Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-12-27
STARVED INTO JAIL.
Prisons in Russia's Famine-Stricken
Districts all Crowded
FROM THE ROOFS TO CELLARS.
Hunger Driving Hundreds to Commit
Grimes to Be Confined
WHERE THEY WILL BE GIVEN FOOD
Thy CABLE TO THE DISPATCH.

Thy CABLE TO THE DISPATCH.l
LONDON, Dec. o6.-[Copyright. Terri
BILE stories of the famine and the crimes it
is bringing about come from Russia In
the famine stricken districts the prisons are
crowded and can hold no more, even though
packed on the Russian black hole system,
! and vet hundreds of men, women and chill
dren are seen focking thither every day,
begging for admittance, and when they do
not receive favorable reply, qualifying
for it by crimes and attempted crimes.
The ST. Petersburg correspondent of the
Telegraph SAYS that a report has been re-
ceived there on the state of the Samara
prison, and extracts from it published in
the journal called Russian Life reveal a
most shocking state of affairs All the space
available in the prison, including the baths,
corridors and workshops, is occupied by
prisoners, who are huddled together like
herrings in a barrel
Awful Crowding in the Prisons.
The manner in which the rooms are
crowded is simply incredible. The prison,
which can barely accommodate 240 inmates,
actually contains 1.O0o The atmosphere
and the stencil are unbearable, and when
any one of the doors is opened thicks clouds
of pestilent vapor roll slowly out, soaring
the visitor away.
The supply of clothes for the prisoners is
lamentably insufficient. Whole groups of
convicts are never examined by the doctor,
who, during the past month, has not been
once to the prisoners.
rhap - l>o rfoJ
from various parts of the interior, and
deaths from hunger are more frequent than
heretofore. The Government is despatch
ing troops to several of the famine districts
in which emergencies are likely to arise of
a nature to require its interference, while it
Is beginning on the other hand to refuse
permission to private individuals to dis
tribute corn, open soup kitchens or other
wise directly relieve the destitute Money,
corn, clothing, meat, ETC., must in the
future be sent to the official bodies. who
will undertake to do the work of doling
them out in the name of the Emperor.
No Private Soup Kitchens Allowed
A few days ago Madame Seroff, a wealthy
and charitable lady of St. Petersburg, was
in village of the famine-stricken district
She was informed that she might send in
her offerings to the Government commits
saries, who would use their Judgment IN
distributing them, but that no more private
soup kitchens, corn stores, tea booths, ETC.,
would be allowed.
1t is even question of suppressing those
which Count Tolstoi and his family have
opened in the Dankovsky district and
various other places. The authorities are
indignant that Russian society should prove
so generously responsive to the appeal of
the Count, to whom tens of thousands of
roubles are being sent every week from all
quarters of Russia, while the Minister of
the Interior was obliged to use very strong
pressure to obtain less than half a million.
roubles in eight weeks. The newspapers
are not permitted to reprint the letter of
Countess Tolstoi asking for contributions.