The morning call., 1891-03-01
A POLITICAL SUSPECT.
lie Relates His First DAYS Experience in a Rus
SidI Prison. ~

I was taken into one of the little courts. in
which were four: cells, each with room for
ten persons. The sleeping berths were for
ten persons, but the space between these
berths aid the wall was so narrow as to
make it difficult for all ten to walk at once,
writes contributor to Free Russia. Several
of them generally sit or lie on the berths
All the cells were open. and the prisoners
were in the court. Some we're mending their
rotten clothing. some knitting stockings,
some merely lying or sitting in the sun;
most of them, however. were employed IN
destroying parasites in their hair or cloth
ing. Several persons surrounded me and
asked who l was, how long [ was to stay
and where was going No one inquired
why was in prison; that question is con- :
sidered impOfte In prison society. After
having satisfied the curiosity Of the ques-
tiOneTS, most of whom were in chains and
were to be transported to Siberia, l was
taken into cell, where vacant place was
shown me on sleeping berth an ell VIDE,
with dirty pillow Stuffed with straw with
no mattress or blanket, for both of which
the prisoners cloak serves.
The prisoner who showed me my place
was the 'teldeT of the ward (star0sta); he
was very amiable to me, and recommended
one berth, remarking that There's plenty
of room here, there are only ten OF us; in all
the other cells there are. fifteen; that's why
put you here" The fact is that the elder
was building hopes on me; he had noticed
that l wore spectacles and had therefore
concluded that | must be q gentleman"
and, of course, must know how to write,
and he was Just then very anxious to write
petition. |, of course, consented, and asked
him to explain to me his business. He be-
gan an account, from which my atten ton
was distracted by a sudden sensation of
burning all over. "Oh. Is IL they? he
asked, breaking off. 'They?" l repeated,
wondering. He nodded my experience
was familiar to him. "Never mind" he
said consolingly; they only bite so furious
y Hit j@s' at first you wont feel them after
tore off my cloak. My shirt was liter
ally covered with vermin. They were in
such swarms that | stood horror stricken.
1t seemed to me that | must die from thell
My new friend, still trying to congUfs NE,
helped me off with my SHIRT and-Ne went
out into the court Laying doy6 the closl
in the hot sunshine to &c, 49, ~, we en-
min. Before laying the cloaS2s-An the ground
the elder held it up for me 10 erk at, and 1t
seemed to me to be almost free som insects.
But after few minutes lie called my atten-
ton to it again. The yermin hidden In the
coarse canvas texture had come out to the
heat 1t was only then that understood IN
what condition the clothing was that had
been given ne. | drew back with the bitter
conviction that it was useless TO struggle
against such endless legOns. But my In
sfguct0r assured me that there was no need
TO pair; that l must have patience, and
that by working at it eighteen hours day
one could get rid of a great many in two
DAYS. There was nothing for 1t but TO follow
his advice not that had any hope of sue
cess, but rather from sheer desperation.
But We had not long to SIT 10 the court.
AT o'clock iii the evening our names were
called over and we were locked up in the
cell. We lighted some tiny lamps, filled
with grease, and went on with our work.
Some had contrived to get hold Of a pack of
cards and spent the time in playing. though
with frequent interruptions, as at any mo-
mcnt the sentinel might look in and catch
the gamblers in the act, which would have
resulted in Il search and the cUnfiScation of
the cards One of the prisoners therefore,
stood admrng the beauties of the dark
ness, acting meanwhile as a scout. and gave
notice with movement OF his foot every
time the sentinel approached. Then, in
stantly, all the gamblers would put OH the
most innocent air, and occupy themselves
in some other way. At o'clock in the
morning we were let out. l had not slept
at all. nor obtained one moments relief
from the torment of the vermin. The
prisoners crowded around the well and
drank; some took off their clothing and
washed it, remaining naked while they did
so. The morning chlllineSs was still in the
air. / and my new friend resumed our toll
of the day before. He was evidently well
accustomed to the work, and looked COM
passiOnately ulon my ignorance and clum-
Siness
"Yol don't a bit know how to manage;
you look half afraid of them! You shouldn't
go at 1t so gingerly! | know whose cloak
that is" he went on; "a fortnight ago there
was fellow here, Jack Fool we used to
call him; quite a natural, you know. He
was always soft in his head and then he
was i'll, too; just all over wounds and sores
from head to foot Well, there he'd lie, and
of course he got all over these creatures;
he never tried to get rid of them. OF course
decent fellow wouldn't let his cloak get
into that state, but the fool didn't care-not
he; he didn't seem to have any feeling,
somehow"
On learning the biography OF my cloak [
appealed to him in horror to know whether
l could not possibly get it changed for an
other. He at first maintained that it was
quite needless; that we could get rid of the
yermin; that one could not catch diseases
from clothes, etc, but he failed to convince
me. "Of course" he remarked at last, zone
can get 1t changed; it'll cost II lot but it can
be done; here, sir, anything can be got for
money. Why, not only clean things you
can have spirits, playing-cards, paper, pens
and ink, anything you like"
My cloak was changed that daV Prison
ers are not allowed to have money in their
possession, but prisoner who has money
to his account in the office can buy things i'll
the prison-shop by order.
The dealer, like banker, cashes your
order, though in goods instead of money,
and takes 20per cent himself for trouble and
risk.
That evening 1 felt far less miserable in
consequence of clean cloak.
Danger in Double Lighting