Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-04-20
THE HUNGER STRIKE.
GRIM pETERMlNAT ON OF POLITICAL
PRISONERS IN RUSSIA.

They Wanted Permission to work. to Re-
| ceiye Food from the Outside. to Read
aud to Go to Church Victory Secured
| at Last.
The following morning it was July 3-all
the prisoners OF the fright solitary refused
| % eat their food. When the warlers, at the
order of the director, orcned the cells at
| o'clock in the afternoon 'hey found the food
| placed there in the morning, untouched. An
excellent supper, consisting of fragrant
| bouillon, delicious roast beef and fuming tea
and cakes-foOd the prisoners had already for
| gotten the taste of-was placed in the cells in
| the evening, but they were not TO be tempted,
and took no notice of il. The same night
they were joined by the "lefts,n or the occu-
pants of the left solitary who had by some
means learned of their action and of the
causes which prompted it, Seeing that the
| prisoners were in earnest, the director, ut
midnight, ordered all food and water to be
| removed from the cells I'm make them
beg for food" he thought. He did not sleep
that night. Ho stole on tiptco from one
wicket hole to another, watching what the
prisoners wero doing. They lay on their
pallets, gazing at the ceiling, or talking to
each Other by knocks, and in the twilight of
the cells their bodies reminded the director
OF hob COLLINS. Grim silence prevailed in the
corridor.
Early i'll tho forenoon a delicious breakfast
was brought into the cells, but tho prisoners
exhibited no desire TO eat it, and it was taken
back to the kitchen. At noon luxurious
dinner was served, and although it remained
untouched, it occurred 10 the director to
leave it all day in the cells. The voluntary
g., a. =,
In the evening the same story was repeated
with the Same result. The director ordered
Mishiin, Alexandroff and Cicianof to be
brought from the "karzer'' back to their cells,
hoping TO reconcile the prisoners, and that
the three men, touched by their pardon,
would try aud persuade tho others to give up
their dangerous undertaking, but he found
he had made mistalIe-Mishkin, as well as
Cicianof and Alexandroif, joined their fel-
low prisoners.
At a late hour of the second night the di-
rector, accompanied by the prison physician,
went from cell to cell, begging and suppli-
eating the prisoners to eat, reminding them
of their homes, fathers, mothers, relatives
and friends, to whom they might soon re-
turn, apologi2ing for the rudeness he had dis
played when overzealous in the performance
of his duties, and explaining that he was
merely subordinate official who had to
obey the orders from those above him. At
all the cells the director received the same
lnconic reply, "Grant what we are asking"
In the forenoon of the third day the pris-
oners were all led into the yard, where the
common prisoners and soldiers sat around
large tables eating and drinking The direc-
tor thought that the sight of persons eating
would induce the hungry TO take food but
they did nothing of the kind, and were taken
back to their cells. Outside tho prison walls
nothing was known of all these horrors. The
director gave strict orders TO all soldiers and
wardorS to keep their mouths shut, and fear
ing his wrath, they carried out his orders to
the letter The serious character of the affair
SO frightened the director that in the morn
ing of the fourth day he dismissed all the
warders whose insolence had displeased the
prisoners, and gave orders to their SUCCESSORS
to he as polite and gentle as possible Again
and again he visited the cells, humiliatihg
himself before those whom he formerly
treated as beasts, asd conjuring them to eat
and to live for the sake Of their relatives and
friends, but his efforts were of no avail.
In tho evening of the fourth day the prison
priest, low lived hypocrite, went with a
large cross in his arms from cell to cell, sup
plicating the prisoners to eat, in the name of
God, but his prayers and entreaties received
no attention from tho half dead sufferers
Their condition that night was of most de-
pressing nature. Most Of them could no
longer stand on their feet, some tainted,
others raved constantly, and special warders
had to watch at their beds all night in order
to prevent their sudden expiration. The
director did not sleep all night. The physi-
clan and his assistants had never had such q
busy time before Fifty.eight men were
apparently dying slowly from voluntary
starvation. They touched nothing but water,
and some also abstained even from this
The same night conference, presided over
by the director, and attended by the physi-
clan, the priest the officers of the garrison
and the head wardors, was held at the prison
office The director delivered a mournful
speech, saying that he was tired of the duties
of his office, that his office would kill him in
a few years, and that he was ready to resign
if his resignation would be accepted. But
what is to be done nowF" he exclaimed, dra-
matically. Il cannot grant their demands
it's beyond my power to do it. Up to the
present time 1 still hoped the fellows would
change their minds or break down aud begin
to eat. For this reason l intended not to let
the governor know of this horrible affair
But now l see they are in earnest. They are
determined to die. l don't want to be solely
tOr tneT ue9tns, ana L thlnk 1t'S
time to report everything to the governor
and let him act as he thinks bestn
All agreed that no other course was posi-
BILE under tho circumstances, and report
was got up and forwarded Immediately to
the governor of Kharkoff. On tho sixth day
of tho famine-July S-Councilor SoumtzefP. |
by tho chief doctor of the |
province, arrived at the 'centralka.n They, |
DO began by exhorting the prisoners to take |
some nouriShment. Accompanied by the |
director and the prison physician, they went |
from cell TO cell, arguing, begging and |
but their efforts were as useless |
as those OF the director and his assistants.
On tho seventh day the prison was visited |
by number of generals and the procureur, |
or attorney general, of the province. They |
received the same categorical reply: ''Grant |
our demands.n Seeing that nothing could |
shake the resolution of the prisoners, and |
fearing to wait any longer, the governor |
ordered the director to capitulate-that is, |
to promise to fulfill all their demands As
the prisoners had no faith in promises of |
Russian government officials, both the gov
eruor and the director had to sign paper
obliging themselves to permit the political
prisoners to work, to receive food from the
outside, to read all the books permitted by
the state censor, to visit the prison church on
a Sunday named by them, etc. Thus, on the
Ell Nth day of the fanine-July l0-the pris-
oners once again took food.-Michael Malko1f
in Chicago News.
Whom the Gun Seems to Kick.
II ~