The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1881-06-17
\ TlRANT'S PRISON ROUSE.

Paul in which the Nihilists We're contin-
ed Immediately after their arrest will, l
doubt not, be perused with interest, by
your readers. The writer, u st. Peters.
burg correspondent, obtained access to
the casematcs by special order from
one of the Grand Dukes whose name
he naturally suppresses. The sight Of
the order when presented was by no
means acceptable to the commandant
Of the fortress, but as it was peremp-
tory, he had no alternative but to
The casemates, it appears, arc hollow
ed out under the Ncva, and directly
under the ramparts. Their only VIM
dow, little square hole, protected by
Il thick barred grating, rises but few
inches above the level of the river.
n staircase OF about ten steps leads
down to them and, rs the aitle-de-camp
who acted as guide remark ,d, in II
jocular tone: "Many go down, but
few came up again" 1t would seem
that the climate is not favorable to
icNolutloIIlStS. -At StAtCu NASt;tnCcS
there are iron doors opening into the
halls filled with sentincls, who, with
loaded rifle and fixed bayonct, keep
watch and ward over tho unhappy
them. The doors Of the cells. also of
iron, are very low
As for the tiny prisons, they are
very narrow quarters, square, with
stone walls and floors, and fairly damp,
the water constantly dropping about in
all directions. y chair, Il table and II
pallet of white wood form the only
furniture. One OF the pallets was found
to be covered with II bed of straw hor-
ribly foul, but even this, poor luxury
as it was, must be considered an cxccp-
ton. The prisoners, the writer learn
ed, were fed on Il soup made of saltcd
cabbage and black bread. On grand
occasions, however, they were some
times treated to Il bit of meat and II
tcharl>a, or Il glassful of brandy.
The visitor was allowed entrance to Il
few of the cells. Their tenants were
pale, they rose rs he entered, accord,
ing to order, but regarded him with q
fixed look of despair. On some of tho
walls characters had been traced Will
Il pointed instrument. One of tho
phrase ran thus:
rMy poor mother, you HutibticS.
know that your innocent son il buricC
alive in this vault"
The guide intcrfCrcd and prevented
the writer from reading more. He wa
shown the famous cell in which was in
carccr:,tcd the Princess Tnruhanov:.,
daughter cf the Empress Elizabeth,
who fell victim to her rival, the
Empress Catharinc H., grandmother
of the present Car. This unhappy
woman rerishcd III the cclt under the
most dramatic circumstances. The
Nava, swollen BY the melted snow,
suddenly rose, and tn" rushing torrent,
dashiug with overwhelming strength
against the tiny window, broke in and
filled the cell with water. The prin.
cess was drowned.
Ilt tSllH VI l'ic tcdt Sttt'
are lined with mattresses, and rings OF
iron are placed in the walls, to which
many OF them are bound when they
arc not Straightforward coated. The
guide informed the writer, among
other things, that these unhappy men
were asked every quarter of an hour if
they were present. Whenever they
failed to reply, they were barbnrously
punished. lie also states that in tho
wall of the EMPEROR room there is ar
invisible door, communicating with {
little passage, very narrow, and lead
ing to a subtcrrancan gallery, hollowct
out under the Ncva. The gallcay lead
to tho fortress, and in case of rciori
ton or of imminent peril, the CHa
could disappear in Il few seconds from
the Winter Palacc, and Il few minute
after find himself in perfect safety ii
the iortrcS. Of St. Peter and St. Paul
the guns of which in Il short tim
could reduce st. Petersburg to ruina
The palace of the tz1r Paul J. whici
is now the cnginc@r5' school, was simi