River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1879-08-21
RUSSIAN PRISONERS.
Sihiiists Chained Ia Iron Cages Jor Trans
p0rtGtfon By Sea.

Nfhifists Chained ia Iron Cages FEE Trans
portGtfon By Sea.
Vienna Dispatch to London Telegraph.
In communicating the following particu-
lars respe citing the ahominable treatment to
which the Russian nhilst prisoners are sub
ject, | wish to impress upon your readers
that, bent upon avoiding all exaggeration 0r
coloring of facts, have confined this nara
tive to such statements as / have
been able to derive from IN
biased and Trustworthy persons-oye-
witnesses themselves OF the horrors re-
yealed to me. Though my hand qulvers
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 i'll 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 TIE
second fortnight of last month a person
whose testimony is above suspicion, visited
n ship at anchor at Odes-
sa, fitted out for the trans
port of nihiist convicts to the Island of
Saghalien. He describes it as man Of war
of about 4 1000 tons, freshly painted white.
On going below deck, he found that on
al iher side of a narrow passage iron barred
cages had been constructed which, he says,
we're exac ~ 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
10 be unruly were confined III the smaller
@ tges SO as to be more easily watched. Tie
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 produced was distinctly audible
ere be 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 this astounding re.
mark by significant glance, which
his interlocutor took TO imply, Don't GU
understand, that is precisely what we tx-
pectI'' The same ship was visited at another
place on her outward voyage, and on compe-
tent authority it was ascerlaiued that not
one-third of the unfortunate prisoners on
board could possibly reach their destination
alive. Bot my information is not confined
to this one instance. The Mini Novrogod
for .ierly known as the Saxonia of the Ham
burg and New York lii of steamers, but
since purchased for The Russian volun-
teer fleet, arrived at Port Said,
under Russian culols and manned by
Russian sailors, at the end of last
month. She had 500 couvicts on board, for
the most part nihilists condemned to be
tra lsported to the Island OF Saghalien. The
Suez Canal company raised the question as
to whether this ship, which was known 10
have sailed under merchant colors on her
last journey from Marseilies to Odessa, and
which belongs neither to the Russian gov
ernment nor 10 the Russian transport ser
vice, but which vas fIeighted for the volun~
teer fleet, should be considered as q ship of
war. The discussion resulted in the Mini
Novrogod being treat, as a ship of war,
under protest of the Russian consul. Now
! the question Just rails, caused stoppage
of three days, during which the convicts on
board V ere literally lett 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
| ries hoped TO deceive the Saez Canal com
pany. But this is not all The same vessel
is to perform the same voyage with a similar
cargo four times in the course of the present
year; and, be ii 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 nihil-
isl 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 exclamatian of
the Russian captain that, if his wards died
from the effects of the atrocious treatment
to which they were subject, it would be SO
the much better for all parties, might be APP
proprately repeated by the director Of every
Jail III tire Russian empire.