New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1856-05-26
The Exiles OF Siberia.


victims of Russian policy, the poor exiles, may not
pre- require that al those aondennea, II whatever
the country they may have received sentence,
should pass through Moscow on their way to Siberia,
the traveller who may have CHANGED TO be there
during the weekly gathering, will have little diff
Guilty in recognizing facts N the following account
On reaching that city they are allowed a brief
rest in the their daily journeys being
so calculated that the separate bands all arrive there
from, divers directions each Saturday night After
resting throughout the ensuing week, during which
term they relieved Of their chains they are des.
patched in one common band on the second Monaay#
after their arrival but their the Coy
ernnent appoints COMMITTEES Of prison ,sa
to control the iailors, and that they do ase
barshIless. These members are also en-
powered to hear statements the prisoners ana n
many cases. to grant redress uca W
course extend e sne Essnap aomor lis
ishaalfb M nerhans some last wishes respecting his
family The excellent slazy physician to the
prisons some years since pfesSa9s q
sbrnn;sfs ever known His exertons on behalf Of
tioss unhappy conycts were incessant5; his labors
eyiIently5 those Of d love that made him deem no
\ Sacrifice Of time or comfort too great. He was q
| German, from Cologne and as keen Roman Catho |
that Jealous city ever sent forth land it would
fe well for mankind il half the world only possessed
81 much Of the true Christian spirit as this worthy
Sparrow's Hill--for SO is the place named, from
which the doomed band departs situated at some
distance from the city, and is not prison. as might
be imagined but consists Of number Of log$huts,
united By strong wooden WALL and in The interior
divided into two three courts each strictly guarded
BY sentinels In the first of these both sexesare to
be seen mingling indscrminately, and. all dressed
alike long loose greatcoats, made of kind Of gray
cloth the only distinguishing mark is, that the men
have their heads shaved whilst the women retain
their long har-a privilege also granted to the men
and light both Of the merchant class and peasantry
They are led thence into second court where their
names are registered also their crime and history
Here they make their petitions some soliciting leave
to travel by the side of q brother, fellow eXea
poor that Of being together in disgrace
but the boom If granted s hailed with the greatest
JOY AWoman will also sometimes petition to ac5
company her husband but only in rare eases is this
permitted. According to the laws Of Russia, she
may marry again for the Punishment Of the husband
cancels marriage as completely as death but
if her prayer is granted, government pays her eX-
penses and she assumes the convict dress not
4 the letters. $23ls= laSs D
| The children Of convicts, after five years of age,
become parish property a rule which the various
propretors in the Territory are not disposed to relax,
as the boys, at least, ultimately SO far as to
furnish the CONSUMPTION for the army. "
4 The examination past, the exes are led to third
court where letters placed upon the whole band
This is most cruel and brutal affair. The letters
consist Of couple Of heavy iron rings one for each
ankle, united BY chain, not adapted to the size Of
the person and his length Of stride, but Of one unya
ryng5 engtht, about two feet This is connected, by
means OIL Inks liCutS
another chain fastened around the waist The ropes
round the ankles are not fastened by paddock 50 as
be removed at night but are ryeted by the execu-
TONER, who drives iron bolt through the ridges,
and by strong and careless hammering-for he often
misses the mark and strikes the fesh-hattens the
4 bolt at both ends, in such way that removal is I'M
possible except by means Of the file and with these
chains the poor. weary wretches are to walk
every step Of journey which takes them only few
8 days short of six months. Meanwhile q sergeant
a stands by, who must answer for their security with
his own life, as he takes charge Of them during their
A pilgrimage and he sees them properly secured and
n fastened togetherin tours by the wrists 1.-THE head
the line stands little table, covered with copper
Il coins, from which every man receives in advance
certain part Of bis daily allowance Z; government
giving each for his maintenance ortyeight opecks
"a fraction less than iYepence a day--Rnd to each
Il woman permitted to accompany her husband, half
that sum- This ceremony over the gates are thrown
surprising to witness the calm bearing the sad but
resigned looks Of that melancholy asselnblage. Hope
i is now dead and5in its place a dim, ague gmmer
appears in the distance Of life, to which they look
4 perhaps more with dreamy curiosity than with any
4 aective feeling of terror or dispair. vi *
4 The gates thrown OPEN the exiles are handed over
strong guard, employed exclusively on this duty
and each soldier loads his gun their presence there
is also mounted escort with spears the commander
of which carries long whip, to lash the cavalcade
into order and they move on, the males first, then
the carts, and, lastly, the females. Their days
journey is from ~ to rs verts from to l63 miles
English. Persons Of rank not treated otherwise
& than the lowest serf nobemen being compelled to
march the drearY journey on foot, and as heavily
chained the vilest feon. Political prisoners are
undoubtedly treated more harshly than even the most
ferocious criminals and although, during the contest
4 with Poland there may have been exaggerated ac-
counts published in England as to the numbers
banshed there is not the slightest doubt as to the
* cruelty exercised on all who were During their
short rest at Moscow, they were linked together like
felons; treated by their jailos like brutes. The
d Times, many years ago, gave touching account OF
facts which have been since confirmed. One hundred
and fifty Lithuanian mobiles were mentioned as having
becn met barefooted and chained on their march to
Siberia--their sentence being, that they should be
put as common soldiers into the regiments OF the
n Caucasus Orenberg, and Siberia. The two young
Counts Tyskiewicz, almost children, were so loaded
with heavy chains, at each step to sink into the
ground and they out their little hands mplor
ing charity to buy lighter letters which their guards
refused them. AT ChDracewicze was to be seen MIR
& Warcynski, the marshal Of Osmiand, the same town
N where the Kirghiz murdered in o church four hun
Il bred women and children He was seated in an open
IA wagona blessed privilege, too this was considered
his hands and feet were chained and connected to
his waist by other links; collar of iron encrcled his
~ neck; his long gray beard flowed over his breast
a and his head was shaved in the form OF crosshS
coat being half black and half white. He was con
dened to hard labor for life. Those destined for the
mines are sshut out even from the light of heaven
they not only lose rank and riches, but, by refine
7 ment Of cruelty, are deprived even Of their names
.a and a number given them instead, by which thu
+ driver of each band calls when he has need to ad
dress them. Exchange. 5 -
~ DEATH FROM HANG1NG.-Hangng, although un
10 ioubtedly an awkward position, is nevertheless tn
N easiest mode Of taking life writer in one Of tn
49,. An 49, 1an, try