Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1888-01-06


hard of more. A subject is sent to /
Siberia in ex lie or is shot in the pen
like pig In any event trip there
IS Journey 10 death.
The fortress is on little ISLAND and
can only he reached by boat None |
but officers OF the empire. with special
permission TO do 30, are allowed 10 APP !
proach it. A number of strangers, out
fishing or row ne and not knowing
what the fortress was. have lost their
YES IN attempting To mnd there.
On the walls surrounding it aye sentl
nels guards who have instruct ons 10
shoot down w thout question or warn
mg AL who approach without authority.
When the nature OF the place Is
known and the uses Of it under
stood the purposes of This are
seen. All susI etts--cy everyone known
TO be plotting or work NJ aga nst the
crown, or any of the imperial subjects
are taken here for exam nation and
execution. and So many are never
heard Of who are taken here that ef-
forts are continually being made 10
destroy the fortress or rescue some IN
it; and since those who are taken to 1t
are, I'm the eyes of the car the rank
est CRIMINALS. great efforts must be put
forth to keep intruders away. 1t Is said
the waters about it are often crimson
with human blood.
From the fortress thousands Of human
souls have taken flight every year since
/ il was constructed. and tens Of thous-
/ ands of sentences have been pronounced
aga INST ex les, or those who are destin-
ed TO exile. 1t is somber-loOkng
structure. and sunk halfway into the
water Org nally it was blended as a
defense in war, but now it is the scene
of expiation of crme against the crown.
There is no crime punishable 10y death,
except against the crown. A man
may murder a whole housefu Of peo-
pie in cold blood and and escape with
buta five years sentence; but if he
criticses the government the car, n
member of his family or an officer he
is shot at the fortress or cxiled in Siber-
lathe same if he advocates free gov
= eminent. franchise, constitution, or
; public schools. Almost every day men
: and women are taken from the shops
or their homes and carr ed in the dir
ection Of the fortress. No one knows
what they have done amiss. IL they
have offended the government they are
exled; if they have injured the cause OF
the government they are shot The
examinations are conducted secretly.
Not only is the subject not permitted
9 TO make defense. but his friends are
advised of his arrest, charge, or SEN
tence. And the crown takes delight
in making punishment OF its offenders
a. swift stern, and extreme as posi-
o bic, that the trend toward nihil sn
may be checked But it doesn't seen
to check IT, A Russian never looks NJ
the Neva from ST. Petersburg, but tina
! he thinks OF The fortress. and he neve
thinks of the fortress without shudder
. ing.
The winter palace has probably th
n most valuable furnishings, jewels. ant
,. works of art OF any building in tn
world. 1t is two full blocks or square
in length, and is almost as wide, there
Is fore covering from four to six acres
I, 1t is of brick, stone. and marble, ,hre
, stories and basement. and 5 altogeth
,e er worth in It's completeness more mon
m ey than all the government buildings q
n Washington. includ NJ the Unite
Is States capitol. 1t contains tons upo
N tons Of gold and silver, barrels of dij
N monds, rubics, and other preciou
ie stones; carloads of valuable potter
s ss and chinawares; miles--twenty miles
n of the most extravagant paintings an
statuary. and royal carriages, and ha
ness. deckcd with diamonds and COS
q ing untold millions. | walked fiN
10 hours in it the other day and did M
or 90 through two-thrds of the corride
and rooms. Ii would be impossible (,
AZ an occupant TO so know halt the trea
st ures rs to recognize them And v
H. Alexander III will not live here b
ed cause his father a.
1t has been customary to erect ne
Id palace for every ruler, 50 rs 10 have
>. monument for each one. The palace
Y and furnishings cost hundreds of m
lions of dollars, and meanwhile Russ
a. is almost bankrupt, and has not fr'
or public school in her complete en-
= pire, where her roublcs, intended
" represent II in American money, a
ng worth but As cents. In churches al
&c palaces Russia has more gold and silv
an than the United Safes minis could wo
IS into money with in six months. End
- she has not rouble nor kopeck c