The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1907-11-15
On A Russian Gallows-

An eyewitness has given the following
account of the execution of Naumoff, Mkt
tenko and Siniavsky, the three men con-
demned to death for completely in the re-
cent plot against the Gar of Russia the
existence of which still is regarded IN
St Petersburg with great amount OF In
eredulity:
AT 2 O. clock in the morning small
steamer belonging to the Neva river police
started from the landing stage adjoining
the Ietny Saol Summer GARDEN, towing
large barge behind it. The public prose
cutor (procuror) was on the steamer, ac-
companied by the secretary OF the court
martial. colonel of gendarmes, who for
merly served in the Schlusselburg fortress,
and boasts that he is used to hanging
those blaekguards;' young official dele
gated BY the department of police, mill.
tary captain and an uncouth- looking lad
of l9.~who had volunteered his service as
hangman.
son the barge were placed the three
condemned, with convoy of 100 soldiers
The steamer proceeded down the Neva In
the direction of kronstadt Its occupants
were very lively The colonel Of gend-
armes told stories the official asked for
piece of the rope with which the prisoners
were hanged, because 1t brings luck at
cards, the hangman proudly declared that
he belonged to the Union of Russian Men
and that he delighted in hanging revelation
aries, etc.
AT about o clock the steamer landed
at spot called Lissy Moss (Foxs Nose)
on the Finnish coast, opposite Kronstadt-
The prisoners, surrounded By the soldiers
and followed by the officials. marched to the
place of execution, about mile and a half
distant from the landing place. They stop
ped at small square grass plot resembling
| a tennis lawn. In the middle of this the
gallows was erected, and near it was a
little platform upon wheels. The colonel
of sendarmes directed the proceedings.
when the prisoners saw the gallows
Naumoff asked whether he could see
priest. A priest approached him and be-
gan to speak to him. NauDoff said, 4
don't wish to confess to you. Give me
your cross, want to pray The priest
took off his cross and gave it to the prisoner,
who, holding it, fell upon his knees and
prayed earnestly for few minutes.
The officials present were evidently i'm
pressed by Naumoff7s demeanor. When
his prayer was ended the representative
of the department of police, with marked
t courtesy, motioned him toward the gallows
with the remark: please step this way.
obviously. it was intended to confer
a privilege upon him By allowing him to es-
cape Witnessing the agony of his comrades
by being hanged first. Then followed a
terrible interval, during which the inter
minable death sentence was read over to
/ the prisoners Whenever the name Of
the Gar was pronounced the soldiers, ac-
cording to custom, instantly uncovered
their heads. The prisoners omitted to do
so, whereupon the executioner roughly
struck their hats off.
! .'Naumoff was executed, the two others
standing By with uncovered eyes. Mkt
tenko' turn came next. The cruelty Of
reading the sentence was once more repeat
ed, but the remaining prisoners maintained
a fearless and digni6ed eomposure.
when Siniavsky was pronounced to
to be dead the hangman endeavored to
take the wedding ring from the dead
man hand (the prisoner had been BY
special permission married the day before
his death), but the officials interviewed.