Evening star., 1896-12-19
The Metropolis Now Crowded With
Christmas Buyers.
LAB0UCHERE And HIS CRUSADE
DR.. Howard Describes the Condi-
ton of Siberian Exiles.
PRAISE AND CENSURE GIVEN
Copyrighted, 1896, by the Associated Press,

atmosphere was so dense over the Isle of
Wight that the latter was completely cut
off from the msin land for twenty four
hours But, nevertheless, London is crowd
ed with Christmas shoppers among whom
are the Princess of Wales and her daugh-
ters, who have daily been busy buying gifts
and nightly occupied in visiting the thea
ters. The Prince of Wales has been shoot
ing. with Lord Derby.
The story that the queen, who arrived
on Friday at Osborne for Christmas, has
projected visit to Ireland, undoubtedly
arose from the fact that the Duke and
Duchess Of York will spend a month there
In 1897. After a week at Dublin Castle
they will make round of visits to country
houses, including that of the Duke and
Duchess OF Devonshire, that of the Ear
and Countess of Dunraven and that OF
the Marquis and Marchioness of London
derry.
The Duke and Duchess of York are
spending week at Welbeck Abbey. the
seat of the Duke and Duchess. of Portland
The visit has been full of elaborate cere
moniaL balls, concerts and shooting, cul-
minating with splendid ball in the fa-
nous subterranean ball room on Thurs
day. The large house party included the
Duke and Duchess Of Devonshire, the Duke
and Duchess of Marlborough, the Duke
and Due hess of Manchester and Countess
Dudley.
1t is stated that the Duchess of York
will shortly again go into temporary re
tirement and 1t is rumored that the Duke
Of York will be promoted to be rear ad
miral on New Years day, at which there
is a great deal of ill-feeling, as he will
thereby overstep more than hundred cap
tains who are his seniors.
Prince and Princess Charles of Denmark
start for Copenhagen today, where they
will spend several months. Princess Maude
who greatly admired the Duchess of Mari
borough's jewel belt is having a hundred
lovely rubies and diamonds, which Were
presented to her by the queen, set in a
gold ceinture, similar to that of the Ameri-
can duchess.
LabOuchere's Crusade.
The libel suit of the Rev. George Brooks
against Mr.. Henry Labouchere has re-
suited in a verdict for the latter, with costs,
together with the jury's opinion that
Truth conferred a benefit upon the public
in exposing the Prince of Begging Letter
Writer'S" who has aroused unusual in
terest.
The plaintiff is known as Bounty
Brooks" owing to the first lord of the
treasury, Mr.. A. ]. Balfour, giving him
goo (S1 ,000) out Of the royal bounty fund
on account of an anti-socialst book of
which Brooks was the author The evil
dence in the suit just ended showed that
Brooks. from 1889 to 1895, realized over
II ,Wu Dys DeBSlUS lelteTS. luFi1S
the course Of the testimony Brooks at
tributed his financial troubles partly to
disastrous speculation on lecture by the
late Henry Ward Beecher, who, plaintiff,
vance, while only EDO (s1O0) was taken in
at the door. Brooks also said that he went
to the United States to study social ques
tions and found himself too English to get
on in America.
The press, with the Times at its head
has united in chorus of approval of Mr.
Labouchere for his continued exposure of
impostors, and it is said to have been de-
veloped that he has expended for this pur
pose over 100000 ($200,000) in lawyers fees
alone during recent years. Altogether
"Labby'' is the lion of the week. for, in ad
dition to his legal victory there has been
Truths annual distribution of toys to tn,
children of the hospitals at Albert Hall
which has been the center of attraction
There were 4.2O0 dressed dolls on view anG
p, 900 other toys.
DIR. Benjamin Howard, a surgeon wei
known in England and America, who, since
1853, has made special study of penalogy
has just arrived In England from fourth
visit to Russia and Siberia, undertaken for
the purpose of confirming and bringing up
to date the observations made by him in
Saghalien and elsewhere since 1883.
Studying Siberian ExiIes.
During an interview with a representa-
tive Of the Associated Press, DIR. Howard
said
1.-The special object of my last journey
which has occupied six months, was to
complete my studies regarding the recap
ture, redistribution and means of forward
ing Siberian eXiles. 1 have been through
every convict and exile prison between St
Petersburg and Siberia. 1 have waylaid
exile gangs by road rail and river, exam
ined the convict barges on which they were
conveyed when empty, and have had oppor
IN rna hno, o,-
when they have been full. For hundreds OF
consecutive miles l have kept observation
on the gangs SO as to see them under all
conditions. My object was not merely to
confirm or deny statements made by others
on Siberia but to bring my personal knowl-
edge of the Russian penal system up to
date.
Il have" continued DIR. Howard, made
a special study of penalogy for over thirty
five years. and during this period have ex-
amined the systems in the West Indies
East Indies, China, Japan, Siberia and Eu
rope and America. In 1883 l commenced
nay study of the Russian system, and in
that year 1 visited the convict establish
ments of Moscow and st. Petersburg. Next
1 went to Siberia and the great exile island
of Saghalien. l was the first foreigner to
live on the island, although various persons
have touched at the place. The unique
feature of my visit, which lasted from July
to September, lay in the fact that went as
personal friend of the governor, whom
met casually at dinner. During my visit
accompanied him on his tours of inspection,
and frequently saw more than the governor
himself. l was practically an official. only
without official responsibility, and l was
able to avail myself of the singular oppor-
tunity afforded me as the first person, other
than Russian official or exile, to spend
so long period in the place.
Aske" concerning the result of his OBJ
servati MS, DIR. Howard replied:
In its main principle of productive labor
the Russian penal system is worthy of imi-
tation. In it's general maladminstration it
is worthy Of reprobation."
Asked to explain the strangely divergent
accounts of Messrs. Harry de Windt and
George Kennan, DIR. Howard declined to
deny or confirm such statements. He
pointed out, however, that in the case of
Mr.. Kennan's book the writer does not pro-
fess to have seen personally any of the bar
barities mentioned by him. Il can only
speak of what 1 have seen. The admjns-
tration of the Siberian system rests SO
largely with individuals that almost any,
thing may be possible. OF all that is bad
in Siberia proper Saghalien has had the
reputation of being ten times worse in
every particular. My experiences there will
be described fully In my book"
How the Exiles Live.
Comparing the lot of Siberian exiles with
convicts in other countries, DR.. Howard
remarked
1.-THE result Of my experience has been to