The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-11-27
EXILES AID C0NVICTS.
A COLUMN OF RUSSIAN PRISONERS
EN- ROUTE TO SIBERIA.
Marching In "a Cloud Of Dust-A Roadside
Shrine--Thc MONDAY Halt-The Roast
OF the Brodyag-Rest for the Night.
Ratious.

miles an hour, and long before noon il was
enveloped in suffocating cloud Of dust
raised by the shuffiing fetter encountered
feet OF the prisoners. Ia warm, dry weather
when there is no wind, dust is source OF
great misery TO marching parties, particu-
larly to the sick, the women and the children.
There is no possible way of escaping it, and
when prisoner is suffering from ono Of the
diseases of the respiratory organs that are
80 common in etape life IL is simply torture
10 sit in n cramped position for six or eight
hours in an open telega, breathing the dust
raised by the feet OF $50 men marching in
close column Just ahead. have traced the
progress of an invisible exile party more
than mile away by the cloud Of dust that
hung over il in the air.
! Five or six miles from Tomsk tho party
passed 'chasovnaya,n or roadside shrine,
consisting Of an open pavilion. in which
hung CHASTITY wooden efiigy of the cruciiied
Christ Here, as upon our departure from
| Tomsk, noticed that two-thirds of the con
victs removed their caps, crossed themselves
devoutly, and muttered brief supplicatious.
A Russian peasant may be a highway robber
or murderer, but he continues, Ecvcrthe-
I
HALT BY THE wAYsIDE
The first halt Of the party for rest was
made about ten miles from Tomsk az the en-
trance 20 a small village Here on patch
Of green sward by the roadside, had assembled
ten or twelve girls and old women with bas-
! kots OF provisions, bottles of milk, and Jugs
Of "LyaSs,n or small beer, for sale To- the
prisoners. 1T first sight of these prcpara-
tioBs for their refreshments, the experienced
| broiyags, who marched at the head Of the
column. raised joyous shout Of "Precyai.
Prevail. the exIlos name for The noon day
halt. The welcome cry vas passed along the
line until il reached the last wagon Of lin
Capables' aud the whole party pCrccpubIy
| tuckeued It's pace. A walk Of ten miles does
not much tire a healthy and uniucumbered
nian bu, 10 convicts who have been IN prison
without exercise for months, and who are
hamporcd by five pound leg fetters united 10y
chains that clash constantly between the
: legs, j, is trying experience In less than
minute after the command 10 halt was
given, almost every man in the crowd was
either sitting on the ground or lying Oh il at
full length. After a short rest the prisoners
began buying food from the provision ven
lcrs, in the shape Of black rye bread, fish
pie hard boiled eggs, milk and kyass, and in
half an hour they were oil sitting on the
ground singly or in groups, eating their
lunch.
The afternoon march was without note.
worthy incident. Tho brodyags talked con
SANITY as they walked, raising their voices
80 as 10 mako themselves heard above tie
linging Of the chains while the ncviccs
generally listened or asked questions. There
IS the same difference between a brodyag
Who has been 10 the mines half dozen times
and q novice who is going for the first time
that there is between an experienced COW
boy and "tenderfootn Tho brOdyag knows
tho road as the tongue knows the mouth, be
has an experimental acquaintance with tie
temper and character Of every convoy officer
from Tomsk 70 Kara; and his perlous adj
ventures in the "taiga'-tho prlmeyal SlOc-
ran forest have given 10 him sell conf
Gencc and decision Of character that make
lin the natural leader IN every convict
party IL is the boast of The true brodyag
That tic ostro, ltho prison. is lis father and
tao taiga (tho wldernesl bis mother, and be-
often spends his whole life IN going from onc
parent TO thcCther. he rarely escape from
Siberia altogether, although ho may reach
half a. dozen times the valley a. tal .Ob.
Sooner or later Lo is almos, Away recap
tarcd. OF IS forced by cold and starvation to
give himself up As an ctapo officer once
said O. brodyag rearrested in western 81
IBERIA: "The cars COW pasture is large, but
Yea can, get ont Of IT,, wc find you at Lass Il
yoJ aro not dead.
REST I0R THE MIGHT
When oar convcts, after their t0isome
march of trentyninc yeists from I0msk,
reacted az last the red rooted polao ctapo OF
senlluzhuaya, they were maaaaled in rows
ia front a. tho paisado and again carefully
counted hy tho under officers il order 10
make sure that none had escaped a4I then
the wooden gate Of the c1ur, ysrd Has
thrown wide open. VITA Wild. mad rush
end furious a,.as of chains. more thau
200 men made sudden break fog tlc narrow
gateway, struggled, fought and crowded
through il, and then burst into the kam-fas,
in order % secure. by rreoccupat.on, places
0l the sleeping platforms
AT last tho tumuit subsided, and the con-
vlcts began their preparations for SUPP ar
hos wafer was furnished by tho soldiers Of
.no convoy 40 an average price of abou'
cent teakettlcful; "briek' tea was made 10y
sAe prisoners vino were wealthy enough 10
aGo.d such q luxury. soup was obtained 10y
T. few from tie soldiers kitchen. and the
tired cxiles, sitting on the sleeping platforms
~ on the for ate the b!ac., bread, the fish
pcs, or the cold boiled meat that they had
purchased from the provision vendors The
evening meal is sometimes an exceedingly
scau,y one, or account Of the failure OF tie
peasant women 20 bring to the cape for sale
an adequate supply al food They are
lot obliged 10 furnish subsistence %
couyicts on tho road, and tho exile
administration attempts no regulation OF the
commssaflat beyond furnishing The prls-
oners with money fer rat.ons. aud allowing
the peasant. ortae soldiers 81 the convoy to
act as purycyors la times of scarcity it's
impossible TO buy, with tho money given 20
each exile Tor bis subsistence, enough food
% satisfy hunger. In one district eli eastern
Siberia, Wuore there had been partial fail
ire OF tie crous, the exlles could scarcely
bay, with cents a day, q pouDd and q
half G. black rye bread, The ctape officers
complained bitterly 10 Eie Of the indifference
Ct tue government 20 The suiterings OF the
prisoners, and declared that it was unjust