The New York herald., 1922-06-25

| possible exception of one or two in the
entire list of rulers of that nation.
made the whip their constant scepter.
History tells us that Catherine when
moved to anger by the slightest pre-
text would take her silver handled
knout and apply it not only to the ten
der flesh of her young lades-in- wait
ing but often TO her lovers as well
Peter the Great fixed the maximum
number of blows to be given by the
knout as 101, and hardly any individ-
ual who received this punishment ever
survived-they were usually dead long
before the number fixed had been
reached.
The public hangman was the one
/ usually appointed to administer the
flogging. and a long apprenticeship
was necessary to make every blow
count. 1t became a matter of science
to the eXecutioner-so much so that,
according to the instructions he re-
ceived and the practice he followed.
he would be able TO tell exactly what
would happen to the victim after the
whip had been applied. Not only
could he make every blow fall within
space the size of a small coin, but he
could, it was said, smash brick into
dust with a single blow of the weapon
he mastered.
One of the most interesting stories
which have come to US out of Russia
connected with the whipping of a
beautiful lady of the court of Eliza
beth is that of Nine. Lapuchin.
She was considered by nearly every
one at the court to be the most charm
ing and highly thought Of the maids of
with which the Empress surrounded
herself. She was quite loyal and faith
full to her sovereign, but through an
affection which she had for a foreign
Ambassador to the court she became
compromised and the knout was or
dered to punish h<r with.
Together with the other conspira-
tors at first she was condemned to
have her tongue cut out and to be
broken on the wheel, but her Majesty
very graciously allowed the sentence
to be slightly changed. and knouting
and banishment were substituted for
the wheel.
Nine. Lapuchin had been we'll known
at court for her wit and beauty, and
when she mounted the scaffold and
saw before her a crowd of ignorant
people eager to see the blood flow she
grew pale and wept bitterly Despite
her desperate efforts to escape the ex-
ecutioner began to strip the dainty
dress she wore from her shoulders,
and at the first blow, which drew blood
from the veins, she tainted.
and tai,, tb.. baat,xr e+rotyas
were applied until not a particle of
the skin remained and the shoulders
were completely fiayed. Blood poured
in torrents and even the relentless
crowd was moved to show signs of
pity. When, however, the blows had
ceased the tongue was cut out and her
mutilated body sent TO Siberia in exile.
She survived these horrors. neverthe-
less. and lived to be recalled from
banishment in the next reign, thus
offering one of the raIest examples of
victim of the knout surviving a pun
isment under which most strong men
had perished.
The whipping post in Russia was
stake driven firmly .nto the ground
about five feet high. on the top OF
NiiINli tllltt were. nor
| lowed out: one--the central one-for
the victims neck, and the two others
for his arms.
Near the ground here was hole in
the stake for the cord which bound
the ankles to pass through. mat
was spread to insure the firm footing
of the chief executiouer. The post,
usually erected in the public square so
that the full suffering of the criminal
might be enjoyed by all who cared to
see, was perhaps the most popular
place in the town or village. And so
great was the fear inspired by the
sight Of the bundle of knouts carried
by the two executioners that no mat
ter how deeply moveC the onlookers
might become not a single voice was
lifted on behalf of the victim.
Very often. not satisfied with the
infliction of a hundred or more lashes,
the branding Of the criminal was added
and various parts of W. head were
amputated.
OF course while America would per-
haps like TO call herself the most civ
ilized and advanced % all the nations
it has not been so very many years
since the same barbaric punish
ments as told above were used in this
country. And, TO add to the irony of