The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-11-20
THE RUSSIAN REFUGEES.

slams by birth, are confined by order of the
Commissioner of Immigration. They are
au secret; that is to say, they can receive
no visitors and no one can communicate
with them. The affidavits which were
elected from them when they arrived
through the medium of an Interpreter are
in the Commissioners custody, and be has
been directed not to communicate them to
any one. The Russians, it need hardly be
added, are escaped prisoners from the
penal station Oh Saghalien Island. 1t is
understood that two at least OF them were
convicted OF murder, two or three of other
outrages upon the person, others for snug
Cling and the remainder of other otfenses
against the Russian penal code. Their
case has been submitted to the authorities
at Washington. who at their leisure will
decide upon their fate.
In the natural course of events the Rus
sian Government. armed with the proper
papers from Saghalien Island, would apply
TO the State Department for their extradi-
ton and they would be handed over by the
prison-keeper here to a Russian man-of-
war for conveyance to the prison from
which they escaped. But there is no obi
CATION on the Russian Government TO seek
their extraditiOn. Russia has got lid of
them and may conclude that she is salts
fed. She would probably be glad to send
US a lot more murderers and malefactors If
we would keep them. Under the Russian
code no one-not even a red-handed MUIR
derer-can be hanged. To keep their GRIM
inals the Russian penal authorities are put
to great expense aud trouble. Some of
them are employed in coal mines, others
are set TO making roads which are not
needed, and to cutting frewood 10 keep
themselves warm. The climate and the
soil forbid any extensive agricultural
production. 1t would be money in Rus
sia's pocket and a gain for the peace of the
empire if all the exiles to SaghaIien would
escape and fly to Japan or the United
States. Why should Russia. except as an
act of comfy to the United States. extra
dite these ten fugitives?
1t is evident from the fact that NJ.
Artsimovich. the Russian Consul at this
port, has received no word from his chiefs,
that the Government at st. Petersburg is
not distressing itself about the exiIes.
Suppose 1t should adhere TO this policy of
mastery inactivity, what are we to do
with themP We cannot keep them for
ever locked up in Jail. Some day some
one will apply for habeas corpus in their
behalf: how is Judge in this State to re-
fuse them their liberty on the ground that
they are accused of having committed
murder or other crimes in Russia? And
yet. II they are let loose, will they not re-
peat in this country the crimes they COM
mitted in Russia, and put US to the ex-
pense Of pursuing, arresting, trying, con-
Uiatip0 nd ntshi linz
1t is not exactly known how many con-
victs there are in Saghalien. A late report
gives the number as 5000. Among these
must be many who have friends with
means. By clubbing together they would
ID AXE II worth the while Of captain of a
ship returning from Vladivostock to San
Francisco TO hang off and on the south
point of Saghalien to pick up escaping con-
victs. In the old days when England
transported her convicts to Botany Bay,
ships sailing out of Sydney constantly
picked up escaping convicts at points
along the coast and conveyed them to
England. A full account of the industry
will be found in Marcus Clark's Ibis
Natural Life" Hitherto the runaways
from Saghalien have arrived at the north
ern japanese Islands. A good many of
them are understood to have found their
way to Yesso. But it is almost as hard to
get food in Yesso as 1t is in SaghaIien ::
whereas If they strike the coast of the
United States, the exles are sure of food,
either in jail or out.
Russia is always very friendly with the
United States. Would it be too much to
ask that the friendship should take tan
gible shape in more careful watch of her
convict station so that a convict stream
should not set in toward the port of San
Francisco?