The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1888-06-28
4 Siberian Eorwartling Prison.

From George hennan's account OF
The Plains and Prisons of Western
Siberia in the Century We quote the
following; The Tiumen prison was
originally built to hold 500 prisoners.
but was subquently enlarged by means
of detached barracks so that it could
accommodate 500. On the day of our
visit. as we were informed by a small
blackboard hanging beside the office
door, it contained 1911. AS we APP
preached the entrance we were stopped
by IN armed sentry, who, upon being
informed that we desired admittance.
shouted through square port-hole in
the heavy gate, 'Star-she-e-er (the
usual call for the officer of the day.)
A corporal or sergeant, with a saber at
his side and a Colts revolver in a
holster on his hip, answered the sum-
mons, carried our note to the warden,
and in a moment we were admitted to
the prison yard. Fifty or sixty exiles
and convicts were walking aimlessly
back and forth in front of the main
prison building, or setting idly in
groups here and there OH the ground.
They were all dressed from head to
foot in a costume of gray, consisting OF
a yisorless Scotch cap. shirt and
trousers of coarse homespun linen, and
a long gray overcoat with one or two
diamond-shaped patches of black OF
yellow cloth sewn upon the back be-
tween the shoulders. Nearly all of
them wore lcg-fetters, and the air was
filled with a peculiar clinking of chains
which suggested the continuous iing-
ling of innumerable punches of keys.
The first .kamera' or cell that we
entered was situated in a one-story LOG
barrack standing against the wall on
the left of the gate, and built evident.
ly to receive the overflow from the
crowded main building. The room
was about 50 feet in length by % in
width and Il feet high; its walls of
heWn logs were covered with dirty
whitewash; its rough plank floor was
black with dried mud and hard-troddcr
filth; and it was lighted by three grated
windows looking out into the prison
yard. Down the center of the room,
and occupying about half its width,
ran the sleeping room-a wooden
platform y feet wide and 30 feet long,
supported, at a height of 2 feet from
the floor, by stout posts. Each long
itudinal half of this lrN platform
sloped little, roof-wise, 1lom the cen.
ter, so that when the prisoners slept
upon it in two closely packed trans
verse rows, their heads in the middle
were a few inches higher than tKeir
feet at the edges. These sleeping plat
forms are known as Mares and q
Siberian prison cell contains no other
furniture except a large wooden tub
for eXcrement. The prisoners have
neither pillows, blankets, nor bed
clothing, and must lie on these hard
plank mares with no covering but THEN
overcoats. As we entered the cell,
the convicts, with a sudden iingling of
chains, sprang to their feet, removed
their caps, and stood silently in dense
throng around the mares. 'Zdrastvuitui
rebiatan GLOW do you do, boys!0
said the warden. 'Zdravie zhelaiem
vasha vwisoki blagarodie' owe wish
you health, your high nobility'), shout
ed hundred voices in a hoarse chorus.
The prison, said the warden, lis terri
bly, oycr-crowded. This cell, for
example, is only 35 feet long by 25
wide, and has air space for 80, or at
most 40 men. How many men slept
here last night?' he inquired, turning
to the prisoners.
.. a hundred and sixty. your high
nobility shouted half a dozen hoarse
voices.n