The Fort Worth gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-189?, 1891-05-28
HORRIBLE CRUELTY.
Female Convicts on Siberian
Railways Dying.
BRUTALITY OF THE GUARDS.
Weak Women Made to Weld the Pick
and Shovel, Mercilessly Flogged il
Unequal to Their Tasks-An
Investigation"
Special TO the Gazette.


LONDON. May 3.-Wednesday will be a
red-letter day in the life of the car, if the
of1claI programmes are carried out
Whether the Nihilists have programme of
their own that may interfere with the cere-
monies is matter of guess work, but the
RUSSIAN police think they have. and are
taking precautions accordingly. Wednesday
Will be the tenth anniversary of the crown
ing OF the car, and it is proposed on that
day to lay the foundation stone of a memo
rial TO the late emperor, now in course of
erection, on the bank of the Moscow river,
within the kremlin. The splendid ceremo-
MAI will receive additional eclat from the
presence of number of French officers be-
longing TO the naval squadron in the Baltic.
Russia 5 Strengthening OF her feet and
army goes on, irrespective of the financial
stir. Nlchnegeradski and RothSchildS have
excited Europe. Three new war ships, the
lron-clad, Rurik and sloops Olivainy and
Gremiasky, have Just been launched at St.
Petersburg. and the army is being equip
ped with the latest improved weapons as
fast as French factories can turn them out.
The czarowitch, now fully recovered
from the blow of the Japanese
assassin, is to go through the
course mapped out when he started
from Russia The Crussy railway, the
most remote section of the proposed branch
of the Siberian railway, has been nearly
completed three miles from Vasdostik and
the czarovitch will ride over it for that
distance in a train specially equipped for
his use, and will formally inaUgurate the
line. The railway so far is chiefly the
product of convict labor, and largely that
of women convicts, who are pushed to work
by brutal severity on the part of the
guards. a letter from Thiozo, Japan, giving
the story OF a prisoner who recently es-
capped from Siberia, says that the women
who are made to dig and remove earth on
this line are already perishing by scores
They are selected for work without any re-
gard to manual experience, political prison
ers, some Of them women of delicate
training. being driven by violence TO the
use of the pick and shovel. If they show
weakness they are merciiessly whipped.
Women arriving in Eastern Siberian con-
Wet gangs are entirely at the mercy OF the
guards, and those who refuse to submit to
anything required of them are detailed to
work on the railway This generally means
death in Il short time. 1t is likely these
matters will be carefully covered during |
the journey of the czarovitch. although 10 |
make pretcnse of official iberality a few |
specially favored convicts will be permitted |
to present addresses and petitions for |
pardon. The czarovitch will also go through |
the form OF examining the official side of |
Siberian convict existence, which for sew |
eral months past has been undergoing |
polish favorable for his inspection. One |
reason for this is that he may be able to |
make a favorable report TO his mother, who |
is said to be very much touched by frequent |
stories of Siberian cruelties.