Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-04-06


try, and on taking leave of the assistant
minister expressed in general way re-
gret that England and Russia did MOI
I better understand each other than APP
peared to be the case in the opinion OF
leading Russians and some prominent
EDglishmen, and hoped the time might
come when the boundary line of theiI
mutual ambitions in Central Asia might
be drawn with severe and firm regard
for the world s peace and happiness. Ar
rived at Moscow, he succeeded in finding
his way TO the penal establishment a.
Sparrow Hills, where the young English
artist had rested with his fellow prison
ers en- route for Siberia.
It was at this very spot where Philip,
as boy, had seen the band Of exiles
mustered and marched out, as mentioned
by him TO Chetwynd during his artistic
inspiration at Primrose Hill in the En-
glish metropolis. The place was proba-
bly, very much in the same condition
when Chetwynd became acquainted with
/ it,as IL was in the days of Philips father
and as it had been when Mr.. Bremner,
quoted by the author of 'EStories from
Russia, - visited it thirty years previ-
| ously.
Chetwynd found no difficulty in visit
ing the prison and witnessing an exodus.
On the next day the governor cour-
| teous official whose heart had not hard
/ hardend under his melancholy experience
| accompanied him early one autumn
morning. not to the great fortress. but
| to a series of strong barrack-like build
ings, surrounded by high wall, not of
| a very powerful defensive character, but
carefully guarded by numerous sentiuels.
The governor conversed pleasantly in
! French and rolled perpetual cigarettes;
| advising Dick also to smoke during their
| round OF the penal institution.
The broad courtyard was already oc-
| cupied by a large company of prisoners,
! each fettered by the ankles, rot with
/ heavy chains, bat sufficiently CALLING,
! alas, for general march of little short
/ of six months to the dreaTy wilds of
Eastern or Western Siberia. They in
! cluded men and women, the former in
the usual convict's dress, a long loose
! coat of coarse grey cloth, the latter in
! thick woollen dresses with kind Of cape
or shawl fastened about their shoulders
| and another over their heads, worn very
much IN the manner of n Lancashire
operative. 4 portion of their route, the
governor informed Dick, would be made
by river, in enormous barges upon which
were constructed prison cages, where the
men and women were separated, but by
road they travel in bands together It
was true. he said, that some died by the
way, and that political prisoners who
could afford it were permitted to ride,
and also to take with them baggage and
their families, many of whom lived after
some years of severe discipline in COM
paratively free and comfortable manner.
He admitted that there were exceptions,
but hoped that the exile in whom Chef
wynd was taking so deep an interest
might be one Of those favored persons.
1t was not often, he said,
that an Engllshman was included
among the eXiIes to Siberia, but
during the last few years many foreign
ers had interested themselves unduly in
Russian politics. Fanatics from Italy,
France and Germany, calling them
selves, he believed, Socialists and regen-
orators Of the world, and once in way
the police had, he understood, TO pay
their polite attentions to some English
ally of the revolutiouists. He could not
understand why England, having so
many political and social difficulties of
her own TO attend to, should take so
much interest as it appeared she
did in the internal affairs of Rus
STA. Possibly, as Mr.. Chetwynd
confessed, this young English geu-
tleman, MI. Philip Forsyth. had been
led away by the destinations of the
Countess Stravensky, whose disaffection
to the government had been as great q
surprise as was her sudden and extraor-
binary disappearance.
Many of the band starting upon their
awful journey had favors and privI-
leges to ask, which in some cases were
granted and in others refused, but on
the whole the men and women seemed |
TO be treated, at least at this stage of |
their trials. with a certain amount of |
sympathy, particularly on the part of the |
governor whenever he was addressed or /
his Intervention was invited by subordi- |
nate officers.
Attic same time when.the gates were |
thrown open, the strong military guard |
on foot made a formidable show, each |
man loading his weapon in the presence
Of the prisoners.
Part of the escort was mounted carry
ing long spears; they were probably Co.'S
sacks, and ID the experience Of Mr..
Bremner, previously quoted, the COM
manders of this light cavalry were in the
habit Of using the poor creatures with
unchecked cruelty riding furiously about
among them, striking them right and
left with their strong whips, without any
reason for their activity, just as brutal
droVers might among their cattle.
On this occasion the men were banded
together apart from the women, but
ChetwYnd noticed a far better disposition
than Mr.. Bremner had noted in the treat
ment of the exiles who marched out I'M
der his observation; but he restrained
his tears with some difficulty when the
gates were closed and he heard the mel
anoholy tramp and clank of irons in
which his Imagination easily depicted his
unhappy young friend.
In the interior of the prison he found
most of the men and women unfettered,
but the governor informed him that he
might witness, if he remained, the rivet-
ing of their chains. At the same time it
to the officer 10 suggest that
these poor creatures were more to blame
than the government. Some of them |
we're criminals of bad type; others
we're political criminals, little better, ex-
,ept that in most cases they had been
we'll nurtured and were educated men |
md women, who had been too wise to
accept and obey the laws under which
hey lived. He refused to accept for O
moment Chetwyud 8 suggestion that !
many political prisoners in Russia (
we're probably misunderstood. some I'M !