Telegram-herald., 1889-09-16

CezaP 1iiok ths OexsrAsT 81 ss~rA~A
Prlsan - Co4slAsr Gfaxs.nes>


cezPSulsx ths Gsssrasr 81 sissraAs
PrlSan - Coasl4sr Grass-ness-
IN ha Slt,erlzn ssrlss IA Ceerary Ar. eseoFss
Ksunz1 gisss the following aocount 4
pllsoa rsyuls Gn4eag t1e eK-lss; A fe~ asFs
lster-11guI TIE Ela1ls q JAY a. TIE rss1
q ghe STAKE criminals were rro0Eht hack g
tAe policSl PRISM st Tie Lower b-EE.ree
~1ere I1sy weIS PAT luto new ana mAsh
sLlAier cells tAaE h44 te1u E-a1s ~ crcstins
i4rnlloIs IL lLs QrlEIl2l k@lneras in s..eh
manner ss - divide eacs ot tnelu lNtc t1fas
the e1ecg q tAls chsuee H..s te erow9 every
gra.p 81 sesea or ssEht nsn lato oeA nat
s1s 49, loAIiy h.ls3 ~ las slsepiag Platform
a. 20 -a4fe ~ roeu fer -oeonet-cn- TAG
D,en coald not stand siis ~ SIDE Ia las mar
row slaes between tie cage " ule platform
sad t1u wan. alll The oecaqauts or TIE cell
were therefore comI.el.ed 70 AL u ile a. aAs
GA the pla4k nAres without occupation fo
e8t1er minas ca bottles No other reply was
rnAds u t1er petitions and renoustrances
ihsu thresi FROM kAslfur.u Jaai u ti.ey lla
rot keep Qalsf thsy Noa.1 oe iogEed WITH
view u llilini1aung them Alai. urln even
ssnt q sur ss-n 81 make a physical e1anllas-
tion - cae political, Tor tae aNoNel purpose
u asoert4lalag whether L-s state ~ heaith
r
endanss sling his Ike.
TIE vas lne last straw. The wretehec
state criminals. deprived 81 exercise. living
under dungeon condition paiSoAel ~ AZ
laden witl tae stencil # excrenent tUckrts.
and finally threatened with the Whip when
they coa.rl.la.l colil endure no more.
They resolved % make tAat last desperate
protest against crus.ty. wa.ca IS known IA
. .I.4.
strike They sent a nos .eatlou u has.
khaltlril r-at their lls Aa. finally become
unendurabie. tlat tHey preferred death to
such an existence nud 1ast they sacull re-
fuse o. take food uutl lhey either psrlsled
or rc.i The government 10 treat them Will
more halauity.
10 attention was paid 70 their notification
hut from that moment NOT a moathful II the
food that was sel into their cells was touch
cd As day after day passed TIE stiffness o:
death gradually settled down upon the pris-
on. The starving cony4egs, Zoo weak aud
apzthetlc even 10 talk u one another lay IN
row.. Ike doad men, upon tie plank sleeping
platforms and the only sounds % be heard
in the building were the footsteps Of the sen
tries, and now and then the inc0herent NUT
terings IF the insane.
On the fifth day Of the "golodofka" Maj
Khaiturin, convinced that tie hunger strike
was serious. came 70 tie prison and asked the
convicts 70 state definitely upon what terms
they would discontinue Their protest. They re-
piled that the conditions Of their life were
unbearabe. and that they should continue
their self starvation until the excremeni
buckets were taken out Of their cells: until
they were permitted 70 have books and &c
exercise daily in tho open air; until shey
were allowed 70 direct the expenditure OF
their money for better food and better cloth
ing than they were furnished by the govern
ment, and until be (Khalturin) gave them a
solemn assurance that none or them should
be fogged
The commandant told them that the talk
about hogging was nonsense; that there
never had been any serious intention Of re
sorting to the whip, and that, IL they would
end their strike, he would see what could be
done 10 improve the material conditions Of
their life. Not being able 10 get any positive
assurances that their demands would be com
piled with, the prisoners continued the "golo-
dofka."
On the tenth day the state Of affairs had
become alarming. All Of the starving men
were in the last stages Of physical prostra-
ton, and some Of them seemed 70 be near
death Count Dmitri Tolstoi the minister
of the interior who had been apprised Of the
situation, telegraphed the commanGant 70
keep ''skorhnoi leest, or hospital sheet,
setting forth the symptoms and conditions Of
the strikers. and TO inform him promptly Of
any marked change. Every day thereafter
a fcldsher, or hospital steward, went through
the cells taking the pulse and the temperature
Of the starving men.
On the thirteenth day Of the "golodofka'
Mai Khalturin sent word 10 the wives Of a.
political convicts living in the Lower Dig
gings that they might have an interview with
their husbanis-the first in more than two
months-if they would try TO persuade them
to begin taking food. They gladly assented
Of course, TO this condition, and were ad
ali;ted 10 the prison At the same time Khal
turin went himself 70 the starving men and
assured them, on bis honor. that il they
would end the hunger strike he would do
everything in his power TO satisfy their de
mands Tho entreaties Of the wretched
heart broken women and the promises Of tn
commsn'ant finally broke down the re-olu
tion OF the politicals, and on the thirteenth
/ dnv the first and most obstinate hunger strik,
in the history OF the Kara political prison
came TO an end.