The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-08-20
RUSSIAN PRJ>ONERS.
Nahstists Chained IN Iron Cages for Trans
UOTf0tiOR bI Sen.

AsHNSttStS CHitHGsL III 1JO1l COUCS {O2' 11QNS-
p0rtation By Sea.
Vienna Dispatch to London Telegraph,|
In communicating the following particu-
which the Russian nihilist prisoners are sub
Jeot' wish to impress upon your readers
that, bent upon avoiding ali exaggeration or
coloring of facts, I have confined this nara
tive to such statements as L have
been able to derive from IN
biased and trustworthy persons-eye O.
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 I have obtained posses
sion, is sufficiently eloquent in itself. 1t
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, fitted out for the trans
port of nihilist convicts to the Island of
Saghalien. He describes it as man Of war
of about 1000 tons, freshly painted white.
On going below deck, he found that on
either side of a narrow passage iron barred
cages had been constructed which, he says,
we're exactly similar to those used for wild
animals. These cages were of different
sizes, and contained from four to twenty
convicts each. The rule observed was that
such among them as showed any disposition
to be unruly were confined in the smaller
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 were to keep their chains during the
journey, and my informant says the sinister
noise they pr .duced 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 a 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, 'Well, so
much the better for all parties if they do
not" He accompanied thus astounding re-
mark by significant glance, which
his interlocutor took to imply, 'Don't you
understand, that is precisely what we ex-
pect?" The same ship was visited at another
place on her outward voyage, and on comps-
tent authority it was ascertaiued that not
one~third 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 Saxonla of the Ham,
burg and New York lie 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 Saghalen. The
Suez Canal company raised the question as
to whether this ship, which was known 10
have FAILED 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-
tecr fleet, should be considered as a ship of
war. The discussion resulted in the Mini
Novrogod being treated as u ship of war,
under protest of the Russian consul. Now,
the question just raised caused stoppase
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 tor seventy two
mortal hours, because the Russian authori-
ties hoped to deceive the Suez Canal COM