Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1888-01-20
Ito De CONTINUED ]
THE NEVA FORTRESS
Palace From Which None Are Permitted To

Petersburg than all other points IN Rus-
STA at this time. They are the fortress
short distance Hp the Neva; the Winter
palace, tho home of Alexander H., as
sassinated six years ago, IN the center of
the city, and the palace OF Alexander Ill,
at P-terhof, two hours distance across
the Gulf of Finland to the east.
Russians speak the word, "fortress"
with a shudder. They know what II
means. To them the fortress near St.
Petersburg is something more than For
tress Monroe to the people of Washington
or Baltimore. The fortress up the Neva
Is a terrible prison, where offenders
against the government are given court
martial and punished None are known
to be acquitted, so that no tales come
from the place. When 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
pig. In any event a trip there Is
journey TO death.
The fortress is on little island and
can only be reached by boat. None but
officers of the empire, with special per
mission to do so, are allowed to approach
1t. A number of strangers, out fishing or
rowing and not knowing what the for
tress was, have lost theil lives in attsmpr-
ing to land there. On the walls sur
rounding it are over acknowledgements
who have instructions to shoot do WI with
out question or warning all who approach
without authority. When the nature of
the place is known and the uses of it IN
derstood, the purposes of this are seen.
All spects-everyone known to be plot
ting or working against the crown, or any
of the imperial ublects-are taken here
| for examination and execution, and so
many are never heard of who are taken
| here that efforts are continually being
| made to destroy the fortress or rescue
| someone 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 il are often Grim
| son with human blood.
From the fortress thousands of human
| souls have taken flight every year since it
was constructed, and tens of thousands
| of sentences been pronounced against
| exiles, or those that are destined to exile.
| 1t is a somber looking structure, and sunk
| halfway into the water. Originally it
| was intended as a defense in wa, but now
| is the scene of expiatiOn of crime against
| the crown. There is no crime punishable
| by death, except against the crown. A
| man may murder lot of people in cold
! blood and escape with but a five-years'
| sentence; but if he criticises the govern
| ment, the cZar, a member of his family,
| or an officer, he is shot at the fortress or
| exiled to Siberia-the same if he advo-
| Gates free government, franchise, con-
| stitution, or pubic school. Almost every
| day men and women are taken from the
| shops or their homes and carried in the
| direction of the 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 s.. OF. The e1-
aminations are conducted sec, city. Not
| only is the subject not permitted to make
| a defense, but his friends are not advised
| of his arrest, charge, or sentence. And
| the crown takes delight IN making pun
| ishmenS of it offenders as swift, stern,
| and extreme as possible, that the trend
| toward nihilism may be checked. But
| it doesn't seem to check it. Russian
| never looks up the Neva from ST. Peters
burg, but that he thinks of the fortress,
| and he never thinks of the fortress with
| out shuddering.
The Winter palace has probably the
1 DlOs0 fdludOlc JS"GLS, anu
works of ark of any building in the world,
| 1t is two full blocks or squares in length,
and is almost as wide, therefore GOVERN 2
| from four to six acres. 1t is Of brick,
| stone, and MARBLE three stories and a
| basement, and is altogether worth in its
| completeness more money than all the
government buildings at Washington, in
Guiding the United States capitol. It
| toms nF GOLD a
silver, barrels of diamonds, rubies, and
other precious stones; car loads of yalu-
able pottery and china ware; miles-twen-
| ty miles-of the most extrevagant paint
| ings and statuary, and royal carriages,
| and harness, decked with diamonds and
costing untold millions. | walked five
| hours in it the other day and did not go
| through two thirds of the corridors and
rooms. 1t would be Impossible for an
occupant to so know half the treasures as
to recognize them. And yet Alexander
| Ill will not live here because his father
| did.
| 1t has been customarysto erect a new
| palace for every ruler, SO as to have a
monument for each one. The palaces
| and furnishings cost hundreds of mil
| lions of dollars, and meanwhile Russia is
| almost bankrupt, and has not free or a
| public school in her empire, where her
| roubles, intended to represent 81 in
| American money, are worth but 45 cents.
| In churches and palaces Russia has more
| gold and silver than the United States
minis could work into money within six
months, and yet she has not rOuble nor
| kopeck except on paper ard copper.
| The taxes are twice as high as in Ameri-
| ca, and three fourths of them go to the
royal family, the church, and the army,
and the navy.
| Peterhof, where the car lives and
whence he fears to emerge, is a beautiful
city of probably sixty thousand people
| and the seat of art. The private grounds
of the czar comprise Thousands of acres,
are the finest in the world, and his per
sonal expenses aggregate over 100000
roubles, or more than $5,OOO,O9O a year.
His stables contain eight hundred blood
ed stations. He has body-guard of five
| thousand Cossack soldiers and expert
epced secret detectives. So.ne of the
latter are at hi. side even in his private
room at the palace. His food is analy zed
that he may escape poison. He is in
danger if he goes walking, while he never
ventures beyond his doorway without oc-
casion is extremely urgent and his pres
! ence covered by soldiers and detectives.
| His chapel for worship is in his own
house. He never goes out for exercise or
amusement. The country swarms with
nihilists, and he fears them. Alexander
III, when in his own country is misera-
able prisoner in his own palace.
The Palace at Peterhof, where the czar
lives, is surrounded by the most magnif-
cent fountains that money and genius
can command. There is nothing to COM
| pare with them in the world. And the
broad expanse of park is dotted with
other palaces and buildings filled with
dazzlingly beautiful jewels and works of
| art, none of which he can see, because
he can not afford to risk his life to satisfy
his curiosity. About three times q year
the czar ventures away from his home in
his private yacht or on a special train.
Then he is surrounded by thousands of
! soldiers and detectives, and the water or
railroad is patrolled like a policeman's
| beat.
Washington Society.
Society in Washington Is indeed, by
no means so exclusively political as is
| often supposed. Very many persons of
! great importance in politics never find
their way into the intimate region whic b
is far within and beyond cabinet recep-
tions and official leveas. The real Wash
| ington circle is composed, for the most
| part, of the families of those who have