The San Francisco call., 1907-01-27
Cruelty Reigns
at Empire
CHddeLs
By W. WIadin7frOff

By w WIadimirOff
Formerly Regular Correspondent Of The Russ
The story that an going TO tell will
shock the civilized world. It may make
impossible for many years TO come my
return TO my native land. If ] do de-
eide TO return If NAV cost me my life
Yet it is my duty. for no one Of my
cOuntrymen is better equipped 10 tell
1T than mo one is I'm possession of
SO many Of the facts In Russia 1t will
he unnecessary for me to give any
other substanuation than the sigma
ture of my name, but I am ready TO
substantiate every word say If any
one Of my statements should be ques-
toned.
For two years I have made il my
special business as a professional
journalist TO study on the spot and
expose before the Russian public the
barbarities of the Government For
two years have been the special
emissary of the Russ Of ST. Peters
burg
During my investigation Of the Gov
ernment repressiOns I have in no case
been satisfied with the innumerable
and circumstantial stories of those
who have directly suffered Every
where ] have talked with the most
reputable citizens-doctors, lawyers.
professors and merchants-and in all
cases I have been able TO find among
the Government officials and the army
officers a few liberal individuals who
knowing my name and family and
being certain that their names will
never be used-have intrusted me with
every Government secret: and I ven
ture TO say that no man has received
more of those confessions than l.
EOUNG GIRL TORTURED
Recently the world was shocked by
the tOrtures of the young girl Spiri-
dOnova by a COssack officer and an
official of the police. I wrote 2 widely
circulated book on the case. There is
no question that this and other bar
barities were approved of if not in
stigated by the higher Government Of
ficials.
There have been innumerable other
cases of torture by subordinate Of
cials, but this is not such an isolated
case. It is nothing less than an in
stance of the establishment of the
system of torture for the purpose of
eliciting incriminating evidence, and il
is taking place even in the most i'm
portant prison Of Russia.
Already have written a description
Of the establishment Of the inquisitiOn
in Riga, in the Baltic provinces. l
have shown from the records of mill
tary trials innumerable cases of the
beating. cutting and muulation Of pris-
Oners in order to extort confessions
from them. These stories I shall be
ready at any time to give to the world
in connected form and in detail.
In Warsaw, the capital of Poland,
the third city Of Russia, and one Of the
most important on the continent Of
Europe, the tortures were conducted
in the same buildings with and under
the very eyes Of the Governor General
and higher officers Of the garrison of
Warsaw, all noblemen personally &C
Quainted with the Car and his court
and in daily touch with them.
j have secured final and conclusive
evidence to show that the Spanish In
QUESTION has reappesred and been in
corporated by the Russian Government
as the chief weapon to combat the ris-
ing revolutionary tide.
CHILD is A VICTIM
Stories Of the torture in the citadel
Of Warsaw have been current for a
year or more. I was sent in the great
est secrecy by the Russ TO investigate
their truth ] talked with innumerable
private persons Of all social classes
and parties. with those who had suf-
fered directly and also with several
officials in a position to know every
thing.
The Russian Government began to
persecute me. IN a few weeks-snd
after my investigation was well round
ed out was forced 10 fee. That ]
am not in Siberia or dungeon cell at
the present moment is due solely to
the fact that ! was kept informed Of
every move Of the Government by my
own friends in its midst
This story is no worse than many
others OF its kind ] had the detaiIs
largely from the lips Of an older
/ woman prisoner who had spent several
months in daily converse with the tor