Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-08-17
RUSSIAN PRISONERS.
Nshtltsts Chained In Iron Cages for Trans-
23OrtntiOa bu Sea-

Nihtltsts Chained tn Iso,, Cages for Trans.
2'ortatton by Sea.
Vienna Dispatch to London Telegraph
In communicating the following particu-
lars respecting the abominable treatment to
which the Russian nihilist prisoners are sub
]ect, l wish to impress upon your readers
that, bent upon avoiding all exaggeration or
coloring of facts, I have confined this nara
tive to such statements as I have
been able to derive from IN
biased and trustworthy persons-oye-
witnesses themselves of the horrors re-
vealed to me. Though my hand quivers
with indignation as pen this dispatch, not
one charge against the Russian authorities
shall be intensified by any emphasis of my
own. The appalling evidence, of Russian
barbarity, of which have obtained posses
sion, is sufficiently eloquent, in itself. It
cries to heaven for vengeance; but ere that
comes let the rulers of civilized Europe
mediate upon this chapter of human misery
and woe, and let them bid Russia stay the
course of her revolving deeds. During the
second fortnight of last month a person
whose testimony is above suspicion, visited
ship at anchor at Odes-
sa, lifted out for the trans
port OF nlhllist convicts to the Island of
Saghalien. He describes it as man-of war
OF about 900 tons, freshly painted white.
On going below deck, he found that on
either side of narrow passage iron-barred
cages had been constructed which, he SAYS
were exactly similar to those used for wild
animals. These cages were of different
sizes, and contained from four to twenty
convlcts each. The rule observed was that
such among them as showed any disposition
cages SO as to be more easily watched. The
gentleman who visited the ship es-
Inmates the number of these wretched
people at $50, most of whom had
come by rail from the interior,
heavily chained together by small groups.
They we're to keep their chains during the
journey, and my informant says the sinister
noise they produced was distinctly audible
ere he reached the ship. Unable to control
his feelings, he observed to the officer in
command that his closely packed cargo,
chained together in place where there was
absolutely no ventilation, would never sur
vive the passage of the Suez Canal, the Red
Sea, and the Indian Ocean, to which the
Russian officer cynically replied, 'sWell, so
much the better for all parties if they do
not" he accompanied this astounding re-
mark by significant glance, which
his interlocutor took to imply, "Dont you
understand, that is precisely what we ex-
pect!' The same ship was visited at another
place on her outward voyage, and on compe-
tent authority it was ascertained that not
one-thlrd of the unfortunate prisoners on
board could possibly reach their destination
alive. But my information is not confined
to this one instance. The Mini Novrogod,
formerly known as the Saxonia of the Ham
burg and New York Ike of steamers, but
since purchased for the Russian volun-
teer fleet, arrived at Port Said,
under Russian colors and manned by
Russian sailors, at the end of last
month. She had 500 convicts on board, for
the most part nihilists condemned to be
transported to the Island of Saghalien. The
Suez Canal company raised the question as
to whether this ship, which was known to
have sailed under merchant colors on her
last journey from Marseilles to Odessa, and
which belongs neither to the Russian gov
eminent nor to the Russian transport ser
vice, but which was freighted for the volun-
teer teet, should be considered as ship of
war. The discussion resulted in the Mini
Novrogod being treated as ship of war,
under protest of the Russian consul. Now,
the questl n just raised caused stoppage
OF three days, during which the convicts on
board were literally left to roast in the heat,
which, at this time of the year, is terrible.
Their torture was prolonged for seventy-two
mortal hours, because the Russian authori-
ties hoped to deceive the Suez Canal COM
pany. But this is not all. The same vessel
Is to perform the same voyage with similar
cargo four times in the course of the present
year; and, be it observed, other ships
are engaged in the same traffic. All the
CHASTITY tales that were told during the late
war are surpassed by the cold blooded cruelty
of the Russian authorities toward the nihii-
list convicts. What precedes refers only to
those who are sentenced to transportation;
but the fate of the nihilist prisoners at home
is no less horrible, and the exclamation of
the Russian captain that if his wards died
from the effects of the atrocious treatment
to which they were subject, it would be 80
the much better for all parties, might be ap-
proprlately repeated by the director of every
jail in the Russian empire.