse. Five
more blows fell on the other side of
the body.
Every five blows required another
rod, and Chruspel changed his position
for each rod. The sound of the rod
whistling through the air almost broke
ones heart, and the interval between
two blows seemed like an eternity.
The Inspector counted: Twenty.
nine. thirty"
Wassjutin rose on the horse and sat
astride. His eyes were filled with
tears. Get Off"
1.-TWO and a half minutes, said the
doctor.
| thought it had lasted an hour.
Then came the Caucasians' turn.
Chruspel laid them down on the horse
n after another. He used the knout
on them lin accordance with the yer.
dict" A look at the inspector ex.
planned to Chruspel what he was to
do. He grasped the knout in the
middle, which is the punishment OF
tie half knout."
Bardunoff trembled and shivered
He looked helpless like a hunted rab
bit, and attempted to smile. Chruspel
poked him in the ribs. Lie down
Bardunoff convulsively clasped the
horse and pulled himself togetiies
Chruspel swung the knout with ar
o~In>uous movement. This was not q
punishment lin accordance with the
verdict of the court" this was a
private transaction, according tt
the customs of the Sakhalin prison in
spectors.
The room was perfectly still; not Q
breath was heard.
Chruspel gazed inquiringly at the
inspector. The latter looked abou,
for a moment in confusion, glanced al
the doctor and me, and finally made
a sign to the executioner. Chruspe
grasped the half knout." A sigh o.
relief was heard from everyone in tn,
room. Bardunoff's body trembled con
vulsively. Heaven knows what ter
rible blows the man had expected. Fol
Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1905-08-03

The punishment must have been some
thing dreadful. Thus n execution
er TESTED with another. But soon Ter
ski was detected taking a bride from
a convict and promising to spare him
in consideration.
Terski was sentenced to 200 blows
with rods, and Komleff was called
upon to administer the punishment.
You taught ME to handle the
knout. I will show you what can be
done with rods" he ~grinned. Terski
is rotting yet. What he did to Kom-
left was child's play to Komleff's re-
taliation.
According to the law of Noses"
TESTED the fiend, "eye for eye, tooth
for tooth. | can knout. | was taught
how on my own carcass"
Convict Gubar, who had attempt
ed to escape, and who was sentenced
to be knouted for cannibalism, had
to be taken to the hospital after As
of Komleff's blows. He died three
days later without regaining con-
seriousness. Komleff had been bribed
to do this by convicts who hated
Gubar.
Corporal Punishment.
Ivan Grusdeff, sentenced to 80
lashes with the knout for giving an
o~ffense, was brought into the office
of the doctor at the Sakhalin prison.
your name?" Ivan Grusdeff."
The doctor throws a glance at the
documents, and gasps.
"Merciful Heaven! Eighty lashes!"
THE devil!" exclaims the in
spector.
Eighty" repeats the assistant,
like an echo.
Eighty" whisper the clerks. Every
n looks c%uriously at the MAI who
is about to receive 80 lashes with the
knout. The doctor examines the con
vict. The minutes pass very slowly. The
physician shrugs his shoulders. Are
you well?" Yes, sir, quite well, your
honor!"
Quite well, you say?' Yes. sir
Have you no pains around the
hearth"
mo, sir; none at ALL
do you know where your heart is
you idiot? No pains in the side?
Never? Don't you understand me, you
fool? Don't you feel pains occasion.
ally?"
mo, sir, never
The physician looks wrathfully al
the imbecile. Look at me. Don't
you ever cough? Cough" mo, sir;
| never cough!"
The doctor is beside himself with
anger. He throws a look of hatred
at the convict. His glance seems to
say: Lie, you devil, lie, why dom
you" But the convict cannot see
through it. mo, sir; never"
The doctor sits down and calmly en-
ters: Heart failure" In his anger he
breaks the pen. The inspector looks
at the doctors certificate. Exempt
from corporal punishment. Take hin,
out" Everybody heaves a sigh Of
relief. THE damned idiot" said the
doctor later to me in confidence. q
had a hard time to save him. He was
as sound as a bell. But what could
| do? Eighty lashes mean sure death
What the devil do they mean by sen
fencing a man to such punishment
The corporal punishment was ad
ministered at five O'Clock. We &C
companied the physician to the office
The horse" stood in the gangway
two bundles of rods carefully tied
together and about six feet long, lay
alongside the horse" Seven mer
were lined up against the wall of The
doctors Office. The executioner stood
Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1905-08-03
pidn,t Seem impossible.

do you think you could learn to
love me?" he asked the lady, a he
looked into her trembling orbs.
"WeD," she said, archly, popular ed
ucation has advanced with such rapid
strides that n can almost learn any
thing IN these days!'-Stray Stories.
Connecticut western news., 1905-02-09
MACHEN GOES TO PRISON,
Former Free Delivery Chief Goes Witt
 the Groffs to Serve Sentence.

TFCG cCltNCFJ SFi0I oOES WI
 the Groffs to Serve Sentence.
 Washington, Feb. S.-August W. Ma chen. the former head of the entire ire, delivery system of the postoifice depart ment and the foremost figure among the officials, politicians and contractors indicted as result of the postal inves tigation, and Diller H. Groff and Sam ue A. Groff, both of this city, convict ed in connection with the promotion oi a letter box fastener scheme, left Wash ington with party of eleven other con victs for the Moundsville CW. Va.) pent tentiary last night to serve a sentence of two years Imprisonment.
 Mir. Machen said that he had spenl practically all of his money in his de fense, that he never had owned any real estate in his own name and there fore had none to transfer. He said that to liquidate tine fine of S10,000 which he also was sentenced to pay he would take the oath of insolvency and spend one more month in the penitentlary He said that his money was so much exhausted that his brothers and broth ers-in-law would have to take care of his family and that the latter would go to Westminster, Md, this coming sum, mer. Mir. Machen added; T have nc Intention at this time of asking for q pardon. I wish to thank all my friends who have stood by me and believe in me in this trouble I am innocent; my friends know that I am innocent, and time will show that the man who put me here will have to answer for what he has done"
Connecticut western news., 1905-02-09
Said He Was shanehaied.

Philadelphia, Feb. s. = John Drum mond. aged nineteen years, who says his home is i'll Mount Vernon, N. r., reported to the police here that he had been shanghaied on a Chesapeake bay oyster boat and kept prisoner for nine weeks. Drummond said he had been attending a preparatory school in Mount Vernon and that, growing tired of school life, he went to Baltimore in answer to an advertisement promising work at good wages for young men. On his arrival there, he says, he was forced to board an oyster boat, and after period of nine weeks he sue ceeded in eluding his captors.
Connecticut western news., 1905-02-09
Feb. II In History.

1s02-Lydia Maria Child. noted American author. born in Medford. Mass died fin Wayland, Mass, Oct. %. 1880. la2-Alexander Hamilton Stephens, cole- brated American statesman. vice pres ident of the Confectionery, born near Charlottesville, Ga; died 1888. Ste phens was one of the moral heroes of the war between the states. He ops posed secession in isG0; but, his state having decided to go out, he entered the ranks and was elected vice pres ident of the Confectionery. After the war he served in congress and became governor of Georgia in issl ls3-De Witt Clinton. statesman and gov ernor of New York. also proJector of the Erie canal. died fin Albany; born I7ee.
 is@-Judge Charles E. A. Gayarre, dis tinEuished southern writer and his torian. died in New orleans; born iso6. 1sT-Captain Philo Norton McGinnn. hero of the naval battle of the Yalu, died in New York city.
 lsof-Ths mikado of Japan issued a formal declaration of war against Russia.
Connecticut western news., 1905-02-09
STOLEN B0HD FOUHD
It Was Part of Treasure Taken From New York Bank In
 the Year 1878.
THREE ARRESTS ARE MAZE.

Appearance of s1o,ooo Government q Per Cent consol May Solve Mystery of the Greatest Bank Burglary That Ever Occurred In Ameries-More Ar rests Likely. New York, Feb. S.-After twenty seven years of waiting the United States treasury officials in this city have been rewarded by the appearance of the first of the thirty United States government gold bonds of $10.000 each stolen and carried away as portion of the S1. 1.20O,0O0 that Jimmy Hope and his confederates were supposed to have realized in the celebrated Manhattan Savings institution robbery in 1878.
 The bond made it's appearance under circumstances that only add to the mystery of their disappearance. Chief William F. Flynn of the secret service confesses that he is unable to arrive at a solution that is at all satisfying The bond came to the subtreasury In the regular course of business from the Aetna National bank, at Warren and
 
 it was irregular, where it had been of fered to the bank as collateral to se- cure loan of S9, 9,500. Acting Subtreas- urer G. w. Marlor discovered the bond upon the list of caveated government |, securities and later that if was one of the famous Manhattan bank robbery bonds.
 Three Arrests Made.
 As a result of this discovery Dr. Lewis O. WilcoNen, a mining promoter of Chicago. who has for the last three years lived at the Waldorf-Astoria, was locked in the Tombs last night in default of $10,000 bail and J. A. Tay- Tor, resident of White Plains, an oil promoter, and James A. Smith. note and bond broker, living at the Grand Central hotel, were paroled in the GUS tody of their counsel.
 All three had been arraigned before United States Commissioner Shields in the Federal building on a charge of conspiracy. Dr. Wilcoxen was held for examination next Tuesday. He was unable to furnish bail. which is regard
 
 ularly significant
 Samuel Warren Miller. if such a per. son exists. is the man whom Chief Flynn and his secret service operators are especially anxious to find. Al. though Mir. Miller is said to be pros. porous Klondike mining man and fo have been in this city as recently as last Monday. the secret service men have been unable to find any one who knows him or even knows that he ex- ists excepting pr. Wilcoxen and Pres. ident W. l.. Mover of the Shoe and Leather bank. Miller was introduced to President Mover by Dr. Wilcoxen. who vouched for him, and it was in the bank officials presence that Miller in. dorsed the S10,000 bond, making it ne gotiable. President Mover affixed his signature to the bond as the proper cer. tifying official of a national bank, as required by law.
 Dr. WilcoXen and the mysterious Mir. Miller then left the bank with the bond and since that time the latter has disappeared