Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1888-09-29
A Siberian Forwarding Prison.

From George Remnants account OF
The Plains and Prisons of Western
Siberia" in the Century we quote the
following: "The Tiumen prison was
originally built to hold 500 prisoners,
but was subsequently enlarged by
means of detached barracks so that it
could accommodate 500. On the day
of o::r visit, as we were informed by q
small blackboard hanging beside the
office door. it contained LA. As we
approached the entrance we were
stopped by an armed sentry, who, upon
being informed that we desired adj
mittance, shouted through square port
hole in the heavy gate, Star-she-e-e!'
0le usual call for the officer of the day..
A corporal or sergeant, with saber at
his side and Colts revolver in a
holster on his hip, answered the sum-
mons, carried our note to the warden,
and in moment we were admitted to
the prison yard. Fifty or sixty exiles
and convicts were walking aimlessly
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 a
costume of gray, consisting of a visor
less Scotch cap, shirt and trousers OF
coarse homespun linen, and long gray
overcoat with one OF two diamond
shaped patches of black or yellow cloth
sewn upon the back between the shoul,
ders. Nearly all of them wore leg-fet'
ters, and the air was filed with pc
culiar clinking of chains which suggest
ed the continuous jingling of innumer-
able 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 evidently
to receive the overflow from the crowded
main building. The room was about
IS feet in length by % in width and II
feet high; its walls of hewn logs were
covered with dirty whitewash; its rough
plank floor was black with dried mud
and hard-trodden filth; and it was
lighted by three grated windows look
ing out into the prison yard. Down
the center of the room, and occupying
about half its width, ran the sleeping
bench-a wooden platform II feet wide
and 80 feet long, supported, at height
of 2 feet from the floor, by stout posts.
Each longitudinal half of this low
platform sloped a little, roof-wise,
from the center, so that when the pris-
oners slept upon it in two closely packed
transverse rows, their heads in the mid
die were few inches higher than their
feet at the edges. These sleeping-plat
forms are known as mares, and ST.
berian prison cell contains no other
furniture except a large wooden tub for
excrement. The prisoners have neither
pillows, blankets, nor bedclothing, and
must lie on these hard plank mares with
no covering but their overcoats. As we
entered the cell, the convicts, with q
sudden jingling of chains. sprang to
their feet, removed their caps, and
stood silently in dense throng around
the mares. 'Zdrastvuitui rebiata!'
How do you do, boys!' said the
warden. 'Zdravie zhelaiem vasha
vwisoki blagarodie I'VE wish you
health, your high nobility shouted a
hundred voices in a hoarse chorus.
The prison, said the warden, is ter
ribly overcrowded. This cell, for ex-
ample, is only 35 feet long by 25 wide,
and has air space for 35, or at most 40
men. How many men slept here last
night?' he inquired, turning to the
prisoners.
"a hundred and sixty, your high
nobility shouted half a dozen hoarse
voices"