Show A POLISH nady LADY THE the OFFICIAL WHIPPING ix IN PUBLIC ov alexandrina ALEXAND rina BINA KOSSOWITZ TIIE tile rt PENALTY salty NALTY or OF SYMPATHY WITH REBELS at a gathering of poles in the tho little village of kernst on the southern Nn ieman leman on the of july last when all thought themselves secure from the intrusion of any of the numerous spies who kept the russian itus Ilus sian officials informed of the malcontents among amonn 0 them alex audrina andrina kossowitz a young lady whose father the younger son of a former noble polish family was killed in the recent troubles in warsaw expressed her sympathy with the unfortunates whom russian severity had murdered or sent into exile the meeting was a purely social one and none dreamed that anything said there would reach the ears of spies for all present were known to be roles poles and firm haters baters of the harsh rule under ivsich they then lived still as the young girl in her passionate remembrances of a fathers love deplored his death expressed her sympathy with rebellion and her detestation of her oppressors pres sors she was cautioned lest iest her loud tone should enable people peo pleat at the window to hear her with a hasty glance as though to rend in the faces of those about her who should betray her the yo young ng lady ceased her execrations exec rations and relapsed into silence when ten arrived arrived the latest hour of polish gatherings ing 9 the company separated and andalea alex aiex andrina kossowitz accompanied by her allian affianced ced julian Te went to her home if in passing froll froli the house of the gathering she had been more observant Alexand alexandrina riua rina would have seen the maliciously triumphant glances cast after her by catherine berdoff Mer doff a weman woman of about thirty five years a pole by birth and a sympathizer with her unhappy countrywomen countrywoman country women whenever her own pais passion slon sion was not concerned and from the subsequent proceedings it seems that in this case she sho had been superseded supe weeded in the affections of the young dr Tc Te by the more beautiful beautia and younger alexandrina Hoss kossowitz honsowitz oil the fullow following lug day shortly after rising alexandrina was seized in her own home aa a short abort distasi distance ce fr from kelen keast i st by two cossacks of bf we the guard lat t tife the garrison and taken aken bedore before le the petty judge 4 J the young lady of nineteen handsome and trembling produced no feeling of pity having at first denied the accusation she was confronted with catharine and then acknowledged J in passing sentence the petty judge said sald that ahat her seditious utterances might have wi warran warranted fra ira nl ted led eil him in sending her before tribunal where the penalty would bo be death but in vil of her youth and contrition i he should merely order her lier to receive thirty five lashes of the knout almost benumbed with shame and terror the girl was led away to bo be prepared for punishment for in russia all sentences save that of death are carried out im med mediately lately after they have neen been pronounced noun ced word having been sent to tilo tho officer commanding the a guard of two hu hundred adred men was ordered into the garrison square and the executioner of aho ahe hc troop was called upon to be ready to carry out the duties of his hig ollice in half an hour after the sentence had been given the tile troops had been formed in a hollow bollow square in the centre centra of which had been placed a scaffold standing on four legs the top of which was an in caned plane beside this stood the executioner having in his liand the knout this weapon consists of a stick or handle two feet long with a lash four feet long of soft leather to the end af pf of which is attached by a loop it a piece of raw hide bide two inches wide and two iwo feet long in the hand of an experienced man the piece of rawhide can be made to cut like a knife As the tile executioner stood facing the nie scaffold alexandrina kossowitz koss Kosa was brought to him by her guard and in a few moments her clothing was removed to her waist despite her almost mute appeals to be spared the shame As she slid pleaded she was bent on tho tha plane plano her hands strapped to the two upper corners and her ankles secured at the feet of the structure one of the executioners execution ers assistants si held her head and the alib petty judge gave the order for whipping to commence twirling the long iong lash iash in the air the executioner stepped suddenly backward and with a ashard sharp cr crack erack ack the thong fell on the back of the sobi bing girl giri cutting a livid streak from her right chuld shoulder r to her waist A terrible tremor passed over her and a quick low cry escaped her lips but it was le the only sound she uttered and were it not for the blood which soon commenced to flow it might have seemed that the whir whipping ping was being I 1 done on the naked body of a corpse when the last lash iash had bad been beon b een eon given the young lady was unfastened and with ber ben clothing rudely thrown loverher over her he be was taken to prison and there after banking the judge for his mercy ac cordi cording I 1 n to the necessary formula she was delivered delivered vered over to her friends five days afterward the gazelle of wilna contained this thib announcement thell TheIl The Polish olish crimi nal nai alexandrina ross woss daughter of the rebel peter kossowitz who was knouted for seditious utterances on the ath esth of july at Kernst while submitting her lacerations to medical treatment in the tho the honbo of the physician kemensky Kc stole a vial of acid icid with she bhe ended her dys dyb 1 |