, 1879-08-13
RUSSIAN PRISONERS.


1Slh4jktp NQAtH0N IN lEOH CAEG6 4of IrAn$-
rortatlon by Son,
FteAHa HspotcA 10 London TsisQ.nph.
In communicating the following particulars
respecting the ahontnabte treatment to which
tic Russian Nihllise prisoners Are subject, I
wish to impress upon your readers tlnt, bent
upon avoiding MI cxagCeration or colorlng OF
fncta, haye confined this narrative to such
statements ns l have been abu to 1erIvo
from unbiased and trustworthy persons,-
cye-witncsses themselves Of tho horrors re-
vealed to mo. Though 1ny hand quiycrs with
Indignation as I pen this dispatch, not Que
Charge agntnst the Russian authorities shall be
appalling evidences Ut Russian barbartty, OF
which hayg obtained possession, Ia sufficiently
eloquent In t.sclf. It cries to 1lcaven fur ven.
geanco: but Gro that comes let Tic rulers OF civ
aisery mud 'so,. nnd let tl,rIn bid Auss!a stay
the course Ut l,es royo1ting dcels. During the
second fortnight Of last month person Wliose
testimony y above suspicion yisited ahip ut
por. OF Nihllist conylcts to tlle Isiand Of Sag
hR!ten. Ilu describes It as i mau-og-wae Ut
about 900 tons, freshly painted white. On
going below deck. llo foslnl tl.at Oh either aide
constructed which, ho says, were exactly similar
IN those used for wild animals. Tllege caGes
were OF different sszcs. anh contained from four
to twenty eosylcts eacn The rule observed was
LIlhL 6ltGu tlEtH "a HlQH Gu A1f uitQ0S}-
lion TO DO unruiy werc contiued In the smaller
cages 10 as to be 1noro easily watched. The
gentleman whu visited tlo shp estimates the
number of these wrctClel people at 760, most
Of whom had guns by rail from the interior.
wero to kcep their c,1uns during tho jnurley,
md my informant says thu stnlster noIao they
produced was distinctly audible long ero he
iss, o obscryed to tl.o officer In command that
hls clCsely-packel cargo. cha!ned together In 4
p'ace wlera uiura was absolutely no ventilation,
would nt4er survive the passage Of tho euez
Sap shss s ri III ss u.sa s fs oss1 tsan eysa9 ossa
ies il they do not" lie accompanied this a. as
founding remark by = ssnfcant glance, which
h's tntsiosutor took to i1,piy, Don't you w;
The sulno sEIp was visited al another place on
| her outward voyage, nnd on competent author-
ity II was asccrtaiucd that uot ano-thlrd OF tho
rsssh theif destInston aiiye. Bus aS''it' ny IL!
i ano not Ns sq'SsS Ssstorea t. ''is o@s
" known as tue safouia OF tho ilan*
since purchased Tor TIC Russian volunteer aeet,
arrived ut rrrs Said, under Russian coiots and
manned by Russian sailors, at tho ella 0f last
mouth, bAa hau $50 conVtcts on board. for tlla
ri 10 tho fsla,la Of sa4ha'su. Tho aucz Canal
Company raiAed tho question Al to whether tllis
sl,ip, which was k,uwn to have satlcd under
merchant eolors GU her last journey !son Mar.
Bcil!ca to Odessa, and which belongs neither to
tho Russian GoYernulcut t1pr " thu Russian
transport service, but which was !rctKhted Tor
thB volunteer ncct, should bs considered ~
q abtp ot war. Tho discussion resulted Ia tho
! Niiui Nuyro1ol beInK trcatctl ~ ship OF war,
unlsr protust VI the Russian Consul Nov, tho
tIuedtlou Just raised caused ssoppaGe OF threv
l4ya, during whcli tha courlcts OH board wcru
literally loft tu roaAt In the heat, which, ut This
time OF tie year, Il torrlble. T'hcIr turturc wsH
prulongei Iur ssyeaty-two mortal liaurb, De'
causa liz ll..shian authorities huped to dcce!Yu
the Huoz Canal Company. But this Is not asl.
,I|le aaIno vessel 10 tD perform Tho salnc voyage
with slmilar carco four times IN .hc cour5e u
ths present year, anl, b. It observed, o:l.et
sblps arc engaged in tue saae lralc. Al!
the ,hpstiy tales That wcre told during tho l4ta
Wnr ara sarpasaed by tho colu-bloodud grMelf
Of tils Russian authorities toward thu NthEls'
conyicts. What prscedrs rcfers only to those
who arc santenc1l to transportattoii but tle
fate OF tho Nihllst prisoners at homo Il no leas
horrible, aud tlls exclamation Ut the ltusstau
Captain tnt, It hlx wsrds tl!cd from thu effects
Of tie atsue!ops treatturnt tO which they Wast
subject, IL would be W much tho batter for 81
parties, might be appEopriatelF reoeetsd by ths
director 1t every Jill III The kusslaa Emptra.