The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1871-09-05
Convict Life in Siberia.

The floating prisons in which the pris
oners travel on the river are large bar
ges towed by powerful steamers. These
barges are very conveniently construct
ed. Below deck there is but one cabin,
sufficiently aired and lghted--tle prin-
cipal prison room The guard. room,
the Office and the kitchen are on the deck,
Of which they occupy less than one
third. The rest of the deck forms a.
large cage; iron posts support roof of
sheet iron, and between the posts net
of thick iron wire is cxtended--aL once
the safest and airicst of prisons. This
floating prison would be very comfort
able il it were not so terribly overcrowde
ed. Water conveyance is in these high
ATTITUDES limited to less than twenty
weeks in the year, and the most has
therefore to be made of it. Neither the
prison harges nor the temporary pris-
Uns in Kasan and other towns are nearly
sufficient for the convicts; The numbers
confined in them are, on an average,
nearly double those for which the local
tiles are constructed.
This wding is easily supported
by conv;cts who only stay few days in
the temporary prisons, and by the pris-
oners in the cage, where the air is al
ways fresh. In the cabins of the float
ing prisons, however, and in Kasan, du
ring tie winter, the air breathed by the
conyicts is foul beyond description. The
only consolation is, that sickness and
mortality in The convict Jail of Kasan
are not excessive A glance into one
of the prison cages discluses very GU
rions picture. Most prisoners wear a
convict garb, which is as ugly here as
in otEer countries kind of cloak with
sleeves, of a dirty drab color, disfigur-
ed by the letters S. l. B. (Siberia) on
the hack, these letters being inlaid in
yellow cloth. A shapeless cap of the
same material as the cloak completes
the costume, which seems to answer its
purpose very well, for the cloth is thick
and firm Even under the uniform garb
many national types may be distinguish,
ed; from the stolid, fiat faced Finnish
tribes-some of them almost like Es-
/ quimaux-to the sharp features of the
Jew, and the beautiful face and form of
the Circassian mountaineer. The wear
ing of the prison garb seems, beside,
not to be obligatory, even for the great,
est criminals, and many of them wear
entirely OF partly their own clothing ;
the Circassian, the national cloak, with
its rows of cases for cartridges sown
on the breastcloth, and the shaggy fur
cap; the Tartar, the pointed felt hat
over the skullcap which covers his sha-
ven head, and the long cattan; the Rus.
sian peasant, his greasy gray coat Of
sheep shin.
Most prisoners have good, well shap
ed boots, which guard their ankles
against the friction Of the chain; Others
wear the national foot clothing of linen
bast over the linen rags which they ii,
round their feet and legs. The only
chains worn are fetters attached to tn,
two ankles, and lifted up to the middl,
by means of strap fastened mp to th
loins, (I believe by a girdle. Thes
chains are not very heavy, and the pris
oners walk freeley enough with them
yet the clanking of the iron makes on
shudder Such chains are worn onl
) by those who are sentenced to bar,
q labor, while these who are sentence,
e merely to settle in Siberia wear no chain
: whatever. Groups of women and chi
! dren are mixed up with the male pris
g oners; the women heing in the propol
tion of about ole to six, and the chil6
! rem one to twelve of the men.
/ In 1860, the last year for which Ma1
? imov gives the statistics, 5000 NAL
] prisoners were accompanied by 326 fire
women, and 566 children, while 700 We
i men were accompanied only by for
free men. Only part of the prisoner
J go as far as Tomsk. At various station
q along the rivers, especially at Tobolsl
u parties of prisoners are landed, in o
+ der to be distributed in the more We
Z terly parts of Siberia, where most {
: those who are sentenced merely to Sc
0 tie in Siberia, and not to hard labor +,
n main From the stations to the fin
of destination, the journey is col
e tinued on foot. Those who go for han
e labor to the convict establishments
1t Eastern Siberia still march in chain
!, from Tomsk. As far as they are col
II cerned, the old system of transport
ton is still kept on-PaU Mall Gazett
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