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139 A Policy op Death.
" I beg your pardon, I– " began the startled man.
" What have you to do with ’beg your pardon,’ you scum? "
cried the governor, without allowing him to speak.
" Why do you insult me like this ? " exclaimed Semjanoff.
" On my word, just listen to him," fumed the governor. " To
the guard with him, put him in fetters ! I’ll teach you ! Three
days of gaol for the fellow ! "
" But he is a man of education," whispered the former
governor, who was present.
" So he has had an education, has he ? Then he shall have
three weeks! I always give double or treble to educated
folks ! I’ll soon show you rascals how I’ll deal with you ! "
Semjanoff lost his position, and was degraded to the rank of
simple clerk. Soon after he was sent with a sealed order to
the chief of the police. The order ran " Give the bearer fifty
lashes." It was performed with punctuality and despatch.
Two days later he was sent with the same order, with the same
result. It then became the established rule for this
unfortunate man to take an order to the police and be flogged three
times a-week.
Brought at length to the verge of insanity, so that he was
hardly responsible for his actions, he tried once to escape, but
was soon brought back, and received more of the same
treatment. A second attempt was attended by like results, and at
last nature took her revenge, and he became completely insane.
Even then his persecutors were not satisfied. "They lashed
the poor lunatic with the knout, just as they had flogged the
sane man," says our authority, and adds "there are legions
of Semjanoffs here."* What was the cause of all this ghastly
brutality P There was not the slightest fault to be found with
him, as commonly understood. But he had committed an
unpardonable offence : he had set the bad example of getting
an education superior to that of the class from which he
sprang.
A few figures, taken from official sources, and referring to
the first years of the present decade, will throw considerable
light on this matter of popular education in Russia. About
* " Kama und Ural" by Nemirovitch-Wantsehenko (1890).
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