Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1888-07-20
A Mosuvw PRiS on.
Dr. Lausdeii Draws ha.nsr
p,otur. of Russian Ansirs'

M
Picture OF Russian A"ss
u.., In Moscow in 1885 drove
ont with my travelling companion an"
nm American. former Governor o.
VIRGINIA to see the new Cehtt''
prison. recently built in the SUBURBS
We arrived. however latter the i"'''
for il was at the end Of August anu
most of the companies of exl'es hau
started. five hundred only remaining.
of various categories. neiudih9'
think. wives and children. we wen'
over the building which was srea'
Improvement on the old one. Inc
wards were very large and lofty. re-
minding one of extensive city ware
houses, and detached from the man
building were towers with small rooms
for political prisoners.
The rooms certainly were not large
but they appeared reasonably COM
Portable. or at all events had nothing
about them to recall the sensational
"damp," "fugus-colered cells INTO
which certain writers on Russian
prisons are fond of thrusting their
political prisoners, especially In the
Alexeiefsky ravelin of the fortress OF
Peter and Paul in ST. Petersburg
did not secure a photograph OF the
Central prison at Moscow. but hau
unexpectedly become possessed OF
sketch of IL cell in the Aleyeiefsky ravel-
in made by political prisoner VINO
occupied it. This prisoner. on my
second visit to Siberia, heard me mar
rating to a friend that had been per-
mitted to visit the Peter and Paul
fortress, whereupon he drew me
aside and told me that he had been
a prisoner therein, and would tell me
his experience if would call upon him
privately. did So but was rather be-
hind the time appointed, and whilst ne
was waiting he made for me pen and
ink sketch of his cell or room, which
measured eighteen feet eight inches
long by sixteen feet four inches broad
and nine feet four inches high. 1t was
furnished with table, chair. commode
and bed with two feather pillows, a
pair of sheets, blanket and wooden
coverlet Mezentseff. chief Of the Sc
cret police, who was assassinated by
the Nihilists in 1879, asked him on one
occasion whether he would like to
smoke, in which case he should be sup
piled with quarter of pound of to-
bacco for cigarettes every other day.
He was also asked if he would like to
paint or write, and drawing materials
were brought to him, as also books
from the library. 1t was in this fort
RES prison, he said, that he read Glib
bon decline and Fall of the Roman
Empire"
How far this state of things prevails
in the new prison at Moscow am un
able to say, but should imagine not
to great extent, because the Mos
cow cells are intended for ''politicaIs"
on their journeys At the time of my
visit there were but two political pris-
oners among the five hundred others.
They were in separate cells. one hav.
ing. l noticed. quite little library OF
books, and among other things a seen
bottle, but whether containing eau-de
Cologne or Uodka was not sure.
The small proportion of politca
prisoners to criminals just ment. onet
will not coincide with the popular
idea as to their mber, but il
fact much nonsense has been writ
ten and more believed respect
ing the number of Russian DO
litical offenders sent into exile. ON
writer talks about a calculation tina
in Eastern Siberia alone there wer
from 80, 900 to 40, Polish politica
exiles, whereas, in 1879, for instance
o9S was the total number of Polisl
criminals exiled, and criminals out
number the politicals by more than tel
20 one. Others, when they heart
prison statistics quoted that from
H. 600 to 10000 Russians were exilet
yearly. jumped to the conclusion tina
these or large portion of them, wer,
llical offenders, whereas the depor
talion of political offenders, until re
cent years, did not come under the or
binary prison administration at all
but was separately managed. Til,
political travelled alone, and wa
usually kept in prison alone, special,
guarded; and under these circum
stances from time to time saw then
in the prisons of Russia and Siberi .
but it was always in ones and twos
and as rare birds among a whole fiocl
OF others. l do not think | met will
nifty in going through nearly all tn,
principal prisons of Siberia; and thi
impression receives support from sucl
information as / could obtain from n,
official know. high in the prison adj
ministration, who told me in Noven,
Der 1881. that the total number of M
litical offenders of all kinds sent to 81.
oeria That year was seventy-two. Of
which number, however. about hal
nao been condemned to the mines ir
Tour previous years. but detained II
Russia. DR. Lansdeu. in Harner'
Magazine.