The Democratic advocate., 1878-12-14
The Exiles in Siberia.

Since the beginning of the present cen
tury nearly half million persons have
been exiled from Russia to Siberia. Be-
tween 1907 and 1912 the average trans
portation was 2,035 offenders year. In
1910 the average was calculated at 5000,
in 1860 the number was 10000, and in
1870 nearly 10000, showing large and
remarkable increase upon the deportation
during two reigns which are popularity sup
posed to have been more oppressive than
the present. In 1877 the total was still
higher, being no less than $4,000, but this
increase is accounted for by the number
of Circassian revolters and Bashi BaZouk
prisoners of war who were sent across the
Oorals as punishment for their atrocities.
The Siberian government reckons these
exilcs as amounting to 5000, but this, in
common with the rest of statistics, is prob
ably short of the actual mark, as, accord
ing to the showing of the Russian newspa-
pers. double that number of Circassian re-
volters have been deported from the Cau-
casus, while not single Bashi Bazouk
captured by the Muscovites during the
war, and sent for safe keeping to Russia,
has been allowed to return to Turkey.
All have been exiled to the desolate re-
gion beyond the Altai and contiguous to
the Amoor. Theoretically speaking, the
Russian official in Siberia ought to be able
with the passport system to give, at mo-
ments notice, the exact whereabouts Of
anv offender forwarded from Russia for
their guarding. In practice, however,
large percentage of exiles not conspicu-
Gus by their crimes rapidly slip through
their fingers and become lost. On New
Years day, 1876, the registers of the pro-
vince of Tobolsk showed the names of
51,122 exiles. but of these only "a ,294
could be satisfactorily accounted for. In
Tomsk, out of 20,675 offenders, 4,651
were missing. 1t is known beyond doubt
that during the last ten years 156,O67
exiles have been sent across the Oorals to
Siberia, and of these 10000 ought to have
located themselves in the western provin-
ces, whereas the governor of Tobolsk ad'
mits in a return he has just forwarded to
St. Petersburg that his subordinates can
only account for one-third that number.
In this return he candidly admits that out
of SO, $50 convicts sent to his district since
1869 he can only give the whereabouts of
34,293, while another return from the
Governor of Tomsk confesses that out OF
100000 exiles received since 1851 in
Tomsk only $4,000 now remain. Extra
ordinary pains are taken by the authorities
to prevent the escape of the criminals
while on their way to the place of inter
ment; but once registered on their arrival
by the Siberian officials, little or no care
is taken to keep them under the surveil-
lance of the local police, and they either
return to Russia to live there under false
passports, or wander to other localities
than those to which they have been as
signed for punishment. As an instance
of the carelessncss of the local officials, the
Governor General of Western Siberia, Mr..
Kazuakoff, quotes some statistics showing
that in ten bailiwicks in Tobolsk the reg
lister contains the names of 8,177 men and
l ,4O2 women, half of whom have either
fed the district or have wandered away
in state of vagabondage. In another
group of bailiwicks, out of 2,571 men and
168 women only GIG of the former and 90
of the latter remain under the eye of the
nolice