Los Angeles herald., 1891-11-29
George Kennan on Russian
Convict System.
The Grand Opera House Full
of Sympathetic People.
A Dramatic Recital of Thrilling
Experiences in Transbaikalia.
he Siberian Traveller Tells Tales of
Misery About Unfortunates
Suffering for Their
Convictions.

1uG ODCld DOubc WAS CTOWue,
last evening with spell-bound audi
ence who had gathered to listen to tn
dramatic recital by George Kennan o
his trip to the Kara mines in Siberia
Mr.. Kennan, through his magazine ar
ticles, has become so we'll known to tn,
American public that his identity
needs not to be explained. 1t was al
agreeable revelation, however, to tn,
people of Los Angeles, to find in tn,
traveller lecturer of great elocutionar,
power and dramatic force, who, withou
any STACEY effects of any kind, held hi,
hearers in a deep interest, and moved
them at times to laughter, and at time
to tears. Mr.. Remnants description O
the reciprocal efforts at deception be
tween himself and Captain Mikolin wa,
extremely ludicrous, and his patheti,
tribute to the memory of the unfortu
nate Semionopsky was heart-rending.
The renowned exponent of Siberian
matters and conditions was introduced
to his audience by Col. J. j. Ayers, who
said:
"The distinguished gentleman l am
about to present to you needs no formal
introduction. He is known to the whole
civilized world through his exposures OF
the unutterable cruelties of the Rus
sian exile system.
at has been said OF him that he is to
Siberia what Stanley is to Central
Africa. But 1 prefer to liken him to
John Howard, that good and brave man
whose personal efforts freed the pris-
oners OF Europe from the cruelties that
came down to them from the dark ages.
whilst Mr.. Stanley opened equstori-
al Africa to the territorial greed of the
powers of Europe, Mr. Kennan disclosed
to the world the terrible secrets of Rus
sia's vast prison house, and paved the
way for humanity to break the cruel
chains of thousands Of political exiles
in the mines of Siberia.
"The world has stood aghast at the
horrors he has so vividly depicted. The
indignation of humanity has been
aroused at the atrocities perpetrated
under the worst system that ever op-
pressed a people-bureaucracy-whose
mailed hand is felt everywhere, but the
responsibility for whose iron grasp can
be placed nowhere.
'The common indignation OF mankind
cannot be disregarded, even by Russia.
And when public apprehension shall
have compelled the amelioration and re-
form of the Siberian exile system, the
credit for the great victory of humanity
over irresponsible power will be due to
the gentleman whom l now have the
honor to introduce to you. Ladies and
gentlemen, Mr.. George KEENAN,"
Mr.. Kennan then began his discourse,
in which, in substance, he said:
occasionally we hear that the czar
has mercifully committed the death
sentence of some political convict tc
penal servitude in the mines OF Kara.
In 1885 and 1886 visited these mines,
and shall endeavor to give you brief
account of the acquaintance l made
with some OF these convicts at that time.
George A. Frost and / then left Irkutsk
the Eastern Siberian wilderness. Six
hundred miles were made in spring
less carts, and the rest on horse
back, over narrow and dangerous
bridle-paths in the mountains. We
frequently had to move over ice covered
with light fall of snow, and therefore
difficult OF passage, and the temperature
was from Is to 20 degrees below zero.
was suffering from an illness contracted
in the foul atmosphere of prison, and
our travels were not fraught with CON-
fort. Our objective point was the
lower diggings, where the village con-
sists of black, gloomy ,stockaded prison,
surrounded by more cheerful officers
quarters and cluster of huts
which remind one of the
shanties on the rocks in upper New
York. When we approached the place
a number of prisoners in long gray over
coats with yellow diamonds aet in the
backs were working at road in a hope
less or exhausted way. A Gordon o.
stole and motionless Cossacks armed
with rifles surrounded the unfortunates
and the whole scene made upon me q
most chilling impression.
"The governor, Major Boteloff. was
very bospitable, and invited us
to his house, although we would
have preferred TO remain indie
pendent. Our objects were, first, to
visit the common criminal prison; sec.
ond, to make the acquaintance of politi-
cal prisoners; third, to visit the politi-
cal prisons. About the common Grimm.
ais need not say much. found them
crowded, sometimes l80 in one small
room, where the smell made me sick,
where the walls were covered with the
blood Of crushed bedbugs, and holes in
the floors were filled with slops. There
were no sleeping accommodations, and
The air everywhere was unutterably
foul. There was no difference in the
life of the political prisoners, except
that the latters' cells we're not 80 over.
crowded. The political prisoners had
the same rations and accommodations
as the common criminal, and wore the
same chains and leg-fetters during what
is known as the time of probation. A
political prisoner for life is thus com
pelled to wear letters for twelve years.
We secured photograph OF the com,
mon convicts by permission OF Colonel
Boteloff, and our first object was thor
oughly attained. The second one, how
ever, offered greater difficulties. | had
letters of introduction to a number o.
the political convicts at Kara, among
them one to young lady prisoner. we
were 80 closely watched by Boteloh,
however, that communication seemed
nigh impossible. We saw that the
governor did not intend to lei
us see the political prisoners,
and as his guests we could moi
well disregard his disapproval,
Captain Nikolin. the commandant o.
the political prison, a captain of gent
d'armes, made upon me an unfavorable
impression, and was generally reputeC
ko <vouor, c.~xv ltI x,ok do