IN THE TORTURE CHAMBER.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 65, 16 March 1907, Page 13

IN THE TORTURE CHAMBER.

RUSSIAN SEGBET POLICE AND THEIB ~ METHODS.

A Scotchman has sent a Glasgow paper the. following description of a torture chamber in Russia for publication. The communication, in question is said to have been written by a "victim" of Russian political tyranny. "The story brings back the days of the Inquisition. The scenes described are almost too horrible to publish, but we give them as showing the methods adopted by tbe Russian police for wringing confessions from prisoners even although they may be innocent. A "BLACK HOLE" LIKE THAT OF. CALCUTTA. On the night of Saturday, the 25th November, 1906, I was along with 09 persons who were arrested in a restaurant in Riga and taken to the Tolice Department. With the exception of four persons, all were lib-era-ted the same night; but the four detained! a detective named Davus pretended to recognise as important political offenders, three of whom were subjected to a strict examination similar, to the Bertillon method adopted by prison authorities. Our examination concluded, without a charge or trial of any kind, we were thrown into a cell, and for two days received no food of any kind. On the third day we were put into another cell, small and narrow, which already contained 17 persons. Here we received daily a small portion of black bread, but no water. The relief of our tormenting thirst depended entirely upon the caprice of the watchman, and when he was in an ill-humour he would brutally kick us back into our cell and lock the door. INSTRUMENTS OF TORTURE. In this miserable cell were now Huddled 21 persons. During the day it was possible to accommodate us standing, but in the night time it was horrible, as there was not sufficient floor space for us to lie down, and were forced to lie one upon the other. The foul atmosphere of the cell would also become at times unbearable, and none dared venture to open the window, as the sentinel opposite would shoot at sight anyone who approached it. All officials, from the common policeman, warder, watchman, or spy, lose no opportunity of scoffing or jeering at the prisoners, and enjoy the right to abuse them with kicks and blows at their brutal pleasure. It was under these conditions we were introduced to the tor-

tore chamber. The torturing of prisoners is generally carried out during the night; it commences at 10 or 12, and continues until six o'clock in the morning. One after the other the prisoners are taken to the second storey of the buildings, where there is a special torture chamber, with all the different instruments to hand. In the middle of the room is a long wooden bench with straps attached for fixing the prisoners down. On the walls are hanging lengtbs of rubber tube of various thicknesses, filled with lead, to each of which the torturers have affixed a pet sobriquet:—"The Lord's blessing," "God's mercy, 3 ' "God's love," and so .on. Besides tbese are also iron tongs, pincers, straight jackets, long pins, cobblers' threads, and all manners of inhuman devices. LASHED AND SALT RUBBED INTO ' WOUNDS The tortures are 15 miscreants in all, in* eluding the spy Davus, Gregus, the overseer of the Secret Police Depot, his assistant Michijeff, and Otton, an ex-convict, sentenced several times to penal servitude. These named have made themselves famous througb their inventive geniu6 in methods of torture. The names of the others are not known to mc. Very often they are the local landowners and barons, and tbe leaders of the military expeditions. One instance was especially severe, the district magistrate, Baron Raden—a well-known hangman and bloodhound—taking an active part in it. Fulfilling tbe same ghastly duty were Baron Recke, a notorious pogrom hero, and a few of the smaller barons and princes—ail favourers of tie notorious. "Black Hundred" organisation. Tbe torture is usually carried out in the following manner:—After the prisoner has been dragged into the inquisition room, his fetters are taken off, and one of the spies informs him that he is now wholly in their power, and that they are at liberty to torture him or kill him without being accountable fori their actions to anyone. He is then advised to confess every thing, to name his comrades and accomplices, and declare all the information he can. By doing so he will gain his freedom, and a good situation will be found for him in the Protection Department If there is no confession, then the torture is resorted to. The prisoner is stripped naked, and thrown down upon tbe bench and bound fast with the straps. He is gagged with a wet cloth in order to stifle his screams. Then, with the afore-mention-ed rubber tubes—"God's mercy" or "God's Love"—be receives from 200 to 400 strokes. In order to increase the. pain salt is rubbed into the wounds, and he is flogged again until be loses consciousness.

PULLING OUT HAIR AND TEETH.

When he is once more restored to consciousness the cross-examination be-ins lithe victim refuses to speai. the pincers'are requisitioned to pull tbe nails of bis fingers. The long pins are thrust through the tendons of his hands and feet, and the hair is pulled singly or by locks out of bis head. Z n T«r, PnS °T Stm remainS the fiendish.cruelty is carried still further Da tub. the secret police spy, is specially enandlf T* P , X T IS ° Ut the r *»* b-Jd. > and if this fails he will beat the prisoned th w tem , Pfe imd ° Uler tender P^sTf the body. If the desired confession is not forthcoming, the iron tongs are made glow-' 3*tE __"? rr of flesil « p-eLfout of the most tender parts. Tbe beaiin- _nt of teeth is also resorted to, _£?*£,£ nameless outran. R esularly ot^ those awful tortures are carried ou( uS the wretched victim, unable to bear them any longer, acquiesces in a_TS«Sf dered at that sometimes tbe least stable ted, and also denounce persons equally innocent. Those, however, who to speak at all are, by the methods of torture! maimed and crippled for life. Sn the case with Grtming, arrested in 7h« end of October. For three £ £__ tortures, but all to no purpose; and finaßv he was despatched to the prison in«? and delivered to tbe caurLSS 5?32 When the arrests were made i a n™ however, some of the prisoners S£2 and denounced Groning, and he w? s 52 back to the Secret Police + be tortured a second time. att w ° extracted, and wbat was left of his _S£ has turned qnite grey, although he 7- „* set 24. His face is terribly mat HatZfrom many parts the skin is cttt „£*£££ off; his spine is bent, and his _._<= , Gruning himself stated that DaSL and chijeff, failing to get any Inf fret him, put a plank across his «„.. danced upon it until his back an fSta JS broken and crusfied. Yet Grunfug . say one word to Implicate himself „ ™_ comrades. ""-en or Ma