RIGA PRISON HORRORS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13453, 1 June 1907, Page 5

RIGA PRISON HORRORS.

A QUALIFIED ADMISSION. By Telegraph.Press Association.Copyright. (Received May 31, 9.19 p.m.) . St. Petersburg, May 31. In the Duma yesterday the Minister for Justice assured the members that neither the officials nor the police had tortured political prisoners at Riga. He admitted that the police might have lightly struck prisoners with their fists, but reminded the revolutionaries that in , the Baltic provinces alone they had killed and wounded one thousand policemen. ,

Recently a Commission appointed by the Duma reported that the prisoners in' Riga. Gaol were subjected to tortures to make them confess, and that a special committee had been set up to execute accused persons without trial. The report stated that some of the methods of torture were unprintable. Finger and toe nails, and hair of the victims were torn out. their bodies were " flailed" with rubber sticks until the flesh hung in strips, and then salt was rubbed into the wounds One man had been placed on a bench, and, a plank having been put across him. two policemen see-sawed upon it until his back was broken. After being tortured the prisoners were ( taken out and shot. The Government admitted the truth of most of the allegations, but denied that the Department of Justice was implicated. An official inquiry was ordered, and the cablegram apparently is the report. It will be observed that the Minister only denies that political prisoners have been tortured