Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-12-15


On bis arrival the prisoner is driven straight
10 the police ward, where he is Inspected oy the
1spyavLik. police officer who is absolute lord
and master OF the district. This repi sentative
OF the government requires OF him 20 answer
the following questions HIS name? How Old?
Married or singieT Where from? Address Of
parents, or relations or friends? Answers TO
all which are entered In the books. A solemn
WlBten promise Is then eNacted or him that ne
VIII rot give lessons OF any kind. or try 10 teach
any OF e; that every letter lie writes viii 90
through the Ispravnik's hands. ana that he viii
follow no occupation except Snoemaktng, car
penteripg or field labor. He is then told he is
ilte.-out at the same time Is SolemnIy warned
thar should he attempt tc pass the limits of the
town he shall be shot down like cog rather
tDan DE allowed to escape. AID should he be
taken alive shall be sent of to Eastern Siberia
without further formaliiy than that or tie Is
pfavGikS personal order
The poor fellow takes up his little indie and
fully aliZng that he has now hidden farewell
to the culture and material comfort or his past
life. he walks out Into the cheerless street,
group OF eXileS, al pale aud enaciaIed are
there to greet him, take him to some OF their
mSef able lodging and fevertShiy demand news
from home. The new conner gazes on them as
one in DREAM some are melancholy mad
Others nervously irritable, and the remainder
have evidently tried To fiud solace IN drink
They live In comm mites OF twos and threes,
nave food. scanty provision Of clothes, money
and DOCKS In common, and consider il their
en-. rsency. without distinction or sex RANK.
or age. The noble by birch get sixteen
shillibgs month from government for their
maintenance, and cOmmoDe.S only ten al
though many OF them are married and sent
1nto exile with young families ID .iiy a gen.
daIme visits their lodgings, insDeGCs the prem
tSeS when ard how he plea5es. and now and
then makes some mysterious eatry Ia his note
DOCK. Should any OF their number carry a
warm dinner pair OF neWly-meuded boots or
a change or linen to some passing exile lodged
Tor TIE moment in the police ward, il is inst as
likely as not marked against him as or rnr
lt Is crime TO come aud see a friend of, or
accompany him little on the way. Ia fact.
should the lSpravn1k feel out OF sorts-the
ELECTS OF cards or drink-he vents his bad tenn
per on the e11les: and as cards and drink are
the 1aVorlte alnuSementS in these dreary re
glons crimes are marked down against the
txlleS III astonishing numbers, and a report OF
them sent regularly to the governor OF the
province.
Winter lasts eighe months, period during
which the surrounding country presents the
appearance OF a nOiSeleSs lifeless. frozen
marSf--no roads, no communication with the
oulpT Wor d. DO means OF escape. In course OF
time almost every Individual exile Is attacked
by nervous COnvulsiOaS, followed by prolonged
apathy ana pfoStratiun. They begin to quarrel
and even TO hale each Otner Some of them
contrlye 10 forge false passports and by a
miracle, as II were, make their escape out the
great majority or these victims Of the Thiri
Section either go mad, commit suicide or die OF
delrium tremenS. Their history when the
time comes Tor Ii TO be studied and published
viii disclose terrible tale OF human suffering
and administered evils and shortcomings MOI
likely TO lind their equivalent in the contempo-
rary history OF any oUher European state