Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1880-04-30

A CELL WHERE A PRINCESS PERIsIED-PRo-
VISIONS FOR THE CAzAR's SAFETY.
From The London Telegraph
A short account of the celebrated case
ments of the Fortress of st. Peter and st.
immediately liz S'e ATTY fh1ns's tns.4 ANY ssnineI
doubt not. be persued with interest II,
your readers The writer, St. Peters
burg correspondent, obtained access to
the easements by special order from one
of the Grand Dukes The easements are
followed out under the Neva and directly
under the rampnrts Their only window,
little square hole protected by thick
barred grating, rises but Il few inches
above the level of the river. At stated
distances there are iron doors opening
into the halls filled with sen.inels, who,
with loaded rifle and fixed bayonet, keep
watch and ward over the unhappy tenants
of the cells which open upon them.
As for the tiny prisons. they are very
narrow quarters, square. with stone walls
and floors, and fearfully damp, the water
constantly dropping about in all direc-
tions. A chair, n table anu pallet OF
white wood form the only furniture One
of the pallets was found to be covered
with a bed OF straw horribly foul but
even this, poor luxury as it was, must be
considered an exception. The visitor was
allowed entrance to few of the cells
Their tenants were pale they rose as he
entered, according to order, but regarded
him with fixed look of despair The
writer was shown the famous cell in which
was incarcerated the Princess Tarakan-
ova, daughter of the Empress Elizabeth,
who fell victim to her rival, the En-
press Catherine H., grandmother of
the present Car
This unhappy woman perished IN the
cell under the most dramatic circumstan-
ces. The Neva, swollen by the melted
snow, suddenly rose, and the rushing
torrent, dashing with overwhelming
strength against the tiny window, broke
in and filed the cell with water The
Princess was drowned. The cells Of the
great State criminals are lined with mat
tresses, and rings of iron are placedin the
walls, to which many of them are bound
when they are not strait -waistcoated. The
guide informed the writer, among other
things, that these unhappy men are asked
every quarter of an hour if they were
present. Whenever they failed to reply,
thew were barbarously punished.
He also states that IN the wall of the
Emperor's room is an invisible door
communicating with n little passage, very
narrow, and leading to subterranean
gallery followed out under the Ncva.
The gallery leads to the fortress, and i'll
case Of revolution or immediate peril,
the Gar could disappear in n few seconds
from the Winter Palace, and III few
minutes after find himself in perfect safe
ty in the fortress of St Peter and St.
Paul. the guns of which in short time
could reduce St Petersburg to rims.
The palace Of the Car Paul l., which is
now the Engineer School, was similarly
provided but when the assassians enter
ed the room he had not time to flee, and
was struck down the very moment when
he was about to disappear behind the
secret door which was already open.
A CLEVELAND lawyer defending II hand
some young lady charged with larceny.
closed his appeal TO the jury thus Gen
tlemen , you may hang the ocean on Il grape
vine to dry, lasso an avalanche, pin a napkin
TO the mouth of volcano. skim the clouds
from the sky with teaspoon, throw salt on
the tail of our noble American eagle, whose
slecpless eye watches over the welfare of the
nation; paste For rent on the moon and
stars; but never for moment deludc your
selves with the idea that this charming girl
is guilty of the charge prefcrredagainst her. ~
The jury acquitted her without leaving their
seats.