Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-12-17
aORROks OF RUSSIAN EXILE.
How Some OF the Poor Victims Live Until
Driven to Madness and to Death.

DAASeA ~ SAduhCDS kuu ~ DCOSh-
A writer i'll the London Standard says
On his arrival the prisoner is driven
straight to the police ward, where he is in
spected by the Ispravnik, police officer
who is absolute lord and master of the dis
trict. This representative Of the govern
ment requires him to answer the follow
ing questions His name: How old?
Married or single? Where from? Address
of parents, or relations, or friends? An
swers to all which are entered in the
books. 4 solemn written promise is then
exacted of him that he will not give les
sons Of any kind, or try to teach any one
that every letter lie writes will go through
the Ispravnik's hands, and that he will
follow no occupation except shoelnakins,
carpenteriny or field.labor. He is then
told lie is free but at the same time is
so!emnly warned that should he attempt
to pass the limits of the town he shall be
shot down Ikea dog rather than be al
lowed to escape, and should he be taken
alive shall be sent off to Eastern Siberia
without further formality than that of the
ispravnik's S personal order.
The poor fellow takes up his little bun
die, and, fully realizing that he has now
hidden farewell to the culture and material
comfort of his past life. he walks out into
the cheerless street. A group of cxilcs, all
pale and emaciated, are there to greet him,
take him to some of their miserable lOdS-
ings, and fevcrishly demand news from
home. The newcomer SaZes Oh them as
one in 4 dceam, some are melancholy mad,
others ncrvously irritable, and the remain
der have evidently tried to find solace iii
drink. They live in communities OF twOs
| and :hrccs, have food, i scanty provision
of clothes, money, and books i'll common,
| and consider it their sacred duty to help
each other i'll every emergency. without
distinction OF sex, rank or age. The noble
by birth get sixteen shillings month from
the government for their maintc-
nance aud commoners only ten, although
many of them are married, and sent
into exile with young families. Daily 4
gendarme visits their lodgings, inspects
the premises when and how he p!cascs, and
now and then makes some mysterious en-
try in his note book. Should any of theil
number carry !. warm dinner, a pair cI
newly -mendcd boots, or u change OF linen
to some passing exile lodged for the mo
ment in the police ward, it is just as likely
as not marked against him as a crime. 1;
is :. crime to come and see a friend Off, o.
accompany him a little Oh the way. In fac
should the lSpravnlk feel out oil sortS-ths
effects of cards or drink-hc vents his bat
temper on the exilcs and us cards an'
drink are the favOritc amusements in tlles'
dreary regions crimes arc marked dow
against the cxiles in astonishing mum
bers, and a report Of them sent regularly t
the governor of the province.
Winter lasts eight months, u period dur
ing which the surrounding country pre-
sents the appearance of Il nosclcss, life
less. frozen marsli-no roads, no commu
nication with the outer world, no mean
of escape. In course OF time almost ever.
individual exile is attacked by ncrvcu
convulsions. followed by prolonged apath!
and prostration. They begin to quarrel
and even to hate each other. Some o
them contrive to forge false passports, an;
by a miracle, as it were, make their es
cape, but the great majority Of these vic
tins of the Third Section either so mad
commit suicide, or die or dclirium tremens
Their history, when the time comes for il
to be studied and published, will disclos
a terrible tale of human suffering and ad
ministerial evils and shortcomings no
likely to find their equivalent in the con
temporary history Of any other Europea
state.