Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1888-06-18
A Siberian Forwarding Prison.

From George Kennan's account of
'The Plains and Prisons Of Western
Siberia" in the June CeHHrg. we
quote the following: "Ihe Tiumen
prison was originally built TO hold
800 prisoners, but was subsequently
enlarged by means Of detached bar
racks so that it could accommodate
800. On the day of our visit, as we
were informed by small blackboard
hanging beside the office door, il con-
tanned 174l. As we approached the
entrance we were stopped by an arm
ed sentry, who, upon being informed
that we desired admittance, shouted
through a square portfolio in the
heavy gate, 'Star-she-e-e Y (the usual
call for the officer Of the day). A
corporal or sergeant, with a saber nc
his side and a Colts revolver in a
holster on his hip, answered the sum.
mons, carried our note TO the warden,
and in a moment we were admitted
to the prison yard. Fifty or sixty
eXiles and convicts were walking aim
lessly back and forth in front Of the
main prison building, or sitting idly
in groups here and there on the
ground. They were all dressed from
head TO foot in n costume of gray,
consisting of visorless Scotch cap, n
shirt and trousers Of coarse homespun
linen, and long gray oyercoat with
one or two diamond-shaped patches
of black or yellow cloth sewn upon
the back between the shoulders.
Nearly all Of them wore leg fetters,
and the air was filed with a peculiar
clinking of chains that suggested the
continuous jingling of innumerable +.
punches of keys.
The first 'kamera' or cell that we
entered was situated in one-story
log barrack standing against the wall .
on the left of the gate, and built evil
IDENTIFY to receive the overflow from
the main building. The room was
about 80 feet in length by 25 in
width and II feet high It's walls Of
hewn logs were covered with dirty
whitewash its rough plank loor was
black with dried mud and hard-trod-
den filth; and il was lighted by
three grated windows looking out into
the prison yard. Down the center Of
the room, and occupying about half
its width, ran the sleeping-bench-a
wooden platform ~ feet wide and 80
feet long, supported, at a height Of ?
feet from the floor, by stout posts.
Each longitudinal half OF this low
platform sloped little, roof-wise
from the center, SO that when the
prisoners slept upon il in two closely
packed TRAVERSE rows, their heads
in the middle were a few inches
higher than their feet at the edges.
These sleeping platforms are known .
rs mares, and a Siberian prison cell
contains no other furniture except a +,
arge wooden tub for eXcrement. The
prisoners have neither pillows, blan- ,
lets, nor bedclothing, and must lie :
IN these hard plank mares with no i,
covering but their overcoats. As we ],
ntered the cell, the convicts, with =,
sudden jngling Of chains, sprang TO :,
heir feet, removed their caps, and i.
TODD silently in dense throng :,
round the mares. 'Idrastvuitui re- ),
'iata 7 GLOW do you do, boys - !,
aid the warden. 'Zdravie zhelaiem =
asha vwisoki blagarodie' owe wish !,
on health, your high nobility shout Il,
d n hundred voices i'm a hoarsc cho- +,
us. The prison, said the warden, .
S terribly over-crowded. This cell, a
Dr example, is only 80 feet long by =
. wide. and has air space for 30, or q,
t most, 40 men. How many slept !,
ere last night!' he inquired, turning il
, the prisoners. h,
a hundred and sixty, your high n
obility,' shouted half a dozen hoarse i
oices." =,