New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-05-26

confinement can appreciate what ] suffered. The
cell doors are not opposite eeoh other, 90 thas u
was Impossible for mo to see the window Of the
man confined across the corridor. More than this
the little window Of my own cell was usually
occupied by the eyes Of gendarme who had
me under inspection. It Is terrible, this inspeo-
tton. and one cannot Grow accustomed TO IL
Those eyes, always aiming through thAt hole
in the wall, had . horrible fascination. hated
them, and yet looked for them. It in bad enough
to be alone, but to be confined with pair OF
silent eyes 10 more horrible still. At first used
to ask the officer Of the guard what my offence
was and what would be my fate. but after having
been answ cred that I was doomed TO Siberia
learned wisdom and was silent Ny only smuso-
ment was the formation Of various crazy plans
for escape. How escaped hnacy I hardly know
myself After had been confined for two months
heard one day. toward evening, tapping
against the wall Of my cell. Those who nave
read Mr.. Remnants admirable articles viii know
at once what 1t was, but did not guess the
cause for some time FINELY I guessed that
it was somc plan Of Communication from another
prisoner. and such 1t proved. / need not repeat
here what has been told 50 well elsewhere OF the
mode Of talking by taps. There 10 In nearly
every cell in some obscure corner. Observable
only Uy Cue ey08 Oh mcn Wuot hho os'NS AN''~
grown used to tho darkness, little plan scratched
In the stone, II by nothing else sometimes by
broken tooth of o prisoner. In this plan the
letters are SO arranged that by o combination
of taps it Is unnecessary to tap twenty three times
for the twenty third letter. OF course, at first
before discovered the compound method, my
next door neighbor tapped once for A, twice for
B, and 80 on. When once had mastered this
method Of communication felt no longer alone.
Tapping Is forbidden, and the Government knows
TINT it exists but the key OF the tapping alphabet
they have not yet discovered, even through their
spies.
The wall separating me from the next cell
was the wall behind my bed, 50 that when lying
on the bed I could tap the wall away from
the door without being noticed by the
gendarme. One unhappy evening was
discovered and the next day was sente need for
punishment to confinement in one of the towers
in the four corners Of the enclosure that walled
in the prison buildings. These towers were de-
signed not by men but by devils. Iron stairwnys
surround them, on which the sentries stand day
and night. The towers are circular and about
fifty feet in height They contain from eight to
ten rooms one on top of the other. was led
out Of my cell through the corridor and thence
across the open courtyard. The glare Of light
was torment to my darkness-dulled eyes, and
had to close them. II the light was torme Mt
however, the air was a cordial, and gave me
strength for what was to follow. I was conducted
up the iron stairway to the fourth cell from the
ground. There was air enough there, but II my
first cell was small this was pill box. The
height was but four and a half feet, and II was
not long enough for me to lie at full length, and
/ am q short man. The diet was bread and water
twice day. In this torturing den was kept
for three or four weeks, till lost my senses from
exhaustion. Some time previous to this had
begun to spit blood from my lungs. In spite Of
the pain Of this place Of confinement, the chief
mode Of punishment, it WIS pref rable to the
mental and nervous torments Of the dark hole In
which 1 WAS confined The window was grated
and painted white, but it did admit light, and there
was plenty Of fresh air.
From the tower I was taken, like q corpse, to
the infrmary. The beds here were separate and
there was at least fresh air and better food For
breakfast there was white bread and oatmeal, for
dinner beef or some other good meat, and for
supper white bread. Sometimes articles were
sent to tho sick prisoners by the charitable. I
fell heir to a handkerchief With coronet sent by
some noble woman or other who sympathized
with us. OF course it was taken from me when
left the prison, and there some excitement in
guessing who the donor was. The physician who
inspected us was a personal acquaintance Of my
fathers and saw the tears In his eyes when he
came to me- But he could do nothing for me, for
the physicians themselves are watched at every
moment by the gendarmes, and the slightest sus-
picion OF connivanoe with the prisoners Ia fol-
lowed by heavy punishment. After two weeks OF
| hospital life l was sufficiently recovered to be
taken before the authorities for the dopross,' or
official examination, and then for the first time
learned the nature Of my crime.
| was too weak to walk, and was carried to the
| examinat ion-room II WAS hung with black, like
| the hall Of the Inquisition. Behind the table
covered with black sat the General Of Police, the
| Minister of Justice, the State Attorney and a
| secretary with the protocols. / was carried to
! the prisoners cage and made to stand while the
charge against me was read, though WAS merci-
| fully allowed to sit when the questions were
| asked. gendarme, with revolver loaded stood
| on each side of me, and two more guarded tht
entn,nce. The General Of Police asked the ques-
tons and the attorney wrote down the answers
! At first decaimed against the Car and his
government, but the pistol barrels stopped that
| was then asked IL belonged to any society, and
names Of my friends and what they had in view
answered that did belong TO such a society. and
that its intention was to kill the Car and destroy
| the Government The names Of my friends de-
chned to disclose in ST. Petersburg, but promised
to do 80 il sent to Odessa, where, said, need not
fear assassination. All the officers when told
| these lies, and promised me everything under
| Heaven il would disclose the names then and
there; but stuck to my purpose. At first they
tried to make me sign my testimony without read
| ing It, but declined to sign till was shown all
that had been written, and then with great diff
| Guilty. 80 weak was /, signed my name This