The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-10-20

Oh
! The political conditions in Russia 10
/ day are such as to Justify the relaxta
! ton OF pubiis supervision NihIisn j.
I practically extinct The punishment Of
/ crime is also much less severe than for
I merry, and the treatment OF prisoners
I is more humane The prevailing crime Is
( larceny. There are no such thieves as
I the Russians, except perhaps the ARABS
There IS only ore honest Official in al
( my empire. said Nicholas /. and thai
( is myself Corruption and bribery were
formerly universal but understand
there has been great Improvement with
in the last few years In every factory
I where goods are made that can be easily
stolen. the employees are searched every
day before they leave the building. IN
every town Of any size there IS what is
called the Thieves Market, 10 which
burglars. pickpockets. sneak thieves and
servants who carry their rlunder
and sen or pawn it to merchants, mostly
Of the Jewish persuasion
The Thieves Market in ST Petersburg
Is an enormous building. covering an en-
tire block with al least two hundred and
fifth different dealers whose shops axe
filed With every conceivable variety az
articles. some Of them new, but most OF
them showing use Every article under
that roof IS supposed to have been stolen
This is not actually true, however. be-
cause many people pressed by necessity
ofer their own property for sale ar the
Thieves Market, as they would az q
pawE5rol-ers-
IN Moscow the old Thieves Market.
which YES a place ri great interest has,
recently bees torn down and replaced
by q large and beautiful building with
triple arcades which are occupied By re-
spectacle tradesmen. In the meantime q
public square adjoining one of the regu-
lar msrket-housas has been given up for
the use u dealers Of stolen properly. who
drive their largest trade on Saturday
lights ard sunday morning. People who
visit the place however are always warn
ed 10 leave their watches and pocket
books at hotel
~ these Thieves Markets one some
times dnds valuable curIcs and old pieces
Of silver. which have been stolen from the
palaces Of The nobility by their servants
knives. forks. spoons, opera glasses Jew
elry Of all kinds clothing. hats. caps and
shoes. bed linen. towels. cooking utensils
every ching that IS made and used by
men and womea-are there. A nurse SRI
~.
la6ys maid may steal a hair1-ush. or
towel CT two. or a pair of gloves that her
mistress mas carelessly laid @ oue side.
When people miss articles and have any
reason 20 suspect thar they have been
stoleH they go 20 the Thieves Market
instead II police Headquarters. because
it is an easier and cheaper way OF recov-
=ring their property. The police are slow
and severe and the plaintiff in a criminal
ease generally suffers almost as badly as
the defendant.
one OF the greatest drawbacks in Wis
ting Russia is the filthy habits of the +
people The external use of water is /
almost unknown among the lower classes. (
Who seldom change their garments from /
ear 10 year. unless they wear cut. They /
work and sleep in the same clothing and f
he vermin 10 which one is exposed in T
be churches railway stations. markets +
nd other places. where the common +
.eopIe are in the habit or gathering, are f
.ery offensive A woman who has sensi- .
i've olfsct0ries is unable 10 remain long
n Russian church while service is in .
.rogress. and is fortunate if she leaves I
.efore she faints. because within few 1
minutes after the service begins the at
a0sphere becomes poisoned from the
soollen garments worn by the peasant
md il is NOT desirable 10 spend much time
a the cabins OF the peasantry-
The Russian bath, SO called. is q SAM
any measure and not Tor the purpose Of
lerliness- A peasant who Is Ill VIII wrap
imself in wooden garments. sit on TOP
{ stove until he is swimming in per-
riraton. and then suddenly strip himself
ake5 and plunge at fun length into the
now. The shock. when would xiii an
r5inary person. Is relied upon 20 cure
1ost of the disease tn which he is sub
act. and followed hy a hard rubbing
Z the skin. is undoubtedly q heaithfui ex-
rise This practice among the peasants
-as the origin Of the Russian bath The
anne practice prevails among the Turks
The washrooms in the railway cars OF
.uss.a testify 70 the habits q the pe0-
le They are never supplied with towels
? soap. nd YOU seldom md a stopper
lr the washbowl We have spent sew
al NIGHTS in Russian Sleeping cars. which