The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1888-04-18
THE HUNGER STRIKE.
GRIM DETERMINATION OF POLITICAL
PRISONERS IN RUSSIA.
Thcy Wanted Permission to Work, to Re
ceive Food from the Outside. to Read
end to Go to ChurCh--victory Secured
at Last.


end to Go to Church--victory Secured
at Last.
The following morning--it was July sail
the prisoners of the fright solitaryp refused
to eat their food. When the warders, at the
order OF the director, opened the cells at 8
o'clock in the afternoon they found the fcoa,
placed there In the morning, untouched. An
excellent supper, consisting of fragrant
bouilton, delicious roast beef and Tuning tea
and cakes-food the prisoners had already for
gotten the taste of--was placed in the cells in
the evening, but they were not to be tempted.
and took no notice Of it. The same night
they were joined by the ''lefts,n or the occu-
pants of the "left solitary, who had by some
means learned Of their action and of the
causes which prompted 1t. Seeing that the
prisoners were in earnest, the director at
midnight, ordered all food and water to be
removed from the cells. an make them
beg for food, he thought. He did not sleep
that night He stole ON tiptoe from one
wicket hole TO another, watching what the
prisoners were doing. They lay on their
pallets, gazing at the ceiling, or talking to
each other by knocks, and in the twilight Of
the cells their bodies reminded the director
OF hobgoblins Grim silence prevailed in the
corridor.
Early In the forenoon delicious breakfast
was brought into the cells, but The prisoners
exhibited no desire to eat it, and 1t was taken
back to the kitchen. At noon O luxurious
dinner was served, and although 1t remained
untouched, 1t occurred to the director TO
leave 1t all day In tho cells The voluntary
sufferers threw the food into the s'parashkasn
In the evening the same story was repeated.
with the same result The director ordered
Mishkin, Alexandroff and Cicianoff to be
brought from the 'skarzern back to their cells
hoping TO reconcile the prisoners, and that
the three mon, touched by their pardon.
would try and persuade the others to give up
their dangerous undertaking, but he found
he had made mistake Mishkin, as well as
Cicianof and Alexandroff, Joined their fell
low prisoners
At a late hour Of the second night the di-
rector, accompanied by the prison physician.
went from cell to cell, begging and suppli-
eating the prisoners to eat, reminding them
oil their homes, fathers, mothers, relatives
and friends to whom thcy might soon re-
turn, apologizing for the rudeness he had dis
played when overzealous In the performance
Of his duties, and explaining that he was
merely subordinate official who had to
obey the orders from those above him At
all the coils the director received the same
laconic reply, Grant what we are asking.n
In the forenoon of the third day the pris-
oaess were oil led into the yard, whore the
common prisoners and soldiers sat around
ia.sse tables eating and drinking. The direc-
tor thought that the sight of persons eating
Mo'lli induce the hungry to take food, but
ttley did nothing Of the kind and were taken
back to their cells Outside the prison walls
nothing was known of all these horrors. The
directsr gave strict orders to all soldiers and
wufders TO keep their mouths shut, and. fear
ing his wrath, they carried out his orders to
the letter. The serious character Of the affair
SO frightened the director that in the morn
ing of tho fourth day he dismissed all the
warders whose insolence had displeased the
prisoners, and gave orders to their successors
to be as polite and gentle as possible. Again
and again he visited the cells, humiliating
himself before those whom he formerly
treated as beasts, and conjuring them to cat
and to live for the sake OF their relatives and
friends, but his efforts were Of no avail
In the evening OF the fourth day the prison
priest, low lived hypocrite, went with a
large cross in his arms from cell to cell, sup
plicating the prisoners to eat in the name Of
God, but his prayers and entreaties received
no attention from the half dead sufferers.
Their condition that night was Of a most de-
pressing nature. Most of them could no
longer stand ON their feet; some tainted,
others raved constantly, and special warders
had to watch at their beds all night in order
to prevent their sudden expiration. The
director did not sleep all night The physi-
clan and his assistants had never had such q
busy time before. Fifty eight mon were
apparently dying slowly from voluntary
starvation. They touched nothing but water,
and some also abstained even from this.
The same night conference, presided over
by the director, and attended by the physi-
clan, the priest the officers Of tho garrison
and the head warders, was held at the prison
office. The director delivered mournful
speech, saying that he was tired of the duties
of his office, that his Office would kill him In
a few years, and that he was ready to resign
IL his resignation would be accepted "But
what Is TO DO done nowF he exclaimed, dra-
matically ~ cannot grant their demands;
it's beyond my power to do it, Up to tho
present time / still hoped the fellows would
change their minds or break down and begin
TO cat. For this reason intended not TO let
the governor know of this horrible affair.
But now | SEQ they are in earnest They are
determined to die. don't want TO be solely
responsible for their deaths, and think it's
time to report everything to the governor
and let him act as he thinks bestp
All agreed that no other course was posi-
BILE under the circumstances, and report
was got up and forwarded Immediately to
the governor of Kharkoff On the sixth day
Of the fanine--July 6-Councilor Soumtzoif,
accompanied by the chief doctor of the
province, arrived at the ''centrallla.n They,
too, began by exhorting the prisoners to take
some nourishment Accompanied by the