The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1905-08-12

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"
"Off with all clothes" said the x o
%cutioner. 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 your arms around the horse"
Wassjutin embraced the horse" Il
was h~umtliating, horribly humiliating.
to see a naked man stretched on thai
horse" and awaiting the cruel lash.
Chruspel, the executioner, looked like
a dog into the inspectors face.
Thirty rods" Chruspel picked I'D
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 a red stripe
was seen on the quaking body. 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
tor eacA 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,"
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 lin accordance with the ver-
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.
looked helpless like a hunted rab.
bit, and attempted to smile. Chruspel
poked him in the ribs. Lie down."
Bardunoff convulsively cIasped the
morse and pulled himself together.
Chruspel swung the knout with an
ominous 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 q
breath was heard.
Chruspel gazed inquiringly at the
inspector. The latter looked about
for a moment in confusion, lanced at
the doctor and me, and finally made
a sign to the executioner. ChruspeI
grasped the half knout." A sigh OF
relief was heard from everyone in the
room. Bardunoff's body trembled con-
Vulsively. Heaven knows what ter.
rible blows the man had expected. For
me comparatively weak, yet cruel, lash
to him child's play.
Former Methods.
When | used to come to roll call"
ooasted K, 81 was in the habit of saw
ng: Good morning, dogs. Good morn
ng, jailbirds.' And they always re-
olied, joyfully: Good morning, YOUR
lonor.' For they knew that l was in
good humor. If I came and did not
all them dogs they knew that some
ming was brewing. When / ordered
inouting they tainted with fear. | used to
ay: "Knoutsa and spades to dig a grave
wanted to make them believe that
ONE n would be knouted to death.
iy assistants pretended that they were
aiming me. The convicts were wal
owing in the dust before me, and
Tept for mercy. But corporal pun
is no good. In my opinion
9 NOoIo oOILIdIy COnu06m6nE.
worse than knouting. Two weeks of
olitary brings them all to their
enses. Come, and l will show YOU"
We entered a gangway which was
arrow and dark. On both sides were
arrow cages, with tiny windows in
ach door. The air in the
lade breathing impossible. 1t smelIed
Ike a dog kennel. Fhe moment We
.tered the gangway b~lood-curdlilg
aths and cries were heard. on ell
-des. The convicts howIed in frenzy
nd attempted to burst their doors. I
as reminded of a madhouse and of
Inferno.
Let Gussoff out" commanded tae
The guard approached his cage.
the cell arose a maddened roar.
come near. don't come near:
will murder you'll"
We'll, perhaps you'd better leave
m" calmly remarked K.
Don't you see now that this is more
fectiye than knOuting? Knoutinois