RUSSIAN AFFAIRS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 59, 26 April 1907, Page 3

RUSSIAN AFFAIRS.

♦ GOVERNMENT WARNING AGAINST ANTI-JEWISH OUTRAGES. MEDIEVAL HORRORS. REPORT OF J3OUMA COMMISSION. St. Petersburg, April 24. Cregns. chief culprit connected with the Riga horrors, has been promoted to a high post in the political police at St. Peteresburg. Mr. Stolypin ordered the Governors of Jewish zones to issue proclamations warning people against programs (massaerees of Jews) on May 5, and announcing that troops will rigorously suppress any disturbance. The Doumas Commission's report was read yesterday. It described the medieval tortures iulliced on political prisoners and suspects iu order to extract confession and declared that the Governor of Riga, with tlie knowledge of the administrative authorities, tlie public prosecutor, and the Colonel of the Gendarmerie, empowered a special commit-' tee to kill accused without trial. Some of the description is unprintable. Finger and toe nails and hair were torn out, prisoners flailed with india-rubber sticks until the flesh was hanging in strips, and salt then nibbed in. A man died on a bench and a plank was laid across the body and two policemen see-sawed thereon until his back broke. After tortures the mained wretches were generally shot near Riga prison. The Government, in reply to the interpellation, admitted the truth of mos< of the statements, but tlie allegations against the public prosecutor's department were exaggerated. It was added that M. Stolypin had ordered an enquiry land tlie prosecution of guilty persons.