New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1881-04-06
RUSSIAN EILLEA.

RUSSIAN E1ZLEA.
On his arrival the prisoner is driven
straight to the police ward, where he is
inspected by the ispravnik, police
officer who is absolute lord Ind master
of the district. This representative Of
the Government requires Of him to an
swer the following questions: His
name? How old? Married or single?
Where from? Address Of parents, or
relations, or friends? Answers to all Of
which are entered in the books. A SOL
emn written promise is then exacted Of
him that he will not give lessons of any
kind, or try to teach any ono; that
every letter he writes will 60 through
the ispravnik's hands, and that he will
follow no occupation except shoemaking,
oarpentering, or field labor. he is told
he is free, but at the same time he is
solemnly warned that should he attempt
TO- pass the limits Of the town he shall
be shot down like dog rather than be
allowed to escape, and should he be
taken alive, shall be sent off to Eastern
Siberia without further formality than
that Of the ispravnik's personal order.
The poor fellow takes up his little
bundle, 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 exiles, all pale and emaciated,
are there to greet him, take him to some
of their miserable lodgings, and fever
ishly demand news from home. The
newcomer gazes on them as one in q
dream; some are melancholy mad,
others nervously irritable, and the re-
mainder have evidently tried to find
solace in drink. They live in commu-
mites of twos and threes, have food,
scanty provision Of clothes, money, and
books in common, and consider it their
sacred duty to help each other in every
emergency, without distinction of sex,
rank or age. The noble by birth get
sixteen shilGngs month from the Gov-
eminent for their maintenance, and
commoners only ten, although many of
them are married, and sent into exile
with young families. Daily gendarme
visits their lodgings, inspects the premi-
sea when and how he pleases, and now
and then makes some mysterious entry
in his notebook. Should any of their
number carry warm dinner, pair of
newly-mended boots or change of linen
to some passing exile lodged for the
moment in the public ward, it is just as
likely as not marked against him as a
crime. It is crime to come and see
friend off, or accompany him little on
the way. In fact, should the ispravnik
feel out of sorts-the effect of cards or
drink-he vents his bad temper on the
exiles and, as cards and drink are the
favorite amusements in those dreary
regions, crimes are marked down against
the exiles in astonishing numbers, and
4 report Of them sent regularly to the
Governor Of the province.
Winter lasts eight months, period
during which the surrounding country
presents the appearance of a noiseless,
ifeless, frozen marsh-no roads, no
communication with the outer world,
no means Of escape. In course of time
almost every individual exile is attacked
by nervous commissions, followed by
prolonged apathy and prostration.
They begin to quarrel, and even to
hate each other. Some of them con-
trive to forge false passports, and by a
miracle, as it were, make their escape,
but the great majority of these victims
Of the third section either go mad,
commit suicide, or die of delirium
tremens. Their history, when the time
comes for it to be studied and pub
lished, will disclose a terrible tale of
human suffering, and administered
evils and shortcomings not likely to find
their equivalent in the contemporary
history Of any other European state
London Standard.