Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1905-08-09
Among the chain convicta many
IRE captured. fugttives, relapsed mur-
derers, and many still waiting to. be

from the hills Of Caucasus, who does
not speak word Of Russian The
other is young woman. She was
banished for life because sshe had
induced her godfather to kill her hus.
band.
II was married to him against my
will, and I loved my godfather.
thought they would send us. away
together. But they sent him to one
place and me to another"
In Sakhalin she committed a crime
rare in the annals of the island. She
had defended her life mate with a
gum 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
rifle, and shot into the group.
you must have learned to love
your life mate?"
for him? might have been killed.
He's good fellow; / hoped 1 could
live with him to the end, and now
there's a fine mess to be in
She dries her tears and sobs ST.
lently.
Nothing will happen to her." says
the inspector. ''She will be convict
ed and given to some settler in one
of the distant settlements. Women
in sSakhalin are not punished
Perhaps some people may consider
this impunity. But what greater pen
atty could there be for a woman who
loved well enough to risk her life,
and who was sentenced now to be
given away to another man?
What 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. #&s#.=
The Exec,,tioners.
Halo, baby!" Halo, uncle!"
Don't you call me nucle, baby, for I
am your godfather, or really your
life mates godfather" merrily ex-
claims Tolstych, the old executioner
of Sakhalin.
"And how do you come to be his
godfather" I ask.
"Ha, ha, your honor, knouted
him."
"Have you knouted many peo-
ple?" Tolstych smiles. well, Just
as many as you see hereabouts, your
honor" Tolstych, is about 60 years
old. He does not look day over
49,. - He Is a good-lookingr man, with
fine mustache and carefully shaved
chin. He Is wealthy, according to
Sakhalin ideas, and is somewhat of
dude. Tolstych wears at~coat, TOD
boots, and even a leather cap, which
is the acme of Sakhalin fashions. He
always jokes and is full of fun. why
were you banished?" Because, of the
old woman!" He had killed his wife
with Ratchet. "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 virtuoso. The inspector COM
plainedA With q skilled executioner
1t 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
catches hold of the knout>, And then.
II he wants to- his knout will fall
weakly and painlessly. Those roeues
+ know how to- do 1T, land there is no
way to control them a. q. +>.:z*4z
/ Tolstych brought the art of knout.
Ing to perfection, but he b1ed the
convicts. If he was we'll 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-
ness without fear Of detection. The
authorities could not find ss.:. proof
against him, and5the convicts feared
him. But as they could At least bar
gain with him they considered him a
convenient man in the executioner's
Office. ",. s
After the expiration of his penal
servitude he became a settler. He
started small store and knouted only
occasionally. nv 49,. 3%#
For year they had no execution
er In prison. Many judgments &C.
cumulated, and they called me to
execute them: Well, I knouted 50
men for three rubles.'' = = z&..>
Say. Tolstych, is it true that you
knouted a convict to death for Is
rubles" %-zxs- -. 49,, / ~
This is Sakhalin, your - honor"
grinned the torturer. -..t ND !.
An understood, hairy little man makes
his way cautiously under the windows
ofthe prison Office atA1exandrohfsk. His
very walk is peculiar, and reminds
one Of the attitude of sasmongrel cur
sneakfng around I. the Kitchen door
and keeping an eye on the windows
for fear: Of boiling water It is :Kom.
LEFT, TIE oldest executioner Of Sax.
halin, but now retired, He heard
that Tumanoff, ~ tramp, was to be
hanged at Alexandroffsk for shooting
at guard. And now he came from
his settlement to apply for the pros.
pective Job. "a. II - >.zsf - n
Nobody can hang as we'll, as IT,
He had hanged 10 men in sakhalin,
and, being q specialist, hoped to earn
| the three rnhlos Tn tho ,noonwhiIn