New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-12-09
KENNAN'S SIBERIA.

with decided bias I'm favor of the Russian Govern
ment and strong disposition TO reject the stories OF
hardship, cruelty and suffering In Siberia to which the
exes to that region were said to be subjected. lie
had indeed publicly defended the Russian Admins
tson against its acousers and to this fact he owed
that open letter from the Minister of the Interior which
was his sheet anchor in the Investigation OF the pris
OF Siberia. and which very certainly would ho'
have been given to him had the Minister OF u'e III
terror had the least idea that he going to tell the
truth and the whole truth concerning what ne sd"
and heard But Mr. KEENAN, found the facts TOO strong
for him. As he journeyed into siberia horrors aco"
mulatcd upon him. lie compelled to realize tha'
the reports which he had previously disbeleved were
well within, the truth; and the result OF his patent
and thorough research Is work when must pi"u"oe
a profound sensation throughout the cNlnzed "oriu
and which, II is to be hoped. may shame the kussiah
Government into reforming some at least Oh inc
monstrous abuses which discredit and disgrace IT,
and which give the lie to its pretence OF CIVILIZATION
and enlightenment Mr.. Kennan's book Is rendered
the more impressive by the judicial fairness and mod
Grafton which characterize II throughout; by the sup
port which his statements derive fIom oniaal docu
mens and statistics, and by the care taken 10 verify
every assertion. comparatively small portion OF the
information presented rests upon the statements OF
exiIes BY far the greater part is confirmed officially
Thus the Russian Government stands condemned by
its own lips and thus moreover the narrative of Mr..
KEENAN, is to be matter Of fact and not in any
way imagination.
In the course of his long journey in which he was
accompanied throughout by Mr. Frost. the artist who
made the drawings from which these handsome vol
nmes are illustrated. Mr. KEENAN, seems to have sue
ceeded In seeing almost everything that was to be
seen in the line of evdenal facts. lie examined the
forwarding Prisons the convict bargeS the .etapes"
or stations where the exiles the march pass
the night, the mines of Kara and of Nerchinsk the
ha6ation OF the poitcals' not in prison but under
police surveillance. lie met and became acquainted
with hundreds of these victims OF exile by admin
istIative process. lie heard rom their own lips
the tragic stories of their lives. lie
studied their characters and acquired information
sufficient TO form an intelligent judgment upon con-
corning their moral and intellectual status At the
same time he oonversed much with Russian officials.
saw their side of the situation and was surprised to
find how many of them frankly condemned the exile
system To follow him in his long and deeply in
terestng and moving narrative with any minuteness
would not be possible, but the central facts may be
summarized in such way as to convey a tolerabv
clear idea of what Punishment to Siberia means. and
how it may be incurred Exile by administrative pro
cess is the most trying abuse of the system Exile
as applied TO common criminals resembles In some
respects the transportation system which many
countries have employed from time TO time. 1t diff
fers from all other systems however in the cruelty
and brutality with which it is applied, and in the
enormous distances which the prisoners made to
traverse on foot-not for economical reasons since
il actually costs more per capita than 1t would to
carry all the exiles.
The official corruption. which is the rule and not
the exception throughout Russia. has much to DO
with the bad treatment of the exiles both on the
march and in prison. The Government is robbed right
and left by It's own servants. When, for instance an
appropriation is made for a new prison or a new
etape the greater portion of the money is stolen by
those whose duty it is to to the erection OF the
new building: and instead of the latter being built
according TO the plans and specifications, some
wretched botchwork is substituted When reforms
are Hrgently demanded-as in prisons forced to re
ceive three or four times the number for which they
were ntendedit is generally impossible to get the
Government TO move The demand for the improve
ment is banded about between this that and the other
council or committee: IL passes from one department
TO the other 1t is approved in Office and rejected In
another: and after several years OF this kind OF
work IL gets pigeonhoed and is lost to sight, In
evtably the Siberian officials grow weary OF asking
for improvements. and at last settle down to stold
and hopeless endurance Of the most scandaous evils
One of the cOmmonest abuses is the reckless over
crowdng of the Siberian prisons. ana this leaos 10
other and more calamitous results. The mortality
IN most of these prisons is appalling. as conciuslVeN
shown by the official statistics Thus at the Tumen
forwarding prison the deathrate in the period from
1876 to 1856. inclusive ranged from 237 per cent
to AL per cent and in the seven years out OF the
eleven IL was higher than 30 per cent. This as Mr.
KEENAN, observes. would completely annihlate fixed
population in from two and onehalf to four years.
But what causes this enormous mortality? Crowding'
6lth stencil. and nsanitary conditions generally HUN
Ires Of persons shut at night in wholly unven
lated rooms They have for sleeping place PLANK plat
form No blankets or pillows are allowed them
Their only covering is their gray overcoats. Ihcy
cannot change their clothes nor wash themselves
on the mari or plank bed there is room only for
part Of the prisoners crowded into each CELL Iht
remainder must get what sleep they can on the nool
Dr. under the "naH" The floor reehs with filth In
atmosphere of the room is mixture of the odors OF
sewer and a menagerie. When the doors oponoi
in the morning those who enter almost overpowereS
by the eathable and fetid air. In these hornb'
aens are thrust not only men, but tender women anc
little children The general conditions Of the etapes
OH the great Siberian road almost precisely smlh
TO those of the forwarding prisons. On the marci
all but those who absolutely incapable OF walking
are forced into the ranks. The prisoners poltcal
no less than common crimnslS-wear legfetters.
few "telegas" trough, springess, open carts) carr!
the sick and crippled. These have no shelter IRON
the weather. and are exposed 10 rain, spow, and Icy
wind The convict costume consists OF a linen shlr
and trousers a gray overcast cap, and pair OF low
shoes so aboIninably made that they seldom last mor
than three or four days, and sometimes mo-
more than two days. The Russian contractors coult
give points 10 those American rOgues who made pape
shoes for our boys in blue during the Rebellion. The
food furnished the convcts is, might be expected
not only OF poor quality but insufficient in quantity
The prison hospitals are II possible, worse than TIN
prisons themselves. Typhus is the prevailing disease
and typhus patients are as much crowded In tn
hospitals as are the other prisoners in the cells Mr.
Remnants description of the Tumen hospital is to-
horrible to quote. The sick there TO die rs rule
The hospital is saturated with disease germs tina
IL could only be purified by burning it down Ap
l.ocI a.p foptn ON
larger buildings at TlumeD, but to no purpose.
In Holy Russia every man, woman and child live
nj the mercy OF the Administration, eve
know az what moment the police may not appear
make an arrest and send the victim, by an admins
tratlye process 10 Siberia When this happens-a