The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1905-08-11


punishments became visible.
stood near the doctor, whose face
was flushed with shame.
Ivan Wassjutin." Ivan neared the
horse"
"Off with all clothes" said the exc
cutioner. 1t was long while before
he grasped the meaning of the words.
'.Lie down." Wassjutin mounted
the horse" astride
Take your hands off, lie down;
put your arms around the horse"
Wassjutin embraced the horse 1t
was humiliating, horribly humiliating,
to see naked man stretched on that
horse" and awaiting the cruel lash.
Chruspel, the executioner, looked like
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 counted one. Then an
other whistling sound, and red stripe
was seen on the quaking body. 1.-TWO,
three, four, FIVE"
Chruspel threw the rod away and
took up another. He walked over to
the other 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 eacn 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
one after another. He used the knout
on them "in 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
the 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 together.
Chruspel swung the knout with an
omlnous movement. This was not a
punishment Gin accordance with the
verdict of the court" this was a
| private transaction, according to
the customs of the Sakhalin prison in
spectors.
The room was perfectly still; not a
breath was heard.
Chruspel gazed inquiringly at the
inspector. The latter looked about
for a moment in confusion, glanced at
the doctor and me, and finally made
a sign to the executioner ChruspeI
| grasped the half knout." A sigh oil
relief was heard from everyone in the
room. Bardunoff's body trembled con
vulsively. Heaven knows what ter.
| rible blows the man had expected. Fol-
the comparatively weak, yet cruel, lash
seemed to him child's play.
Former Methods.
When | used to come to roll call,
boosted K, II was in the habit of say
ing: Good morning, dogs. Good morn
ing, jailbirds.' And they always re,
piled, joyfully: Good morning, your
honor For they knew that l was in
good humor. If 1 came and did moi
call them dogs they knew that some
thing was brewing. When l ordered
knouting they tainted with fear. fused to
| say: "Knouts and spades to dig a grave.
l wanted to make them believe that
some one would be knouted to death
My assistants pretended that they were
calming me. The convicts were wal
lowing in the dust before me, and
wept for mercy. But corporal pun
ishment is no good. In my opinion
nothing beats solitary confinement
Worse than knouting. Two weeks OF
solitary brings them all to their
senses. Come, and 1 will show you u
We entered a gangway which was
narrow and dark. On both sides were
narrow cages, with tiny windows in
each door. The air in the gangway
made breathing impossible. 1t smelled
like dog kennel The moment we
entered the gangway blood-curdling
oaths and cries were heard on all
sides. The convicts howled in frenzy
and attempted to burst their doors. ]
was reminded of madhouse and OF
Dante's Inferno.
Let Gussoff out" commanded the
inspector.
The guard approached his cage
From the cell arose a maddened roar:
Don't come near, don't come near;
l will murder you!"
well, perhaps you'd better leave
him." calmly remarked X.
Don't you see now that this is more
effective than knouting? Knouting is
nothing"
VIZ nHD