The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-03-31
TIE FOURTH OF JULY
CELEBRATED BY POLITICAL OFFEND.
eRS IN A RUSSIAN PRISON.

Three Hundred of the Cars suspects"
Remember the Centennial OF American
inoopcpdence-fiaes. strcamers, Songs
and uurrahs--h Touching Spectacle.
In the summer Of 1876, when there were
confined in the house of detention more than
200 political offenders il was decided to have
a general prison celebration of Tie centennial
Fourth Of July--the birthday OF the Ameri.
can republic As carly as the fist week in
June the prisoners began 10 make prepare
tions Tor the proposed celebration, by re-
aucstmg relatives who visited them to send
10 the prison for their use as many red and
blue haudkorchieis, neckorchiei shirts and
nairs of red flannel drawers as could be sent
without exciting suspicion, and al the same
time all the prisoners who were permitted to
have movable lights began to Purchase and
hoard candles The co!ored garments wcro
torn into strip, the candles were cut into
inch-louc bits, and both were distributed by
means Of the water CLOSET pipes throughout
the whole prison Some Of the omen. who
we're allowed 70 have needles and thread 10
sew boz their cells succeeded in making rude
American flags, and before july / almost
cyel political offender ia the prison had
either a flag, or a few strips Of rcl, white and
blue cloth. and an inca or two Of candle
RED, WHITE AND pLyE.
Day breaks IN the latitude OF st. Peters
bon. IA summer very early, md on the
morning Of the Fourth of JULY 1876, hours
before the first midnight cannon announced
the beginning Of the great natl ,ual celebra-
fipu u Philadelphia, hundreds OF American
iae- and steamers Of red, white and blue
futiered from the grated windows Of the
Qc,tlcais around the whole quadrangle of
the Great ST. Petersburg prison, and the
members Of The prison club we're family
huI1ahiDg, singing patriotic songs and ex-
changing greetings with one anOi her through
the water closet pipes which united their
cells.
The celebration, of course, was soon over.
The prison guard, although they had never
heard of the Declaration Of Independence
and lid not understand the SIGNIFICANCE OF
this extraordinary denomination, promptly
seized and removed the flags aud tricolorcd
streamors. some Of the prisoners. however.
had more material Of the same kind in re-
iay scraps and tattcrs OF red white and blue
were furtivoly hung out here and there from
cell windows or ticd around tn bars Of the
gIatngs Late ia the evening, at precou-
ccrted hour, tie pOiticals light 4 their bits
Of candle and placed tAem ma tuoT windows.
and the celebration ended with a faint but
percepubl- illumination Of tho great prison
quadrangle.
TOUCHING AID MOURNFUL
There seems 70 me % bo somsthing pro.
foundry mourniul and touching ia this at
tempt Of so political offenders TO celebrate
together, IN the loneliness and gloom Of a
Russian prison. the centennial birthday Of
ilce people Compared with the banners.
The fireworks, the martial music and the
glowing pagcantry OF triumphant liberty in
Philadelphia the nidely fashioned stars and |
stripes hung ont from grated cell windows, |
The faint hurrahing and singing Of patriotic |
songs through water ciO-et pipes and the few /
bit, of tallOw candle Illuminating family at |
night the dark silent quadrangle OF the prison |
ID 81 Petersburg, may 2eem pltifully weak, /
Ineffective and insignificant: but judged by /
4 spiritual standard. the celebration in the |
house Of preliminary detention, in the Rus |
sian capital, Of the American centennial
Fourth II July, is an event almost IS ex-
tp9rdinary, and e. the heart and magma
ton of freeman almost rs Impressive, as |
The splendid demonstration ia Philadelphia
Human actions are not 10 be judged solely
0y the scenic effect which they produce but
are also 70 be regarded as manifestations Of
human emotion and purpose. When Mary
Nagdalene anointed the ieet Of her Lord
and Master as ali expression of her devotion
and love it was simple thing, almost
trivial thing, but Christ said "She hath
lone what Size couldn When the Russian
-evolutiouists hung out rude limitations of
he star slangicd banner from their cell
Window and lighted al night their boarded
pits 81 candle rs an expression of their deyO-
ion to liberty and their sympathy with the
eJoicngs of a irecr and happier people, it,
90. was a simple thing, almost a trivial
hing. bat they dId what they could. George
KEENAN, in The Century.