Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-17
INQUISITION ONE
Rack and Breaks or Slaves, Iron
Crown and Hot Pincers.
IN RIGA AND ODESSA JAILS
Even Cossack Officials Sicken Of
Butchery-Victims Are Muir
dered or Sent to Exile.

Special Cablegram to The Star.
ST. PETERSBURG, February 18.-Horri-
BILE tortures are being inflicted on prisoners
in the jails at Riga, Odessa and Kharkoff.
A workman Of Odessa, while being con-
veyed to his place of execution in the
prison van, was horribly mutilated, every
bone in his arms and legs being broken
in the hope of securing some information
from him or some denunciation of his COM
rades. The victim was tied to pole and
shot
ST. Petersburg itself is full of reports to
the effect that political prisoners condemn
ed to death are perpetually tortured. The
unhappy creatures. completely crippled, are
said then to be carried to deserted spot
called the "Fox's TAIL" situated on the
sea coast near the Finnish frontier, and
executed, the bodies being cast into the
sea.
In Riga numerous witnesses, among them
persons of high social position, many be-
longing to the army, have confessed that
torture is usually, and even regularly, prac-
ticed in Riga.
Torture Chamber Secrets.
Torture is applied to those prisoners who
are destined to be handed over to field
courts-martial and who are thus awaiting
most certain death sentence. The tor
lures generally takes place at night, and
almost every night except Sunday. 1t be-
gins before midnight and ends at am.
The torture chamber is situated on the
second floor of the building of the central
political police. In the lower story there
are a number of solitary cells, where the
prisoners are placed before the ordeal, hav-
ing been brought from the prisons for the
purpose. The marked victims are taken
upstairs to the torture chamber from their
cells, chained and manacled.
In the middle Of the torture chamber Is
long wooden bench fitted with stout straps
by which the prisoners are fastened to the
bench. Along the walls of the room hang
a number of gutta percha rods filled with
lead. Each of these rods is given special
name by the executioners themselves. One
is known as God Bless U.s." another as
Gods Grace" Side by side with them
hang pincers, iron jackets, long needles,
iron rods covered with tar and various
"screwing cuffs" which are handouts with
a screw attached, by means Of which the
wrist may be crushed.
Chronicle Of Horrors.
The tortures are performed by about If
teen persons under the direction of the
chief of political police. His immediate as
sistants are two former detectives, while
a former criminal returned from exile in
c,.t- ID i@lN< bout fIa
room. AS soon as the prisoner is dragged
into the torture chamber his chains are re-
moved, and one of the agents of the es-
tablishment addresses him, declaring he is
now entirely at their mercy and that they
can, if so disposed, torture him to death.
They then ask that he confess his crime
and name all his accomplices. They prom
Use that If he will give important informa-
ton he will be liberated and given a promi-
nent post in the police force If the vic
tim rejects these offers he Is Immediately
stripped to the skin and stretched on the
bench, his limbs are fastened by the straps,
while wet rag is stuffed into his mouth
to muffle his shrieks. Then the torturers
begin their work.
The victim Is first beaten upon head and
body with the gutta percha rods, salt be-
ing Sprinkled upon the wounds. When the
victim loses consciousness he is revived by
water and ammonia. If this does not ex-
tort the desired confessions more serious
methods are resorted to. The prisoner 8
finger and toe nails are torn out one after
another the veins upon his arms and legs
are pierced through with the long needles,
his hairs are pulled out singly or In
patches. If the prisoner is still obstinate
the torturers tear pieces of flesh from his
body with red hot pinchers, his teeth are
knocked out, and uncomfortable injuries
are perpetrated.
Beyond Human Endurance.
Many of the prisoners give In under these
horrible sufferings and confess to anything
asked of them. Some. however, remain
firm to the end. AS a rule, prisoners who
have been tortured disappear from the
earth forever, either by execution, or in
some other mysterious manner. There are,
however, in spite Of these precautions, many
witnesses able to prove the facts, includ-
ing doctors, priests. judges of the courts,
martial prison wardens, and few Of the
victims, who have survived and gained
freedom.
Many Of the Cossack officers who have
been appointed military judges and have
seen the victims, now do everything they
can to avoid being present during the
courts-martial. One dragon officer of the
Elizabeth Regiment lost his reason during
a recent trial and shot himself The same
system Of torture prevails at Odessa and
kahrkoff.