The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-02-08
BARBARITY IN SIBERIA.
THE REPORT OF a WHOLESALE E
MASSACRE CONFIRMED.

yive-The Matter TO Come Up at the
Prison Congress.
CHICAGO, Feb. 7.-George Kennan. who
is now lecturing here on Siberia, has given
To the Associated Press resume of the yo-
luminous correspondence lately received by
him relative to the massacre of Russian
administrative exiles at Yakutsk on April
3 last, the occurrence of which has been
hitherto strenuously denied by the Russian
government. One of these letters, written
by survivor, is sixty-one pages long, and
sets forth with great exactness of detail
every particular of the massacre and the
incidents leading up and Immediately preced-
ing and succeeding it. Mr.. Kennan declares
the communications to be of a most impair
tial character and even unimpressioned on
the whole, and said they were to be thor
ouglY relied on, but he withheld the names
of his correspondents, as the publication of
their names would involve them IN trouble
with the Russian administration.
The story of Mr.. Remnants correspondents
agree in many particulars with the accounts
published in the London Times, but gives
i'll addition many details hitherto unknown.
The language of the writers is most graphic
SCENE OF THE HORROR.
at appears" said Mr.. Kennan, "that to-
ward the latter part of February last
thirty-three political prisoners, on their way
TO Verkhoyansk and Sredni-Kolymsk, were
quartered temporarily at Yakutsk, the first
named places being distant from st. Peters
burg $3.50 and 7,518 miles respectively,
in part of Siberia SO remote
from civilization that it is seldom
if ever visited by human beings. Verkho-
yansk is the first village to which the sur
vivors of the Jeneatte came after they left
the Lena Delta. Both places lay close to
the Arctic circle. Communication is main
tained between these two villages by means
Of reindeer sledges."
A CHANGE IN GOVERNORS.
Mr.. Remnants correspondents write that
the former governor of the province of
Yakutsk, Gen. Svetletsk, had done all in his
power to see that the exiles in his charge
were forwarded as comfortably as possible
to this inhospitable region, but he being
promoted to the government of the province
OF Irkutsk, his successor, Gen. Ostaskin,
who assumed the office temporarily in March
last, gave great dissatisfaction to the exiles
by the announcement of certain cruel and
arbitrary rules, which prevented their
proper equipment for their Journey.
A BRUTAL RULING.
Under the Russian penal code it is a
criminal offense for political exiles to unite
in petitions for redress of grievances.
Each exile, therefore, prepared separate
petition and presented it at the Office of the
provincial administration. The letters go
on to tell how they were directed to assemble
in the house of one of the exiles, and when
there were told that the governor regarded
their Individual petitions as merely an
evasion of the law and their action equiva-
lent to open rebellion.
SUMMONED TO THE POLICE STATION.
"At 10 o'clock the next day." writes one
of the actual participants in the dreadful
affair, "we met again in Notkin's house to
the number Of thirty three. AT 1880 o'clock
Police Overseer Olesof brought a verbal
order that all the exiles present were to
come to the police station. We thought
there must be some misunderstanding, as
we were waiting by the orders of the chief
of police Olesof turned on his heel, saying,
Then l understand you won't come We
said no such thing, but they wanted to
know from the chief of police what he ex-
pected them to do.
a COMPANY OF CoSsACKS.
ga company of Cossacks, numbering over
100 men, under command of an officer
named Karamsin, then appeared, battered
down the gates of the courtyard, and fif-
teen of them entered the house. while others
~. nS OLllSSAo WIZ OulCi GU
with the soldiers and Chief of Police
Souchakef were Capt. Vaschef, local COM
mander of the whole Cossack force in the
town, and Olesof, the police overseer.
Karamsin, who was in command Of the
company, also entered and told us that he
had the governors order to take US to the
police station.
WOULDN'T LISTEN TO EXPLANATIONS.
1--WE tried to explain our side of the case,
and said that we had not assembled there
for other purposes than to receive the gov
ernor's reply, but that we would go to the
police station, only asking that Karamsin
then said to Karamsin. What is the use of
your talking with them? Do what you were
ordered to- Karamsin then cried out to
the Cossacks, Take them
BRUTAL ATTACK.
1--WE were assembled in a room about
twenty feet square, and had gathered in
one corner, from which position the Cos
sacks endeavored to oust US by striking us
with their dubbed rifles and pricking us
with their bayonets. Some women, being
wounded quite severely, began to scream.
Cartridges had been given out to the SOL
diers the night before, and they fired point
blank into the miscellaneous crowd of m en-
and women.
Five of the exiles had revolvers which
they had brought as means Of protection
on their journey, and not for the purpose
of resisting the authorities. Zolof drew his
revolver, sprung upon divan, and shouted
stop, STOP Firing then became general
on both Sides After one or two volleys the
soldiers withdrew from the house. The
whole Cossack force outside then poured In
their fire through the doors and windows
SHOT DEAD IN THE COURT YARD.
=. "Schur, one of our number, rushed into
The courtyard crying, We surrender but
was shot dead a short distance from the
door. Prodbetski, who heard the firing and
ran to the house to see what the matter
was, was shot dead by the courtyard gang.
lie was not implicated in the affair in any
way, and was within two months OF the
termination Of his exile. Joseph Estrovitch,
already wounded, rushed into the court
yard, fell, and was repeatedly bayonetted
aS he lay on the ground.
SIX OF THE EXILES KILLED.
AS result Of this affray, six of us, in
gIIludlng one woman, were killed outright
ms woman's stomach was all torn open by
oayonet. All the rest of us we're more or
tesS injured. AT the first lull in the firing
upon the house, Zolcf ran out into the court
Hard. HTad. 1t does not appear for what purpose.
mere he saw Gov. Ostashkin, who had ar
iiIVed, and whom he doubtless believed to
T pe responsible for the killing Of his friends.
ne drew his revolver and fired two shots at