New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-01-06
A SIBERIAN HORROR.
MASSACRE OF RUSSIAN POLITICAL EXILES
AT YAKOUTSK
From The London Times.

Western Europe concerning supposed massacre OF
political prisoners IN Siberia; vet the news was 50 in
credible, even IN the Russian Empire. that II would
not have been safe 10 deal with The subject before
full and authentic information could be obtained
But news travels slowly from Siberia particularly
when. as is almost always the case the authorizes are
interested I'm preventing the escape Of any sonnd from
the settlements which the Rus themselves describe
as "livng tombsr Nevertheless the devotion and
ingenuity of the par,isans of the political prisoners
have given not only to prison walls, but voice
TO the tombs where the adversaries of The Govern
ment are buried alive. ThuS, at last. full, minute
and documentary information has reached the political
friends of the victims The story of the massacre Is
told in letters which come from those who were
executed or sentenced TO penal servtudc for their par
ticpation in the event. 1t may be briefly summarized
as follows:
At the heginning of April last thirty political eXiles
were waiting at Yakoutsk to be transported TO some
localities in the extreme east Of Siberia where tueS
were ordered to reside. These prisoners 1t must DC
noted were eyiled by administrative order-that Is
TO saw they had not been tried and convicted ty any
tribunal: no conclusive evidence had been adduced
against them. Legally speaking, they were 'luHe'S
retaining all their rights, and against whom no con-
viction or penalty had been inflicted. The Govern
ment-not the law. but the Government-ior pn''N
administrative reasons had ordered these persons 90
live in exile The thirty prisoners to reach fakouNK
had already performed long and panfnl journey
Thrown pellmcll with common law criminals OF the
worst description, the men. women, and children h'u
been exposed from stage to stage, to every hai"shP
The Journey to Siberia has often been described an"
il i, perhaps not necessary to again l''iN' Oh "'
horrorS Eut TO reach the further stations. such as
Ncrzhoiansk and komSk, greater hardshipS are 'i
store. some 1GO miles from Yakoutsk' at Aldaric
The last yestiges of civilization disappear The ro'u
crosses an at scuely desert locality, where at best
Jew nomad tribes may he met. though the>e LOT inc
most part have been decinated 10y smallpox anu
where IL is absolutely impossible to OBTAIN any 1904
Though the journey from Iakoutsk TO NcfhhoiaSA j.
officially calculated TO last eighteen days ah' /"
Voimsl, fortv-eight days these generally take twenty
one DAYS 10 ffty-hve and sixty days respectively
Each exile being accompanied by CoSSacR proNso!'
for two have to be carried all the way.
I'm 70 The epring of $50 the authorities at lahout>k
Thought it was only right to show some chehcy l" inc
cxiles under administrative order" They argued
and iustIv that a. these latter had not been con
douned 70 death it was necessary to take some
measures to prevent their DYING Of starvation on inc
road therefore to prevent the ovcioroWdlnS oi tie
shelter houses on the way, only small hatchcS o.
prisoners were dispatched al a tlme' ana uleSe At
Intervals Of fen 10 fifteen days from each other.
Further 10 enable the prisoners to procure 1000 i'r
The tourney and the indispensable articles of clothing
The allowance made f. the journey wa, paid TO thcm
ION DAYS in advance But, ~ the prisoners nave
also 10 feed the CosSackS Of their escort the Govern
1ncnt allowance not sufficient, ana an a"Van'e
was made to them from their monthly paw ms
docs not exceed six rCublc> They were not very
great CONCESSIONS and did not prevent the occasional
dcatb from cold Of a child. while nureed with
Tho utmost care in il, mothers AIMS. The mortality
and cases of Illness among adlIt~ We're "I>" w
cessivc But all this is quite within the ordinary pro
crammc of a Russian cXlc's life, ard 1t Is cA'rdoW-
nav how quietly, how sEblai'>IVeN' u'eI e"o".
.uch suffering something especially 1eroConS ana
bot rlftfs
is precisely what happened at IakoutSk
GOVERNOR OSTASHINI
Tho NOW Vice Governor of Nahout>k, Osta~hine,
,bo fuIelled al interim, the functions Of Governor,
,bought fit to alter all these rules or customs rciaHE
GO the transport OF cXilcs under administrative "Nor
lie decided that four instead Of two prisoners should
.tart II once which with the escort made eight per
sons and this at short intervals Of only seven days.
the money allowance for the journey was to be pad
only The day before the departure, and the advance "i
money on the cxes' pay suppressed altogether
FINALLY they were forbidden 10 take win thcm more
than eighty logrammeI OF lngsagG ara iI,I
fresh provisions Oh tie ROAD ana me 1oDd'.pI @
which the journey must De peilonlcu, - t,,L ~,
regulations were equivalent 10 Neule,V vi uoa'' 6
most Of the cXlc,. Under these crcum> ,ai'c.' anu
considering that the new regulations pia,cn ,"o. ,',
in serious peril the eNileS resolved 70 AZURE ID oI,
petition 10 the Nce'iOverHor, P0lntin- oil an u'
danger, and impiorng nm to Ie'eii 10 tmS r".n'
rules governing the transport OF cAHcs uhdef az
ninistratiyc order" The Justice 81 these protests was
police commissioner ana by one oi me pV'uha>'cr7'
These two experts. who certainly cannot De su'-
lected % Mills, sympathies declared that IL wa,
Impossible 10 travel IN the manner lhd'aIed bV the
Governor Osta-hIuc. ,
favor The petitioners. inc ,mi j III. ."r,t,."
police, SouhhatchcN. promised - report % the GOV
Crnor. and would cDmmunlcat" hl, reply that eNtihf.
The exleS were told 20 meet an nc h'ighborl- L.'
OF VI. NOtdnc, exile under administrative "fG'r
condemned 10 reside al lahoIt-k. Of course the
petitioners did not fail 10 heep the appointment ana
NJ >Oukhatccn came according {" Dis word, gave them
every hope that the obnoxious regulation, Woud T."
revoked but also Informed them tlat VI. H',i'Rlne.
the acting Governor. very much VeNcd 10 hear
,l"V nv -, ,,'ri,- NJ. "a. cl,.i d,.rod
The provincial WUihI, IdI'H ~. VIZ ''i,lu'I'
100 much like political denomination. and 10 prevent
,erc told 70 assemble again the following day in the
House Of ". NOtlunc, when they wonld receive
once again at VI. Notkinc honse, and were lookn:
forward % a favorable reply. They had not waited
entered and ordered them 70 follow him 10 the Office.
of the Administration. The eNiles Of course, observed
tia, they had been especially ordered bv the chief
~ the police not I" 60 I'm b'dy 70 the 'Dvcrmcn,
Offices. Then yoU refuse to follow me- shouted
OIcsson. and ne Turned his back upon them IN.
exiles tried to make him understand that they were
only puzzled by the CONTRADICTORY character Of his Re"
eGiof Of police Therefore tlcy only asked frr
explanation. The police officer, however. left them
without dcgning 10 reply
BUTCHERED il COLD BLOOD.
4 shocking scene now began for few moments
later the house was surrounded by soldiers and police
men The scene that cn>ued is thus described by ore
OF the victims:
on looking out Of the window, perceived a.
taclment Of soldiers advancing. When within
hundred yard OF the dwelling they charged nc thei1
selves against the door which at once broke up mo
splmter- and gave them almitiancc into the yard.
The house was instantly surrounded and the ward
throngcd with troops and policemen We had hardly
time 90 open the door for them. Led by an officer
they rushed into the aud were crushed into
a co.rcr There were ABOUT seventy soldiers com
,ti,df nv fi. oil
OF the garrison. VI. \agcii, wa, there, a. also me
chief OF the police, VI. SOunhaNhch, together WIN
numerous Policemen, COs.ack-, etc.
When the house was nlcd with all these people. we
were summoned 10 allow ourselves ~ be conducted
uuder escort the Prlicc bureau. kOhtn Bernstein
addressing the OIccr kardntluc, ana speaking 40 the
name Of all hi, cOmIadcs, replied that they were
ia IN of