Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1889-08-09
CAPTAIN NIK0LIN.
a CRAFTY OFFICER OF GEN.
BARNES IN SIBERIA.
His Interview With N1r. Kcnnan. tho
"Century" Commissioner, Who
Was Investigating the Mines
An Amusing Episode.

In the July Century Mr.. George Ken
nan describes his experiences in securing
interviews with political prisoners ut the
mines OF Kara in Siberia. Considerable
diplomacy was necessary, and Mr.. Ken
nan relates an amusing episode with an
oificer OF gendarmes, with whom he
sought acquaintance in order to further
his purpose.
II was necessary to allow the officer to
tell him all he wished, and to seem to be-
heVe ms stories. received all these
revelations, says Mr.. KEENAN,, with
pleased surprise, and became almost en-
thuslastic when the humane and philan
thropic gendarmc officer drew for me n
charming picture of happy state crimi
| mails, living contcntedly together in large,
airy rooms, studying English literature in
weliI,.appointed library, reading I'unch
alter dinner Tor relaxation, publishing
newspaper once week for sclf-improve-
ment, and getting up theatrical enter
tainment III kamera now and then as n
safety valve for their exuberant spirits
l was grieved and shocked, however. to
learn, moment later, that these we'll
treated convicts were not worthy of the
gracious clcmency shown to them by n
benevolent paternal government. and re-
paid its Kindness with the blackest
treachery and ingratitudc.
"You have no idea, Mr.. Kcnnan.
said Captain Nikolin, show unscrupulous
they are, and how much criminal skill
they show in concealing forbidden thinrs.
and in smuggling letters in and out of
prison. Suppose that you were going to
search political convict as thoroughly as
possible, how would you do it2"
replied that should strip him naked
and make careful examination of his
clothing.
els that all you would do2" he in
quired, with II surprised air.
said that no other course of procedure
suggested itself to me just ut that mo-
mcnt.
'Would you look in his cars2"
mo" l answered; az should not
think of looking i'll his ears"
"Would you search his mouth2"
Again Ireplied in the negative.
''Would you look in hollow tootb2n
solemnly declared that such thing
MS looking in n hollow tooth for II letter
would never, under any circumstances,
have occurred to me.
"Well, )" he said, triumphantly, az have
taken tissue paper with writing on it out
oil prisoners car, out of prisoners
mouth and once found dose of deadly
poison concealed under Gaping of wax
Ill convict's hollow tooth. Ah-h-hln
he exclaimed, rubbing his hands, stthey
are very sly, but know all their tricks. !"
cold shiver ran down my back rs I
suddenly thought of the things that lay
hidden in my ovcrcoat Between the
cloth and the lining were two Chinese
tea-cups, hand mirror, and IL small red
feather buster, which had been intrusted
to me by an exiled lady in village near
lrkutsk, and which I had promised to
deliver to Miss Armfeld Zone of the
political prisoners), with assurances of
the donors remembrance and love. |
had left the overcoat hanging in the
hall, and if this gendarmc officer was so
extremely suspicious rs to look in ears
for letters and in hollow teeth for
poison, perhaps he had already ordered
one of his subordinates to make an ex-
animation of it. How should explain
the presence between the cloth and the
lining of such unusual articles of equip
ment as two porcelain tca-cups, hand
mirror, and red feather duster, | did
not know. l might say that Americans
are constitutionally sensitive with re-
gard to their personal appearance, and
that, when making calls, they always
carry looking glasses in the tail pockets
of their overcoats, in order that they NAV
properly adjust their necktics before
entering the drawing rooms of their &c
quaintances; but how should 1 account
for the tea-cups and the long handled
feather duster2 1 might rs well try to
explain the presence of mouse trap and
a fire-extinguisher in diving-bell /!
For twenty minutes sat there in an
uncomfortable frame of mind, half ex
pecting every time the door opened that
u CossaciS would enter with the red
feather buster in his hand The appre
hended catastrophe, however, did not oc-
cur, and Nikolin continued to pour out
information concerning the political con-
victs and their life at the mines. Much
that he said was true; but the truth was
SO interviewer with Misrepresentation
that if had been the ignorant and credu-
lous tourist he supposed me to be should
have been completely deceived To an
on-looker who understood the situation
and could sec into both hands, the game
that we were playing would have been
full of interest. My acquaintance with
the political prison YVES almost rs accurate
and thorough as that of Captain Nikolin
himself. had carefully drawn plan of
it in belt around my body; 1 had list
containing the names of all the prisoners;
could have described to him the ap-
pearance and the situation of every OBJ
ject in every cell; knew exactly what
the convicts had TO eat and wear end how
they spent their time; knew that four
of them had been chained to wheel
barrows and that several were insane
and l could have given him detailed
history of the prison for the five pre-
cedinS years. With all this information
in my mind, with letter of introduction
to the political convicts in my pocket,
and with presents for them concealed in
nv OYercOat 7 had tn elf fhoro ,p1 I;,to,,