New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-03-06
THE KARA PRISON TRAGEDY.
DETAILS OF THE OUTRAGES THAT PRE-
CEDED THE DEATH OF MADAME SIGIDA
A LETTER TO MR.. KEENAN, FROM PARIS COR
RESPONDENT-THREE TERRIBLE HDNOEh
EXTRAORDINARILY OF HIGH
OFFICIALS.

STRIKEB-BRUTAMTY OF HIGH
OFFICIALS.
Chicago, March 5.-The following communication
has been received by the Associated Press
Minneapolis Mimi, March (. 1890.
To The Associated Press.
have Just received from Russian acquaintance III
Paris the following letter with regard to the reported
Jogging to death Of Madame Seda at the mines OF Kara
in Eastern Siberia. every 10 believe hae
correspondent Is Trustworthy and that he has rece'u
directly the Province OF the Trans Baikal the inorma
ton that he sends but further than this know noun
ing The story the nocgng Of Madame Seida ana the
suicide OF her companions been officially denied by the
journal de- ST. Petcrs ourg" the organ Of the Russian
Foreign ONCE and by the st. Petersburg "N"'oo
Vremya but these denas unfortunately do not carry ~
much weight as they would II the Russian Government
denied the story Of the slaughter Of political eA'
In Yalu:sk last Marcia story that am prepared Z"
prove before committee Of the International Prison As
ISOLATION. GEORGE khNNNN'
Paris. February 10. 1880.
My Dear Mr.. KEENAN,
hasten 70 send you the details that we received here
yesterday from Sibcris Of the tragedy at Kara WIN
regard which | wrote you briefly few days ago we
learn from Trustworthy that. upon the suggestion
or initiative Of Baron Korf. Go,ernor'ieneral Of the
AMOR Provinces IL was decided months ago to
put all the political offenders at tho mines of Kara upon
the footing Of criminal con'irts In pursuance
this decision, orders were received from ~ fet'--
Tomlin. the director OF H. common criminal
PRISONS and have them shut up IN th' cells or'ue'
by female convcts Of the common criminal c@-' Inc
Kara tragedy result Of this order, which wa
made the political prsonefs on the 2ftn Of last
October. More than hall Of the male political conNict'
proposed at once to suicide, but. a. all would
not agree this. finally decided t. await definite
action the part Of the prison authorities Inc M"
gave notice. however that they would XIII themselves NJ
the nrst attempt to carry the order into execution
About the Same tins sev-rltcs began ia N" ~omeHe
political prison Madame Kasaiskaya by order 81 Gov
orGeneral korG had been Transferred from Nara I"
the Ncrkhni Udnsk prison, and S had prepared t' way
for the events that followed her fcna COM
panons learned the narrowing details Of her removal u
verkhni Udinsk circumstance, OF which were a. FOL
lows: Baron Korn paid visit OF Inspection " Inc
women's political prison Ut Kara and entered the ce
where Madame Kayaisksya wa lying sick In bd. IL
strictly enforced rule all Russian prisons that when
an onccr-and especially officer u high rank enters
cell every prisoner shall h. her feet and stand
In the attitude Of attention. Madame ka'sl,Naya who
was in advanced stage Of prison consumption neither
from her bed nor noticed In any WAY he 'oN'fhof
Generals entrance.
Baron Korr ignorant. perhaps. Of the unfortunate
woans physical condition asked her roughly whether she
DID not know who hsd entered cell and why she ed
not get up. Madame Kayai>kaya replied weafly. III
makes difference TO no" whether yon are The Gov
,rnor.Gcn.ral only turnkey am uD1b" 10 get ny
Baron Korh irriated. apparently, by what seemed to nm
lmpcrtntncc ordered that Madame kssarka}a TAKEN J"
\rrkhnl tdiu-k prison. there INTO SOLITARY
confinement This order executed D., Ms-iuhof, tA'
commanding OF -er 81 rs Kara prison, with erai
brutality. Madam, Ka,askaya declared herself unah"
wak and she thereupon taken out ~ her bed nt
soldiers carried down To the bank ~ Il" Sht~a 'er
IN sheet put into small boat for transportation e.
the Verxhn Udin-k prison.
Her COM anion> he'd 'ommAnfant Na-lnAof r. I"n-
bic alIes,d to the h-h'f Authorities ioi ihr a,r
removal. when their appeal Wa di-nena'1 they pro-
cc,dci 70 enfor," b, % Aun-'l >riH" Nolpn
star a. a
duration. 1h,y a.ted the nr-t tEr sixteen day, when
at last CommsLdlnt Masiukof rendered hi, Fsifnau'n
The higher autno t'- rcin-ed &" accept IT, a"G tAr
hunger stihe wa. rner,d Tor cgAt aav, more. al TIE
.xp,ration Of which TN. informed thai
the obnoxious Coinnai.dnn MasiuAof would he removed
to another post. Tho Promised removal however Gii
not taze place ard again the hunger strike ~As renewed
mi. time tnued twenty-five dAfs hnt most Of the
women Kept alive in spite Of tn'ir refusal TO at hy
the administration Of food ~Iunciaily
At the end Of this terrible hunger strike only Madame
>idu and Madame Soi0sa able t. stand on tArii
feet MADAME sg.di asked Tor a interview With tne
commandment and the course u u struck him in th'
face whether the blow provoked by something hc
-ad % her whether she intended 10 saofno" herself
with the hope bettcng the condition Of her companions
not known The hunger striker. were not aware 81
her intention % the conmsndant. she had such
an intention when she left them. Madame sigda was
removed to the criminal prison at Ut Kara.
were also Mcrdsmc, kAlGzhnaya and Smifn.tkaya ana
according account, Madam" ks'a-kaya The
Of blow hf Madam" NElua I"
M,.iukof was telegram from GOy ,rnor'iencial Kofr
ectinu that she noggcd The prison surgeon msle
the customary examination Of her and reported that she
WAS not I'm condition endure the punishment Baron
Korr was Informed Of the surgeons dec-lon and ~ his
refusal 20 be present the nogging. lie thrreupon
teegraphed carry the order into execution without the
presence Of the doctor"
Madame Sigida wa, then noggcd. under the SUPER
vision the assistant director Of the common criminal
p-on an oHlcer named Verhof.k tAnohcr letter give,
the name Of assistant director a, Iobrdski.j She
died two days later from heart failure and almost im
mediatelv aerward Mcsdames SmirnItskaya kauzhnaya
and Kavalskaya poisoned themselves The other women
were Isolated they did not know what had hap
lned Of tho terrible tragedy reached the men
prison and according 10 information furnished by the
rrocurcur. thirty Of the male political c"nvicts took
,obokhof-dled The others saved by medical
treatment Hecker who was living out-ds the prison
In the Free Command shot himself In the head. but
h, pistol was a small and cheap one. tho wound not
vlcts: This T.. the beginning Of the end"
The Governor the Province Of the Tram Iiafkal the
procureur dstricsuigeon and two gondarmc officers
from Irkutsk have gone Kara. but. for than
week. my correspondent has been received
from there. Very truly yours. A. i.