The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-04-04
Notes by an Ex-Russian Exile on
the Trip to SambOff.
IN THE KREMLIN AT MOSCOW.
A Long Ride in Gloomy Cars From st. Peters
burg TO the Capital and From There
to Mini Noygorod.

unlarY eXllo III America Jo escape enforced
Exile in Siberia. A number of these people
were talking on the subject not long ago in
New York. One man who, after three years
n the mines, escaped to America, told the
!ollowing story of his journey from st. Pc
ersburg to the mines:
After had learned that was to be exiled
remained in the prison at st. Petersburg
for some time. Finally l was told that, with
large party, was to be sent to Siberia at
once. After we had arrived at the railroad
depot we were driven like SO many cattle into
a car men and women indiscriminately
mixed
1t was evidently the intention to make our
surroundings as gloomy as possible The cars
into which we were ushered were almost as
dark as the wagon in which we journeyed to
the station. A few small windows high up in
the car admitted little light, but prevented
our seeing anything of the country through
which we were passing. When darkness over
took us, we were not permitted lights,
and amidst such gloomy surroundings we
Travelled from Petersburg to Moscow. The
officer in charge of our party was an old sol
iier of the time of Nicholas l. and like his late
master more than strict disciplinarian. He
was brutal to prisoners, and we found it i'm
possible to get q civil word from him. The
younger members of the party derived their
chief amusement from singing patriotic songs
In the sweet sounds forgetting that they had
not been hidden to a feast by their autocratic
master, but instead, exiled to will, gloomy
bJhntry, where they would spend many years
Of misery, and some would perhaps pass their
whole lives, with a bondage more cruel than
Heath overshadowing them.
The next day we reached the old white
stone city, near the capital of Russia always
Interesting from the many recollections cling
Ing around it. On alighting at the station
we were conducted by Cossacks and gend-
armes, on foot, through the city to the Krem-
lin, inside whose gates stands an immense,
frowning structure called forwarding pris-
On. 1t was surrounded by high stone wall.
Within the prison sickening sight met our
gaze. No matter in what direction the eye
turned it rested on dampness and filth indie
scribable The cells were large, but their
tize for actual use was much diminished
through accumIlations of dirt, and, worse
than all, were swarming with vermin. Each
rell contained a chair or wooden bench other
wise it was devoid of furniture. After our
experience of the st. Petersburg prison, this
seemed in truth very sink hole, and | won
iered that so many survived q residence in
the place.
The people Of Moscow have the greatest
sympathy for exiled prisoners The starosta
Of our party had many hundred roubles
handed him while we were passing through
the city. Refusal TO accept such contributions
would be regarded an insult. They are ten
iered from the fuilness of sympathetic hearts
and should be accepted in the spirit offered
While we were only party of politicals, and
many of US wei supplied with money, we did
not wish to give offense to the kind citizens
20 accepted their generous assistance with
many thanks.
While at the Kremlin we were shown
ghe horrible iron cage in which the revo-
iutionist ImgatcheT met his death. A sight
Of this remarkable instrument of tor
ture is evidently intended to subdue all tur-
bulent hearts This cage is about ten feet
high and four wide, and still contains the
heavy iron chains which encircled the body
and limbs of the great leader. Imgatcheff
met his horrible death during the reign of
Catherine the Great. In the present time a
more refined and prolonged species of cruelty
Is practised-slow death in the underground
( mines. After remaining three days in Mos
row we were once more conducted to the
railway station, where we took train for
Mini Novgorod, at which place / had to sep
lrate from the rest of the party, as my desti-
nation lay in a different direction from
theirs. At Mini Novgorod l was conducted
INTO the presence of Samoylof, the colonel of
The regiment, under whose jurisdiction the
stape prisons were.
He refused to let me proceed on my way
accompanied by one soldier. had Travelled
from Archangel in that way, and bis refusal
fingered Ine to such an extent that / told him
that he could send the whole regiment tc
.scort me if he wished to do so, one or hun
bred, it Was all the same to me. While thi,
conversation was going on an etape officer ap
peared on the scene, Capt. Eoylowski ts
Polel, who approached me with what he in
tended as a winning smile, and asked if
4 wished dinner; ne said he could send it TO me
Instead, after few hours, he arrived at the
prison with the local prosecutor to search anc
examine my baggage, saying that he wa.
but fulfilling his duty, and that any protest OF
my part would be Of no avail, as as he would
have to search my papers before he could
permit me to depart, as they might possibly
rontain something against the government
He disappeared, taking ali my documents anc
letters with him, and / did not see him again
for three days He then sent word that b,
had destroyed all my papers, and that nigh
continue my journey under the care of Jwt
soldiers, who had orders not to travel NOR
than one station or twenty-five versts day
So / started on my way, with soldier anc
bayonet on either side OF me. It was not
pleasant situation in which to be placed, es
pecially in regard to the order about tn,
twenty-five versts, but with little ingenuity
managed TO avoid that order 1t Yves
cold, rainy day, and the snow was quite deel
On the ground, which, with the downpour O
rain, made the roads almost impossible, il
consequence of which we were forced 10 NOV,
slowly, and many times our wagon wheels
stuck in ruts from which it seemed impossi
bic 10 extricate them.
After a few hours travel we an becam,
thoroughly chilled, and when we reached tn
FIRST kabak, or liquor saloon, / invited m,
guard to have drink of vodka. | wa
already on friendly terms with them and in
sisted that vodka would protect them from
cold. Strict orders are issued to soldiers hav
ing prisoners in charge, and above all thing
they are cautioned against partaking of an,
kind Of liquor. 1t was a sore trial for til
men, and sharp battle of conscience an
Witty against the alluring wiles OF vodka en-
sued Vodka as much as tea is the nationa
drink, particularly among the middle an
lower classes. What wonder, then. that Il,
men could not resist the temptation. IL
Struggle was short and sharp, and they decic
I'd in favor az just one drink OF vodka t
keep the cold out. 1t was the beginning {
the end, and vodka soon became the master.
1t did not take the soldiers long to drin