, 1891-08-19
TREATED AS CoNvICTS.
INNOCENT JEWS ARE -seNT-euT
OF RUSSIA IN CHAINS.

a Newspaper Correspondents Describe,
the Humiiiating and Cruel Circum-
stances Attending the Flight of Jewish
~ExIles-CIoseIy Guarded.
telegraphed the fact of my having
seen Jews expelled from Moscow in
chains, but as the censorship has become
SC strict could not enter into details. /
received information that a convoy of
prisoners was about to be dispatched at
a certain time from the prison (peresce-
luyal, and l accordingly proceeded to
b spot at the time indicated. l ar
rived at the small western door of the
prison as the invalids of the convoy were
being brought out and placed on three
springless carts. There we're about eight
or ten in each cart mot jews, old men,
old women and others, of various ages,
plainly in extreme debility.
They seemed utterly helpless and care
less and presented a very sad sight. A
few women were present, evidently in
terested in the fate of the prisoners.
They carried bags and tins, which l saw
at once were mean to be given to some
loved one in the convoy. / noticed two
OF these women particularly, the one a
very ladylike person of middle age, with
regular features, telling that she was
not a Russian. Her companion was a
mere girl of perhaps sixteen or seven
teen, with an undoubtedly Jewish coun-
tenance.
My information was that there would
be either two or four Jews in the convoy,
for very few o remain in the prison,
the rest having been removed, and it
was by their features, bearing and dress
| should recognize them. While | was
thus observing things around me the
procession of prisoners began to defle
from the small door mentioned. They
came two by two, chained together by
handouts, and closely guarded by prison
wardens. The prisoners were of both
sexes and varied in age, appearance and
dress. Some wore prison garments, some
wore their w clothes and some the con-
vict's dress with the yellow diamond on
the back.
W INNOCENT JEWS.
As the convoy passed the group of
women alongside whom l stood, l noticed
a commotion among them. The Russians
calculated prayers after their wont; the
elderly lady and girl became excited. 1
scrutinized the prisoners closely, being
well stared at by them and scowled at
by the guard, but could detect no Jew.
Features upon which vice and crime and
misfortune and misery were stamped in
indelible stains there were in plenty, but
among these | noticed no Jewish face.
Just as the rear was coming up and in
the fifth row from the last, l noticed two
handsome open countenances.
These were what | was in search of.
There could not be a moments hesita-
ton. Here were two Jews. The one
was a stalwart, elderly man, with a beard
and ruddy face, on whom prison life had
been able to do little hurt. The other
was likewise tall, with short black beard
n more pronounced Jewish features.
The two Jews were chained together.
Probably they are to be sent to the same
aeighborhood.
As | expected, the lady and girl were
looking for these W prisoners, like my
self, and attempted to pass the bags
with the little new kettles and panni-
kins to their relatives or friends. The
nearest warder, seeing the attempt,
shouted "Neelza," or THAT is not al
lowed" and raised his drawn sword as
if to strike the girl, who was in front of
her companion. Falling back with a
sigh, the girl seemed 10 to despair, but
to hope for another chance, with that in
domitable perseverance SO characteristic
of the race.
STRICT GUARDS.
Afterward at the railway station l
saw the same pair engaged on the same
merciful errand, but whether they sue
ceeded or not l do not know. l could
not help them, but only might have
compromised them with the authorities
by inquiries. After travelling by railway
to one Of the western provinces within
the pale the Jewish prisoners will be
marched on, presumably, as they are at
the moment l write, in chains, to the
destination assigned them.
The names of these two Jews 1 could
get if it were necessary, and l know that
they are not charged with any o~ffense,
but are merely being sent away by the
cars ukase, and not having money
enough to pay their railway expenses,
or, more probably, having given over to
their dear ones the money they possessed,
they are ignominiously herded with
criminals, and chained like them.
once thought of taking a camera to
photograph them, but l do not think the
evidence so obtained would be stronger
than that now given. 1t is not easy to
photograph particular individuals in a
crowd in motion, nor can it be done
without exciting notice. AS 1 was three
times warned by the sentry that it was
not allowed ito look" as he put it, prob
ably l should have been expelled like a
Jew if 1 had been caught photographing
what the Russians consider is a private
affair of their own. Having seen what
l have recorded, no honorable person can
dispute the evidence. 1 have only seen
two, that is true, but had / been ad-
mitted into the secret of what was going
on earlier l should have seen many
Moscow Cor. London News.