St. Tammany farmer., 1905-09-02

banished for life because she had
induced her godfather to kill her hus-
band.
"Whyo" ),
Il was married to him against my
will, and I loved my godfather. L
thought they would send US away
together. But they sent him to one
place. and me to another.
In sakha1in she committed crime
rare in the annals Of the island. She
had defended her life mate with a
gun. He got himself into a fight
with the settlers. Nine men sur
rounded him, and were beating him.
She rushed to her hut, grabbed a
rife, and shot into the group.
You must have learned to love
your lie mater" 81
i"Of course; would l have fought
for him? i might have been killed.
He's a good fellow; hoped I could
live with him to the end, and now
there's fine mess to be in
/ She dries her tears and sobs si-
lently.
Nothing will lhappen to her" Gays
the inspector. "She will be convict
ed and given to some settler in one
of the distant settlements. WoEen
in Sakhalin are not punished
Perhaps some people may consider
this impunity. But what greater pen.
atty could there be for woman who
loved well enough to risk her life,
and who Was sentenced now to be
given away to another man?
What a dreadful custom, reminding
one of bygone ages! In the days of
serfdom it was customary to give.
people "away," toying with their life
and happiness. OF all the prisons in
Rykoffsk this little prison impressed
me most sadly.
The Executioners.
Halo, baby!' Halo, uncle!.
Don't you call me nucle, baby, for
am your godfather, or really your
life mates godfather merrily ex-
claims Tolstych, the old executioner
of Sakhalin.
"And how do you cor1e to be his
godfather?'' ask.
'Ha, ha, your honor lsnouted
him"
Have you knouted many peo-
pie e?'' Tolstyca smiles. well, just
as many as you see hereabouts, your
honor. Tolstych is; about 60 years
old. He does not look a day over
40. He is a good-looking man, with
a fine mustache and carefully shaved
chin. He Is wealthy, according to
Sakhalin ideas, and is somewhat of
q dude Tolstych wears coat, top
boots, and even leather cap, which
is the acme of sakhalin fashions. He,
always jokes and is full of fun Why
were you banished p Because of the
old woman" He had killed his wife.
with hatchet. .Why did you do it ?''
she was no good. When he came
to Sakhalin he did not lose courage.
He soon found out what he was best
fitted for. Cruel by nature, strong
and agile, he became an executioner.
Man is born to be an artist. He makes
an art OF everything. Give. him any
instrument, and he will soon use it
like a virtuoso. The Inspector com
planned With a skilled executioner,
lit is hard to tell whether he. knouts
as terribly as it looks and sounds.
Apparently he deals terrible blow.
Your heart stands still when he
~, <,f& lrnr a II
if he wants to, his knout will fall
weakly and painiessly. Those mgues
know how to do it, and. there IS no
way to control them
Tolstych brought the art of knout-
ing to perfection, but ne bled the
convicts. II he was well paid, the
convict arose after a hundred blows
with the knout without discomfort.
Otherwise woe was in store for him.
He was smart enough to do his busl-3
ness without fear Of detection. The.
authorities could not find proof
against him, and the convicts feared
him. But as they could at least bar
gain with hin, they considered him q
convenient man in the execntioner's
Office
After the expiration of his penal
servitude he became a settler, He
started a small store and knouted only
occasionally.
Fer a year they had no execution
ser in prisen. Many judgments ac-
cumulated, and they called me 10
execute them. Well, Enouted SO
men for three rubles.'
Say, Tolstych, is it true that you
knouted convict to death for Is
rubles?"
4'This is sakhalin, your honor .
grinned the torturer.
An understood. hairy ylittleman makes
his way cautiously under the windows
of the prison Office atAlexandroffsk His
very walk is peculiar, and reminds
one of the attitude of mongrel cur
sneaking around the kitchen door
and keeping an eye On the windows
for fear Of boiling water. It is Kom-
left, the oldest executioner Of SAX
halin, but now retired. He heard
that Tumanoh, q tramp, was to be
hanged at Alexandroffsk for shooting
at a guard. And now he came from
his settlement TO apply for the pros
pectiye job. . q 3ss
Nobody can hang az well as I."
He had hanged Is men in Sakhalin,
and. being a specialist. hoped to earn
the three rlbles. In the meanwhile,
pending the execution, he hired him-
self out to the wife Of . settler to
mind her children. Such are the Gus.
toms OF sakhalin. s. .s
Komlen came from Kostroma, in
central Russia, where lie had studied