Evening star., 1901-12-07
RUSSIA'S PENAL SYSTEM,
Some of It's Horrors Described by an
Eyewitness.

Sohe VI Ats HOrrOrS described
Eyewitness.
From Leslies Weekly.
The total number of convicts at present
quartered on Saghalin is estimated at
nearly 10000, and one cannot ponder over
the lot of these miserable people without
| mingled shudder of gloom and horror
The minor malefactors are seldom con-
signed to the mines, which. in measure,
Is an amelioration Of their punishment. but
of the others it may well be said that at
the gates Of Saghalin they may figurative-
ly read, "All hope abandon We who enter
here" No distinction is made for age, sex
or condition. The prisoners, so soon as
they are landed are sorted according to
the rigor of the punishment to which they
have been condemned. The lesser crimi-
mails, chained and logged to guard against
possible escape, are given occupation above
ground as tillers of the soil or prison at
tendantS, subject to the petty whims and
cruelty Of subordinate officials. Unceasing
toll. curses. semi-starvation, the ''plet," a
terrible loaded whip, is henceforth their
daily lot; but it is a bed of roses COM
pared with the future condition of the
more unfortunate deportees, those guilty of
real heinous crimes, and those whom Rus
sian officialdom fears even more, political
malefactors
These prisoners, so soon as they are
landed, are assigned to a distinctive num-
ber. and huddled pell-mell, like a horde Of
Wild beasts. into one of the gaping holes in
the mountain sides. From that day, until
death fortunately relieves their sufferings,
they are condemned to life of the most
abJect misery, degradation and hardship.
The vast Subterranean channels become
populouS avenues of Erild-eyed, frantic
maniacs. The most brutal immoralites are
prevalent; children are born, but no dis
tinction is made for their condition; the
steel-hearted overseers give them a dis
tinctive number if they survive to a proper
age; infanticide is encouraged and abetted.
and thenceforth, although guiltless of all
crime, then suffer the fate of their par
entS.
Down in the dark bowels Of the earth,
denied even a pittance of sunshine or fresh
air, these God-forsaken unfortunates toll on
endlessly, until first flies spirit, then rea-
SOn-hideouS, Shrunken, tortured gnomes
and maniacs, they labor on till their doom
Is happily cut short by deaths welcoming
hand. One or two. or at the utmost, live
years of this living death prevails over the
most vigorous vitality; more often long be-
fore that time the miserable wretch ends
all by suicide Small wonder 1t is that
most of them live but few months; their
deaths are reported by the overseer and in
sickening farce the priest is sent for,
sprinkles the accursed spot with water, and
in an unknown grave they are uncere-
moniously buried. Sometimes the thrill of
liberty is too strong to be resisted: a sud
den frenzy to escape lights up the en-
bruted breasts with the faint hope of des-
pair, and, goaded to fury, the bolder spirits
start an insurrection, overpower their
guards and rush toward the shelter of the
gloomy mountain Businesses. Like mad
dogs they are trailed, surrounded by SOL
diers and shot down with no compunction.
1t is a significant fact that such outbreaks
are but of rare occurrence; the ptiless life
underground Is to be endured as willingly
as facing the even more pitiless cruelty of
insensible and bloody-minded task-masters
above ground,