New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-05-26
A RUSSIAN EXILE'S STORY,
PRISON LIFE, IT'S oRUELT1Es AND HARD
SHIPS
An xscApK FROM A RAILROAD TRA1N-AI
CAPTURE AND FINAL RELEASE

An EsCAPE IRON RAILHOAD ThAAN-0A~
CAPTURE AND FINAL RELEASE
xs tas Sdttor Of TAs TrioSas.
Sir: am twenty-five years old, and already
sxiled forever from my country. -Four years ago
I was . student in . university IN one OF tne
largest cities of Russia. In American universe
ties understand, it is the custom for two young
,.n "a ohum" together. In Russia we are not
-, ,,.b and three or four contribute toward the
common expenses. was one Of group OF
four. One of these four was, unknown to the
others. a Nihilist This could not well happen
here Il can readily happen in Russia, where
ons-bsn Of tbs population spies on the other hall
Ths Government has its spies In the schools, the
universities, the stree Is, the shops, tho cales'
Thu Reyolutionists have their spies in the ponce
the army, the palace, and the bodyguaro ltsen'
Nv brother had incurred the enmity OF g COM
n.,dant AZ eendarmes. He fad been arrested as
. po1itacal suspect, and sent to Siberia. oinoe
NV hrother's arrest had been, unknown to my.
..If under police surveillance, though belonged
to M Nihiiistio circle, read no Nihilistic htes-
.ture and had accepted my poor brothers loss
:. an. NJ those inevitable cruelties to which the
Rner,sn who IN not Q noble is hardened one
evening when I came home from tho theatre
found nv room full Of gendarmes, who arrested
mo At once for political crime. l was then ana
there searched The police pulled to pieces every
thing in the room that could contain oooKS' paul.
nblets or papers, but found nothing OF COM
promising nature. was then put into coVereo
droslxy, and taken to prison. was nrs' 'sAon
before the colonel of police, the man ~noeo
annuity exiled my brother. He asked me VINO my
friends were and what they were DONG. l
demanded the cause Of my arrest. NO explanation
Was siven me, and having nothing to CONFESS l
a, once To nv cell, to wait there until was pre-
,s-.d IN enliehten the Government on subject
:, ,.,h;ch knew nothing. learned months alter
-.,d that I had been arrested because lew
a.v. before written proclamations had been o'f-
.ujassd nv the Nihilists. The handwriting
,e..mbled mine, and had been seen purchasing
Sf+v hostage stamps at one Of the Government
Offices.
Nv ..n, shall ever forget It? 1t would be
,niust for me to pretend that all the cells IN
, Rnssiap prison were like mine was purposey
cent 70 one of the worst that, being youns'
I might be frightened into confession. Inc
,ac,r and the whip are not now used In hussia'
hut the r. are civilized methods Of torture tna'
can compel confession as severe as those Oh inc
Inouisition Of Spain or the secret oounc'i' ..
Venice I felt when the door was opened a. u
were entering a grave. Picture to yourseii
a scuare hole in the middle OF stene' seven
t.es long. seven feet wide, and SIX leet hgh'
For once blessed my short stature ihere was
no window in this hole but glass over the
door: no light but what came from the Oil lamp
that hung outside An iron BEDSIDE, 1as'eheo
N the WALL cut of foot or SO OF space iioni
INV narrow limits. Everything is made last
that the desperate may not commit SUICIDE 1or
.boss who 20 insane in prison are not lew n
uzoo8,n table was locked to the floor at one emo
=, the dom. and By it's side was fastened wooden
chair On the wall hung an icon, sacred
picture of q saint, to encourage devoaon' hao
nlentv Of time for devotion. There was no Light
for books or the small industries in which prison
o., employ themselves. l was allowed to do no
work. The gilded lines Of that hatefui hsure'
the only bright object in that murky darkness
burned themselves into my brain. l could see
Them repeated in the empty dir In every corner
OF my cell, and even now they come oscR 70
me At times when am in total darkness
On the bed was straw mattress ana t"o
blankets That straw was changed but once
month On entering the prison l had been SUD-
mitted to . search beside which the search al
NV room was child's play. 1 was even made
TO open my mouth that the police migh' OF
.s.r,ed that there was no dynamite concealed
thoee
,han nv tongue. I was allowed to retain my
underclothes, but instead OF my outer garmeno
: r.ossvsd A long woolen robe like dressing
GOWN. With this for day use ana my piahke,e
=, n,rbt I was never cold. Who could be colo
in an atmosphere like that OF my ceiir II u'
rcli WAS warm enough, it was hardly dry
water trielled constantly over the stone WALL
and walked me by trickling on my face. Aftel
a number OF weeks Of this solitary confinement
NV nerves became so shattered that when this
hs nnened would leap from my bed In shudderinl
agony. In that damp cave contracted an afec
tion of the lungs from which l have never
recovered
The meals in Russian prison are simple, anc
not conducive to dyspepsia. In the morning
had black bread and tea, at noon cabbage soup, ii
The evening black bread and tea and five cigarettes
SOM AZ the only dish does not form a very
substantial meal. The soup served to prisoner
was simply the water in which the meat served
to the eendarmes and guards had been boiled
Into this cabbsges were cut. 1t sustained life
hut that was oil. The cigarettes were boon
In Russia everybody smokes l used to saw
these cigarcttes and smoke them slowly through
the day hike child that nbbles bit OF barley
sugar TO make it last long" Sunday was {
vals dsy. We had pork and beans for Dime
instead Of soup. Do not imagine the Russian
Ash resembles the Boston one. Our beans wer
hard and poor, mserably cooked. and with small
hits Of cork, the size Of dice. buried in wilder
ness OF enuh.
wbeneyer the roor opened at mesLtimes tw'
.,,a.,ne, entered with the bowl and stood be
ssde me with loaded rsvolvsrs while made m,
frural repsst The food was served in woodel
81 and both bowl and spoon were instantly
removed ~ the guards when the prisoner hat
sn;shed There is no chance Of making chisel
sut of ones table furniture in Ra'sis. The abb
A. Dumas's novel would hardly have constructs
sh.s remarkable tunnel from my cell.
In this hole lived fer month"; and no ma
s,Ao La nee suffered ths hsrrofs OF soutas