Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1905-08-11


punishments became visible
| stood near the doctor, whose face
was flushed with shame.
Ivan Wassjutin.' Ivan neared tho
horse"
"Off with all Clothes" said the exe-
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,e embraced the horse IL
was humiliating, horribly humiliating.
to see a naked man stretched on that
horse" and awaiting the cruel lash.
Chruspel, the executioner, looked like
a deg 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 whisting 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 eacl 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 we're filled with
tears, Get on.
Two and half minutes, said the
doctor.
Thought 1t 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 Sin 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 shiyered.
He looked helpless like hunted rab.
bit, and attempted to smile. Chruspel
poked him in the ribs. Lie down. -
Bardunoff convulsiyely clasped the
horse and pulled himself together.
Chruspel swung the knout with an
ominous movement. This was not a
punishment lin 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 moment in confusion, glanced at
the doctor and me, and finally made
a sign to the executioner. Chruspe]
grasped the half knout" A sigh OF
relief was heard from everyone in the
room. Bardunoff's body trembled con.
yulsively. Heaven knows what ter.
rible blows the man had expected. For
the comparatively weak, yet cruel, lash
seemed to him childs play.
Former Methods.
When | used to come to roll call"
boasted X, Il 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 was in
good humor. If l came and did no,
call them dogs they knew that some
thing was brewing. When ordered
: knouting they tainted with fear. fused t
say; "Knouts and spades to dig grave.
: wanted to make them believe thai
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. an(
wept for mercy. But corporal pun
ishment is no good. In my opinion
nothing beats solitary confinement
Worse than knouting. Two weeks O.
+. solitary brings them all to theil
senses. Come, and | will show YOU.
We entered gangway which wal
narrow and dark. On both sides wer,
1 narrow cages, with tiny windows il
, each door. The air in the gangwa,
l made breathing impossible. 1t smellet
5 like a dog kennel. The moment W.
: entered the gangway bloodcurdlin,
4 oaths and cries were heard on al
5 sides. The convicts howled in frenz,
and attempted to burst their doors.
$ was reminded of madhouse and O
4 Dante's Inferno
|. Let Gussoff out" commanded tn
i inspector.
l. The guard approached his Gags
|. From the cell arose a maddened roar
n Don't come near, don't come near
d will murder youi"
i We'll, perhaps you'd better leay
e him." calmly remarked X.
Don't you see now that this is NOR
@ effective than knouting? Knouting
= nothing"
; w. DORAsHEvITsCH