River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1883-02-15
RUSSIAN TYRANNY.
Something that Explains NihiIism
Ghd Assassinatior!
Prince Krapotkine in the Nineteenth Cen
tIrrv

Gnd Assassinatior!
Prince Krapotkine in the Nineteenth Cen
tury.
I was sent to Vino with so prisoners
men and women. From the railway
station we were taken to the town prison
and kept there for two hours, late ct
night, in IA open yard, under a drench-
ing rain. At last We were pushed into
dark corridor and counted. Two sol
diers laid Hold on me and insulted me
shamefully. / was not the only one thus
outraged, for in the darkness heard the
cries of many desperate women besides.
After many oaths and much foul lam
euage the fire was lighted and | found
my self in spacious room in which it
was impossible to take step In any di-
tection without. tteading on the women
who were sleeping Oil the iloof.
Two women who occupied bed took
pity on me and invited me to share 1t
with them, When / awoke
next morning I was still suffering from
tile scenes Of yesterday, but tbs female
prisoners-assassins and thieves-were
so kind to me that by and by grew
cclm. Next night we were turned out
from the prison and paraded IN
the yard for a start, under a heavy
rain do not know how ! happened to
ESCAPE the fists of iaiers, Us the
bfisohets did not understand the svolu5
tions. and performed them under q
stormsof blows and curses; those who
protested-saying that they ought not
to be beaten-were put in irons and sent
TO the train, in the teeth of the law
which saws that il. the cellular wagons
no prisoners shall be chained. Arrived
at Kuvnu; we speEt the whole day in
going from one police station 70 another
In the evening We were taken to the
prison for women, where the lady SUI
perintendent was railing againstthe head
taller and swearing that she would give
him bloody teeth. The prisoners told
me that she often kept her promises of
this sort. Here spent a week
among murdresses, thieves and women
arrested by mistake. Misfortune unites
the Unfortunate; and every body tried to
moke life more 20lefable fbt the rest all
were very kind to me and did their best
to console me. On the previous day
| had eaten nothing, for the day the
prisoners are brought to the prison they
receive no food; so i tainted from hun
ger, and the prisoners gave me some OF
their bread and were as kind as they
could be; the female inspector, howev-
err. was on duty; she was shouting out
such shameless oaths as few drunken
men would tise. Afer weeks
STAY in kovano ! was sent. on foot
to the next town. After three days
IN arch We came to Marltmpol; my feet
were wounded and lily stockings full Of
blood. The soldiers advised me to ask
for a car, but | preferred physical suf-
ferine to the continuous cursing and foul
language of the chiefs All the same
they took me before their commander,
and he remarked that had walked
three days and so could walk fourth.
We came next day to Wolkowysk, from
whence we were to be sent ottt to Prtis-
sia. ] and five others we're put provis-
ionally In the debit. Tire women's de-
partment was in ruins; SO vie were TAX
en- to the mems. | did not
know what to do, as there was no place
to sit dowH, except on the dreadfully
filthy floor; there wasevefi no straw, and
the stencil On the floor set me vomiting
was a large pond !. had to be crossed
on a broken ladder which
gave way under one OF us
Il
could now understand the smell; the
pond goes under the building, the floor
of whfcE is impreglated with sewage.
Here / spent two Gays and two nights,
passing the whole lime at the window.
y q In the night the doors
were opened, and, with dreadful cries.
drunken prostitutes were thrown into
our room. They also brought lis ma
MAC; he was quite naked. The misers~
BILE prisoners were happy on such occur
rences; they tormented the maniac and
reduced him to despair, until al last he
fell on the floor in fit and lay there
foaming at the mouth. On the third day
soldier of the depot, a Jew, took me
into his room, tiny sell. where ! stai
with his wife. The prlS-
oners told me that many them were de-
tanned 'by mistake for seven and eight
being sent across the frontier. It is easy
to imagine their condition afte~ a seven
months stay in this sewer without
change of linen. They advised me to
give the jailer money, as he would then
send me ON to Prussia Immediately.
But had been six weeks on the way al
ready, and mv letters had not cached
my people. At last the solder
allowed me to 90 10 the post-office with
his wife, and sent registered letter
to st. Petersburg Nine. G has infiuen-
tial kinsfolk in the capital, and ina few
days the overnor-General telegraphed
for her to be sent on instantly to Prus-
sia My papers (she says were discov-
cred Immediately, and | was sent to
Eydtkunen and set at liberty.
The public learns from the Russian
official messenger that the Gar has COM
muted to hard labor for life sentence
of eatl. pro nouncedton revointionists;
but nc thing transpires either of the
trial, or of the crimes imputed to the
condemned. Nay, even the last conso-
lation of those condemned to death, the
consolation ofdying publicly, was taken
away. Hanging will now be done secret
ly within the walls of the fortress, inthe
presence of none from the world
without. The reason is that when Rys-
sakoff was brought out to the gallows he
showed the crowd his multilated hands,
and shouted, louder than the drums,
that he had been tortured after trial.
His words were heard by a group
of Liberals" who, regulating
any sympathy with the Ierrorlsts,
yet held it their duty to publish the facts
of the case in a clandestine proclamation,
and to call the attention TO this Migrant
offeuse against the laws of humanity.
Now nothing will be known of what hap,
pens in the easements of the fortress OF
Paul and Peter after the trial and before
the execution. At least, the Govern
ment think so, after having sent to hard
labor the son of a jailer and dozen
soldiers accused Of letter-carrylng be-
tween prisoners and their friends In the
town. But We know--and have not the
slightest hesitation in asserting the fact
that al least two revolutionists Adrian
Mikbailof and RyssaknH, were submit