The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1908-10-22

Herewith is presented the third
installment of the story of X. T.,
Russian prisoner. His description
of atrocities practiced upon men,
women and children convicted of no
crime, constitutes one of the black
est accusations of governmental in
humanity brought against the car.
His story has been investigated and
found REHABILITATION.
The punitice detachment was
stationed in the province of Lind
valid, and we were both brought
there late at night. We passed the
whole night in chains, without
sleep. The cell in which we were
locked was very small, perfectly
dark and devoid of windows.
In it with us were two peasants,
Villipe and Jurgen, from Iskhkull.
Their bodies were covered with evil
smelling, suppurating wounds, the
result of torture. Both were of mid
die age. They prayed upon their
knees that God might free them
fro mtheir terrible sufferings by
death. They were accused of killing
the landlord Nicholson in Iskhkull,
but they both assured me that they
had had no part in the crime. Three
weeks later, after having been re-
peatedly tortured, they were shot
without trial by order of Colonel
Lieutenant Prinz, the commander of
the punitive detachment.
On the day after our arrival l was
taken out of the cell by Ionin and
taken to the offices. There Ionin
informed me that Mellor Zakomel-
sky, the governor general of the
Baltic provinces, had ordered me
and Martinson to be delivered into
the hands of the punitive detach-
ment; and that unless l at once
confessed my guilt the detachment
would torture me until did so.
Il have nothing to say"
l was then taken to special
building set apart for tortures.
There the dragons stripped me of
my clothing and rained blows upon
my head and my whole body. Ionin,
after that, ordered the Dragons to
count 80 strokes of the magaika
upon my body. Disgusting and in
decent jokes followed and again 80
strokes of the magaika were meted
out. The pain was horrible.
So passed my first interrogation"
by the Lindvarten Punitive detach-
ment.
Immediately after me, Arnold
Martinson was taken to the torture
building, in spite of the fact that he
could hardly speak, his throat hav-
ing been already injured during his
previous tortures in Riga, and that
his spine was badly injured, he was
again tortured that he might be
forced to confess" For three long
hours they tortured him, after
which he was thrown back into the
cell, naked and unconscious.
He regained consciousness only
many hours after. He was subse-
quently kept three weeks with the
punitive detachment, and tortured
during that time in the most hor.
rible manner.
IonAn and the officers applied
lighted cigarets and candles to his
lips and tongue. His wounds were
sailed and rubbed with nagaikas
and revolvers. After there weeks
Colonel Prinz informed us both that
he had been to Riga and had
spoken about us to the governor
general, Mellor Kakomolesky, and
that they had decided that Martin
son should be shot, but / should re-
main alive. And next day dragons
took Martinson to the fields and
shot him. A grave had been al
ready prepared for him during the
night, and was awaiting him. The
execution took place quite near the
building In which we were confined
so that We could plainly hear the
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