The sun., 1894-08-13
FREDR1KSSAN'S JAIL LIFE.
EIPERIENCES WITH RUSSIAN SOL
DIERS AND PRISONERS.
n. Food eeusr.IIy IVES Very nee s-s
Therr wssu't Nueh OF It-t1esniises.
wss Not Thsueht Of-Rrutsi Trest.ert
or wo-e- rrfsouers ~ OReers-rriIss


or wo.e- Pri-c-er- ~ ONeer--E.iIss.
Nicholas y. Fredrikssan, the American citizen
who arrived on Saturday on the steamship
Paris and whose story Of his Imprisonment in
the military prison OF st. Petersburg. from
which he escaped on July is. was told yesterday
in TINS SuN. related further details Of his ad-
venture yesterday. Mr. Fredrikssan attended
yesterday morning the Swedish Baptist Church
in Fast Twentieth street, where he met some old
friends. He then went to the Office Of the Ger
man steamship line to see II his wife had ar
rived He thinks she may have arrived in this
country from Russia and gone West to Chicago
where her people live Mr.. Fredrikssan is
poor sailor, and he suffered considerably from
seasickness on the way over. but Yesterday he
had regained his strength.
He said that he could think Of no reason for
the police persecution he underwent in Russia
other than the spite of the gendarme TO whom
he refused to pay tribute. He had never been in
Russia before. and he says the authorities had
no grounds Tn substantiate the trumped-up
char ges that he had deserted from the army
and changed his citizenship. religion. and name.
:" II was that gendarme to whom refused 20
give 25 roubles," said Mr.. Frederikssan. "and
when he said IL would cost me twenty five times
25 roubles to effect my release he was right, for
lost my liberty and considerably over 81, 900
in cash. Americans cannot appreciate the
pONtT OI tne kenudTIntr. lney are NnP Y IaE >
private body guard and arrest even Gen
erals CT the army. Consequently. when this
oficer showed his animus toward me even Gen.
Rebainder could not help me, because II he
showed too much interest in me they would have
suspected him. and might have confscated his
property.
THE reason Of nv going to Russia was not
wholly to make money by building a factory
for Gen. Rebainder's son. In 1889 was en-
h,-n Eh,II q ~.
Government public schools OF Alaska, to erect
there for the Government two school buildings.
went there alone, leaving my wife in San Fran
cisco. She contracted inhammatory rheuma-
tism, and was i'll for months. l finished my
work in July. 1892. and took her to California
She did not recover her health for seven
months. She wished TO join me. and finally
took passage on a small steamer. The steamer
experienced rough weather during the entire
passage. One night my wife left her stateroom
window open, and the room was flooded with
water: and when met young Rebainder at the
Worlds Fair he persuaded me that the air OF
Russia would do her good.
"The most lasting impression OF my sojourn in
Russia is of course the life led in the Russian
prisons as spent most of my time there. No
American. whether he has taste of Jail life or
not, can imagine the depth OF degradation which
the poor wretches there suffer. was treated in
therefore. know what am talking about.
THE first jail l was In was that Of the city OF
Bielgorod where was confined after being ar
rested on my employers estate. As l said on
who were suckling children, and the Oldest child
was less than nine months old. The Coy
dren's board. consequently all the mothers
had was the regulation lls.pound Of rye bread
k and portion 1n OF soup ,i composed OF liver and
slaughter house would kill. The thought OF the
smel OF that soup nauseates me even now. But
those poor creatures were glad To get it, and II
they found a hard piece OF meat In it they
counted 1t great delicacy. The pound and a
the jailer took the half pound and you may be
sure he took the best part,
bones. and you could easily see that there was
little blood in their thread like veins. When
the heart to eat by myself but generally gave a
good part To the women, who would try TO kiss
eenned IN the js yssr % and man saif @ foe psssg es
offences. and their cases had not come to trial. |
from the men at night. They had moth
ing to sleep upon but the regulation
vermin were thick, and there was a continual |
crying in the woman's department Soap was |
not allowed. and OF water the Jailer was very |
chary. giving each woman only a handful with |
which she was supposed TO wash both her child |
and herself. Their clothes looked like worn-out
II asked the jsiler il my wife could bring
and he said that il did would would spoil poll them % and
they would not be content with the present fare |
Isr and mqfn afERs he let my S SPS
could not afford to give o cents day from his
3%n S% " wages age to improve the w9men,s condition.
had gained point, however. and when my |
servant brought in three quarts OF milk every
selves upon me and called down upon my head
all the blessings OF the Virgin Mary.
4" was taken TO Kursk. but did not stay there
long as they quickly removed me TO Toulon. !
"r whom had been exiled TO Siberia. some. how
ever. we're but temporary, prisoners who had
IN the case OF both mobiles and commoners.
allow for a journey of only thirty miles, unless a
special provision is made.
- In one of the cars on that trip I saw a sight
which | shall never forget II live TO he 100
years Years old; In nth she same ga, car M With me weTe a
possible for human beings 10 get. Her hair was
unkempt and fell in tangled mass around her
Child wa %as equally as as bad looking I M The Woman
was not more than 20 years old. and had beauti-
the only redeeming feature. for, she was
80 covered with dirt that little else
crime she had committed, and she "a answered
that her husband was confined in the siberian
previous According to the Russian law a wife
must reside where the husband does II he wishes
she had been compelled by the authorities to
follow her husband, who had requested that she
be sent for after he had arrived IN siberia
When saw the woman she had been trav-
slling On the railroads year and a half. The
authorities had lost her name and were shifting
her around here and there. Neither she nor her
child had had a change of clothing a hath in
all the time OF their wandering. The Govern
ment allowed her % kopecks. or 10 cents every |
twenty-four hours for meals. but she never re-
esiyed the worth OF the money. bought the
child little milk and the mother little meat
and cheese, and they were both very grateful.
FrnR TOulon was taken 10 Moscow, and on
vas vas amply ilIastrsted S < family Consisting ef
a father mother, and five children. were in the
car with me; The man had been condemned 10
; beTa for life and his family were accompany
ing him Of their own volition. The eldest child
Was a good looking young girl II years old, who
was much larger than girls of that age usually
are. When We left TOulOn officer requested
nne Of the soldiers 10 coax the girl away
from the family when the fret station was
reached. | heard the officer talking 10 the sol |
dier, and warned the family. | also asked the |
other prisoners TO protect the girl When the |
station Was reached the soldier appeared. and |
taking hold OF the girl requested grufiy that
mother ana danabtsr nnt thsir arms srnnnd |