Telegram-herald., 1890-07-24
PRISON HELLSOF SIBERIA
Two Letters Just Reosivec oy Leo
Hartman from Exllss Il Siberia
49, Lixht Pri.sa Oafr4Sss-rns Losg
Easd Across -lssFlA-A letter. fro-@
tls Frlssn ia O4se- EaE. @ss Ols
noa4 SsraolisA41


y IS nv pleasure ~ supgiy ths de-
naad f1r IA t.5rts a. .l9a regsr9iag s. oeri2n
pri-oas - placing before ly readers
tHo isrgsrs. writpaa ~ women exiled IA
siberia. Naica recently reeeiFed
These lsttsrs present timely 2ealtlon
- ahas became rsceRtly xaQEn con-
.araiag siberia and a interest ths
greater. ln that - mT belisfs they ara
the only oaes u sac kia1 that ever
reached America
They Nil Argus win ths readers ths
satioes 0f Russian N.hilisa and In-
ueFtsl desDotlsn in : aly and with an
iuapartlaliry e. which I an nos capable,
for. While /. as an interested party
Elrhs not be absolutely Impartial. as
uight gisw the facts IN Light 70 snis
she interests Of Sihiiists, Of whom L
ara ore, al the letters from Siberia
a. not place their authors az such dis
advan,age. They were written 70 the
friends and relatives OF the exiled
women and with tenoF that leaves no
doubt Ia their commences aad sin
cerify.
one ls written In Ous.-Ksra Political
Prison" and is autho-. lady twenty
Two years ola. condemned % ten
years zt hard labor in the gold mines OF
that locality. judlciously left her name
unsigned 10 was we'll she did so, for.
h-d her Ie tier been intercepted by the
Government of tho Gar and her Identity
established. she would have been hung.
The other letter bears the date OF
VerhOliensk, a settlement on the river
Lena, Ia Eastern Siberia It's author.
also a woman. and but three years older
than her lellow sufferer. is undergoing
q sentence ot twenty years ~ hard labor.
she stoned IL With fictitious name OF
" Alexandrova, By which she Is known
only % her friends.
Eastward from 81 Petersburg for near
" FIVE thousand miles the great Siberia
highway runs across the boundleSs
prairies OF European and Asiatic Rus
sia. 20 the lake OF Baikal on the
Western border OF the Transbaikal
province OF Sibcra; and only one com
parauvely insignificant range Of Ural
rountains-the dividing limo between
Europe and Asia-disturbs the level Of
the vast domain Of the Gar. This Is the
road By which the exiled Nihilists are
conveyed under heavy guard 70 their
destination in the province Of Trans
baikal.
It taxes them two and often three
years 70 reach the city cf Lahontik,
the capital of the province. Likewise
it takes two, three, and even more
years for = letter ot Nihllist located
in the province 20 reach Europe; foI
the safety ot the exiles and theii
friends and relations demand that they
should be forwarded not by mail, II
which case they are exposed TO tho
scrutiny OF tho unscrupulous Prussiar
oIcials. but through unofficial chan
ncls, which, although slow, present {
greater safety. Such was the way th'
letters came TO me. On their way thei
changed many hands before they coul'
Be intrusted 20 tho safe hands OF tn
British and United States mail The.
travelled for over three years, as tn
date upon tAem-August rs, 1855
proves; and yet they possess the fresh
ness of the latest news The reader
VIII undoubtedly reuerabcr that al tn
recent cabie news OF which l spoke be
fore. pertsfrca 20 events In Siberi
which occurred also throe years ago.