The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1888-04-11
Five Gents
A Recital of GreVfGus Wrongs.

Editor Mirror:
Many of us unfortunates think our road
is 'rOcky"-indeed wOeful-but some
with Russian exile, in fact, we were con-
fined in the same cell awaiting trial for
crimes, or supposed crimes, committed
against the laws of the land.
My companion. middle-aged man. say
40, who was born in the west Of Prussia,
Germany, had become SO attached to me
that | entirely gained his confidence, and
he unfoded tO me his past life. Though L
without breach of confidence, | can relate
enough to suffice the object of this letter.
Among other matters he related that at
the age of Is he was left an orphan, to-
gether with two sisters. aged IS and Is.
For convenience sake we will here name
them Annie and Mary respectively.
Annie was an unusually pretty girl and
when one day wealthy Russian CHANGED
to be at their native village he became ac-
quainted with. cOurted and won the fair
young damsel after a brief cOurtship, and
carried her, together with her sister, to his
udtlNG ldINl lClluCl lONtiI1 lhOoCoSOo
passed between brother and sisters for
nearly two years when suddenly they ceased
to come.
The brother now became restless and re-
solved to follow his only earthly ties, into
the very bowels of deSpOtic Russia, and
after a long. tedious, and weariSome jour
ney he finally reached his destination. But
alas, instead of meeting and embracing his
beloved sisters, imagine his sad and SORROW
full position. to learn that his sisters had
been betrayed: for the wealthy Russian was
a nobleman and married already, previous
to his journey to Germany and the supposed
wife and sister, according to the despotic
law OF that country. we sent to lite exile III
dark Siberia. for unlawful marriage Of a
nObleman co.. Mary, the younger sister,
was bound out as a Sert in the far north OF
Russia.
The young mans only hope and ambition
in this life was to rescue his unfortunate
sisters. Accordingly he never ceased to
search after them, and at last he found
Mary, the once sweet and tender sister,
now Serf in thraldOm, and ruled and
led only by the rod, or cat O-nine-tailS."
The brothers OILY ambition being the res
cue of his sister from abject slavery. he
was detected and without trial by judge
or Jury of his peers" was sentenced to
life exile in Siberia, for attempting kid
mapping and conspiracy. (Of the journey
and mode of treatment of prisoners. | will
defer until some future time, as space will
not permit me doing the subject justice as
| desire to do in this artlcle.) But after
nearly eight long, weary years, the hour OF
hope the promised star, appeared. and he
made his escape. and many months after he
landed in Baltimore. Md, as a "stowaway."
This once loving brother is to-day convict
in the Minnesota penitentiary, doing long
sentence, which to him is equivalent to
life sentence. saw him to-day at the wood
pile, looking aged 80. decrepit, malfOrmed,
and apparently with one hand on the saw,
and the other lifted heavenward, beseech-
ing the Ever Mercful to soon swing those
pearly gates ajar. that his weary body and
soul might rest.
O! fellow beings. my thoughts, though
dimmed by fearful emotions, were carried
back to words uttered by Bishop Gilbert
Easter Sunday, when we die we begin to
live"
Could we look down into each others
hearts and read thereon inscribed the days
of sorrow, unjustly inflicted by our fellow
men, either under the law of statutory JUS
tice or otherwise l think. with a common
accord, we would say, "Oh! that had the
wings OF dove, that might fly away and
be at rest PLUTO.
And hocauSp va arc aonS Cod hath sent