Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-08-12
WHOLE NO. 1918.
Prison Life In Siberia.

Wnen We we're locked up for the
night. our cell suddenly assumed q
more homelike and comfortable aspect.
Night is the only time when convict
feels at home in his prison. During
the day he is always on the alert, always
expecting sudden irruption, an IN.
Welcome visit from the officers on duty.
But as soon az the doors were locked
everybody sat down quietly in his own
place, and almost every one got out
some work. The room was suddenly
lighted up, as each man had his own
candle and candlestick, the latter being
frequently made of wood. The air
grew worse as the night advanced. In
one corner group Of men squatted
around small piece of carpet which
served as card.table. There 10 in almost
every cell Q convict who ID the fortunate
owner OF square bit of carpet. . can
die, and pack Of horribly greasy cards.
all OF which articles are designated col.
lectively by the name of "msidan," /"
A madam is let for the night for fifteen
copecks. The men always gambled
high, each player laying down before
MN a heap OF copper coins. and never
leaving the game till he had either won
or lost everything. Sometimes these
card parties would last all night, and
only como to an end when the door
were unlocked in the early morning.
There were in our cell. a. we'll q in tho
other cells OF the prison, beggars-poor
wretches who had either gambled away
all their money or spent it in drink, OF
else had been born beggsrs. When I
speak OF men being born beegsrs I
mean to say that in our nation, even
under the most favorable and exoep.
tioual circumstances, there are. and n.
ways will be, certain remarkable indi-
Vlduals whose fate it is to be always
poor, always beggars, even II they
should try hard to earn their ivine IN
some honorable way. Their CLOTHES sro
always shabby, and they themselves
seem perfectly unable to help then.
selves and to assume more independ-
ent position. It seems to have been
decided for them by fate at their birth
that they were never to have Q viii Of
their own, and even if they should make
q faint attempt at having one that they
should never carry il ont, but remain
the slaves Of other stronger wills than
their own.
As soon as maidan was arranged.
one of these drudges would immediate.
~ come forward and offer his ,sxvices.
He was hired. for FIVE copecks . night,
to mount guard in the passage, and 10
give the alarm to the gamblers in case
the Major or one of the officers ON duty
should come in. Not unfrequently the
poor fellow had to stand for six or seven
hours on bitter Geld winter night in Q
dark passage, listening attentively to
each noise or sound from without. for
the Major caught sight Of
the candles from outside, and burst into
the prison like whirlwind. In such
cases it would have been too late 10 put
pPtstha aNpdlee Iibt hide the wajdaee- ard
negligent sentinel was always cruelty
beaten by the irate players, such intec.
ruptiors were comparatively rare.
Five copecks is Q ridicalously small fee,
even for Q convict prison; but what
struck me most was the cruelty and
gelfshness of the men, which showed
itself in many other cases besides this
particular one. "You have taken the
money, and must do the work, vas an
irrefutable argument. For his paltry
price, the employer considered himself
authorized to demand not only more
than the full amount Of work 10 vhinh
the other had pledged himself, but
thought that he bestowed favor en
bis drudge BY employing him. The
drunken reveller who scattered hi
money right and left without hesitation
invariably cheated the poor fellow Who
had served him ont of one-third Of his
duee. I have seen this done frequent
ly in other places, too. not only in
prison.-l Fedor DostoyefSkys I" Dur-
led Alive"