New-York tribune., 1891-08-30
RUSSIA'S "BLACK ISLAND"
A MYSTERIOUS PENAL SETTLEMENT.

VI. u
The announcement last week i'll Inc Ou'0i,, -
Gazette" here to the effect that hehcefortn III
women condemned to penal servitude 1or cl'ale,
political or criminal offences will be erlonN Ne"
for Saghalien at CroGstadt instead or as hi1h'iOo
at Odessa has led to few inquiries concelnine
the so-called Black Island, which since looV
has been used as penal settlement for Russia
most desperate and dangerous prisoners ~. ~.
formation on the subject is somewhat uiii0oi'
TO obtain, for the general public IS perhaps Ia
tentlonally kept in the most absolute lsnoieuCro
concerning everything relating to Saghahen' "hion
Is thereby shrouded in mystery that INCREASES
the horror with which it is regarded.
Fortunately have been able to ma an oiiYr'
who, together with his CHEEKY little french wiie'
spent three years at Din, the principal miil'",S
station Of the island, where he filed posi- in
connection with the administration. botu ,.n ,.e
nationality Of my informant and the gehiai "i'
position Of his wife-a woman evidently dispose"
10 take rosy view of life, and 10 ni"hc U'o
best of everything-have naturally led both che
one and the other to seek to present tue pen"i
settlement of Saghalien under the most taVoIaole
ight but not even all their efforts in this dlTec
ton were able to convince me that the blacK
IsIondn is an agreeable place of residence, even
for Russian convcts.
Russia is indebted for Saghalien, which Is aoouc
as large as Great Britain, to the diplomacy ol
NJ de Stfuvc, now her Minister at Washlng'on'
but who, at the time of the cession OF INC n"UN
Island by Japan in exchange for Tue nuiie
Islands. was Envoy al the Court OF the MlAauo,
IL is dreary. desolate, country, frightluiIy coiu
in winter, and important only by reason OIL hs
vast and rich coal beds. Fortunately Cne oo''
is found very near the surface, and the holIor0
Of the deep mines at Kara and NertchlnsK "lie.e
tho convicts are sometimes forced to spend ther
entire sentence in the bowels OF the
eorth. away from the light of day, are
therefore avoided Owing to the severity Oh the
climate and to the length of the sea-voyage from
Odessa or St Petersburg, only lOng-term cohVIc'S
IN sound physical condition are deported 10 Dag
halien. During the first two years after thelr
arrival the persons both male and female are
kept with half of their heads shaved ana the men
msreover have their feet shackled to one announcer
bv light but strong chains. Until the frst TWO
wears of probation are over they are locked up
at night in huge barns, with small barred win
dows and long inclined plane running the whole
length CT the building, on which the prisoners
worn out with the arduous labors OF the DAY, cast
themselves down without undressing 10 sleep
without pillow, mattress or even blanket MOI
until the first two years of residence are over do
they experience any amelioration Oh thelr
wretched condition Their hair is then permitted
TO grow, their chains are removed. ana IL theii
conduct has been satisfactory they are by degrees
allowed more liberty, such as, for instance, living
in huts of their own instead Of in the prison
barns
Quite number of them, indeed, are pernlt'eo
IN pursue avOcations and occupations OF their OWL
choosing. Thus one of the most notable cohVlc's
E.ot n
borr has drawn up all the plans and superntended
| tbc construction Of all the bridges on the Island
and has moreover directed the organization of the
,ranb communication between the different posts
and stations Landsberg was formerly one OF
tho Chiefs of Bureau at the St Petersburg Wal
Department. titular aide-de-camp of one Of the
| Grand Dukes, and n member OF all the lea't
ing clubs Of the metropolis. 1t was his manp
for high play which was the cause of his fall
for no was led by his financial difficulties, whicf
had reached critical stage, to rob and murde
| the Hebrew usurer and his wife who were hi
! principal and most relentless creditors. Possibly
tho fact that his victims belonged TO the persecueC
| and detcsted Semitic race may account in som'
measure for the marked consideration and leniencl
with which Landsberg was treated, for he ha
Leen permitted to assume the agency for the Isl
and of q mercantile firm established at Vadivost0k
which yields him an income OF S'oo'
roubles Isl 500 year. This has enabled him u
acquire a pony and pony-cart, in which he drive
about with the female convict whom he married
She is very pretty woman. and at the outset o
her career as o professional nurse she murdered
ond robbed one of her patients, this crime bein
| fine cause OF her presence in Saghalen.
Ex-Niaior Macwski, who murdered his VIII
under peculiarly shocking circumstances at Odessa
is employed IS tutor Of the chlldre
of the military governor Of the island
Indeed all the tutors the governesSe'
the nurses and the servants of the military, nava
and civilian officials of the place are convlcCS-
men and women who have been condemned 10
criminal offences Of the yuest klnd-for polltIca
otfenders might pervert the political opinions an
impair the loyalty Of those brought into cohtac
with them. Strangely enough, II never seem
IN enter into the mind Of the officials thai thel
children might become demoralized by being u
trusted to the care and instruction OF criminals
This may he accounted for by the extremely l2'
ebb of morality wmca eXiS's on tne isaaIt nII; 10
| world the consequent absence of all supefvislo
on the part Of home authorities and the lnck 9
Contributes together With the inferior social COL
dtion OF the officials and the constant aSsoclatlo
with the worst kind Of criminals, 70 bring abou
n state of immortality and callousness with regar
IA deoency or propriety that Is absolutely beyon
! description Those who furnish the most ou
rageoIs examples OF moral degradation appea
from my informants acoount to be the women a :
| them baronesscs countesses and even princess'
who have figured prominently in society befoI to
more less horrible crimes have brought tnei
within the clutches Of the law.
II is probably due also 70 the fact Of the a.
thorities of the island being left to their own d
vices and free from, supervision, that appallin
cruelties are practised on such Of the prisoners
possess neither mental physical nor pecuniary a
traction, for it must not be imagined from III
above account that convict life in Saghalien
| tad nd shadow
are greatly in excess of the suprays-and at tf
hest sunrays are few and far between in penal sc
tlement of Russia. Floyging both Of male and fema
prisoners is lamentaby frequent the victims SOM
times being iashed TO death Here in st. PetersbuI
too hear runners OF other and still more cruel to
lures displaying an absolutely diabolica ingenuit
on the part of the tormentors. which are lnillcte
on conviets who for one reason or another hay
incurred tthe ill-will of their iailer5. OF cour
nv informant being "Tchnovick. 4" maintaine