Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-01-26
FORTRESS OF TIE NEvA.
Russian Prison from Which None Arr
Permitted to Return.

Russian Prison from Which None Are
i Permitted to Return.
The fortress up the Neva is a terrible
prison, where offenders against the govern
| ment are given a court martial and pun
ished. None are known TO be acquitted, so
that no tales come from the place. When a
man or woman goes to the fortress he or she
is never heard OF more. A subject is sent to
Siberia in exile or is shot in the pen like a
/ pig In any event trip there is a journey
to death.
The fortress is on little island and can
only be reached by boat None but officers
of the empire, with special permission to do
so, are allowed to approach it. A number
of strangers, out fishing or rowing, and not
knowing what the fortress was, have lost
their lives in attempting TO land there On
| the walls surrounding it are ever sentinels-
guards who have instructions to shoot down
without question or warning all who APP
proach without authority. When the nature
of the place is known and the uses of it I'M
derstood, the purposes of this arsenal are
seen. All suspects-every one known to be
plotting or working against the crown, or
any of the imperial subjects-are taken here
for examination and execution, and SO many
are never heard of who are taken here that
efforts are continually made to destroy the
fortress or rescue some one in it; and since
those who are taken to it are, in the eyes of
the car, the rankest criminals, great efforts
must be put forth to keep intruders away.
1t is said the waters about 1t are often Grim
son with human blood
From the fortress thousands Of human souls
have taken fight every year sincei it was con-
structed, and tens of thousands of sentences
have been pronounced against exiles, or those
who are destined to exile 1t is a sober look
nd ho1f int tba
water. Originally it was intended as de-
Tense in war, but now it is the scene of the
expiation OF crime against the crown. There
is no crime punishable by death, except
against the crown. A man may murder
whole household of people in cold blood and
escape with but a five year sentence; but if
lie criticises the government, the czar, q |
member of his family, or an officer, he is shot |
at the fortress or exiled to Sibcria-the same |
if he advocates free government, franchise, |
a constitution or public schools
Almost every day men and women are |
taken from the shops or their homes and |
carried in the direction Of tho fortress. No
one knows what they have done amiss. If !
they have offended the government they are
exiled; if they have injured the cause of the
government they are shot. The examinations
are conducted secretly. Not only is the sub
ject not permitted to make defense, but his
friends are not advised of his arrest charge
Of sentence And the crown takes delight in
making punishment of his offenders as swift,
stern and extreme as possible, that the tread
toward nihilism may be checked. But it
DOESN'T seem to check it. A Russian never
ooks up the Neva from st. Petersburg but
hat he thinks of the fortress, and he never
links Of tho fortress without shuddering.-
St. Petersburg Letter.