Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1892-10-06

thickness. But this is not ALL At q
distance of o few inches down the walls
is wire netting which goes from
floor to ceiling, and over the netting is
tightly stretched painted canvas. This ar
rangement not only prevents prisoners
from communicating with each other by
means of taps on the wall or floor but it
deadens every sound. The cell thus be-
comes grave. No sign from the outer
world reaches it, and the horrible silence
rots in the body, as it were. The warders
under heavy penalties, are not allo wed to
speak to prisoner nor to answer even the
most casual question.
Schlusselburg is forty miles from St.
Petersburg, al the source OF tho Neya rs it
flows from the great lake LaIora. Here
on lonely island the fortress is erectel
1t away from everything save the wretch
ed and desolate village of the same name
H. which only limited number of inhabi.
tants are allowed to reside, and they are
closely watched by the Government spies.
The prisoners who are sent to Schlusselburg
are conveyed there in the dead OF night.
They simply bear number on
their clothes, and save those who are
responsible for their being sent, nobody
knows who they are nor whence they come.
Once there they may, by secret orders,
conveyed in letter sea ed with the arms Of
the Car Of All the Russias, be shot, strang-
led poisoned or drowned in the lake. The
penalty o, breaking this seal by anyone ex-
cept the person to whom the letter is ad-
dressed is death.
In this hideous place are oubliettes-that
is. dungeons where prisoners are confined
who are to be forgotten and lost to the
world. although living. Such prisoners
are fed on the most mea4re of diet. They
hear no sound and see no living thing. or
their :ood such as it is, is thrust in to them
through trap door No light save the
rr1 1n,, g
to penetrate from the outside corridor,
reaches the dismal dungeon. and the pris-
oner loses all account OF time knowing
not when it is day or when it is night. At
last he becomes imbecile, and is slowly
starved to death.
Let it be remembered that this horrible
place is no mere ancy of the writer; but it
exists at the present hour in holy and Chris
tain Russia, and under the so-caled benign
government OF the present Gar. 1t was to
SchlusselburG that Aaron Arama was re-
moved, under an order which Peter Alexiett
presented with a vindictive pleasure that
he knew not how to conceal And that
pleasure would have been enhanced could
he have sent Rachel to tne same place
But his power, alter ALL was limited and
though lie had many tools and creatures
under him. he himself was only the tool of
necessary that some external show of civili-
cation should be made Therefore, without
some sembIance OF legal right it was not
deemed advisable to arrest a person, esprc
tally woman. OF course, it was no diff
cult mater to produce this semblance. But
nobody save the dePrayed Alexletf had
any desire to deprive Rachel OF her liberty,
tor she was not considered of the slightest
political Importance Her lover had been
condemned and sent to Siberia; now her
father, whose independence OF spirit and
superior intellect made him power to
be dreaded, was charged with the double
crime OF having wlltully slain man, and
using seditlous language calculated to in
flame the minds OF the Cars peaceful sub
lects. That charge was one that he was
hardly likely to clear himself Of. What
more, then, could his enemies desire?
When the poor old man entered the
gloomy fortress OF the banks OF the Neva,
he himself felt that his life was done.
Crushed by the death OF his wife, to whom
he had been paSsl onately attached, he had
scarcely been able to think of anything
else: Even anxiety about his daughter was
to her he tried to believe that she was safe,
and that in conslgnlns her into the keep
ing Of Ivan Alexietf he had placed her in
good hands. Perhaps, too-even in his
blank despair-he had some shadowy idea
that he and she would meet again, This
idea, however, was killed when the an
nounce1nent was made to him That ne wss
to be removed. He knew too much OF Rus
sian administration 10 be indifferent as to
what tins meant
1t was night time when he was taken
from his cell He was loaded with chains
which clanked with his every movement.
When he was brought up he beheld his
arch enemy. Peter Alexietf, and a troop of
gendarmes, and he was handed over by
the Governor of the fortress to custody OF
the Chief of the Police.
Whittier would you take me now?' he
asked as he was thus once more confronted
with the man from whom, of all Others, he
knew he had the most to fear
ITO place of greater security" answer
ed Peter. brusquely.
Arama smiled sadly as he asked
as an old and broken man considered so
dangerous that the great fortress OF ST.
Peter and Paul isnot strong enough to hold
him? My lite f1ickers but tecbly now: lit
tie puff will extinguish it. Why not do
that here?"
Jew, exclaimed the Chlef OF the Pol'ce
con,emptnous.S, even one VINO mas Oh
ended against the law as deeply as you
nave Is not condemned unheard. we who
adininister lhe Ia" are NOT assassihs. 49,