The Savannah morning news., 1901-12-15
A SIBERIAN PRISON.
The Prisoners Are Treated With
EasygOing Good Nature.

IN ST. petersburg, in MOSCOW, all
along the Trans Siberian line, have
come across Britishers who have no
love for the Russian, who sneer at his
dtlatoriness, swear at his bride seek
ing procllvities, show disgust at his
personal habits. Yet, when l have men
toned Mr.. Remnants brilliant and start
ling story of his wanderings, / have
been met with an "Ach!" and a
shrug of the shoulders.
Well, in spite of hearing this-and
occasionally something srronger-by
every Britisher in ttse country, I kept
an open mind. If opportunity came l
would have look at n prison myself.
So during talk with his exc@llency the
Governor General of the Irkutsk Pro-
vince, 1 asked if he had any objection
to my seeing the Irkutsk prison.
mot at all: but 1 think the Alex
androvski prison, thirty versts from
her, would be BETTER
1 had thought of Alexandrovsli, the
largest prison in the country, but
considered seeing that was out of the
question. 1 accepted the Governor
Generals suggestion, and said / would
go there on my return journey through
Siberia. Very we'll! Could 1 now go
to the local Jail. Certainly! When? Any
time! Tomorrow? Yes! After break
fast? Any time convenient to YOURSELF
So the next morning, accompanied
by my interpreter, drove out to
Irkutsk prison.
1t was not the gloomy, sullen stoned,
slit Widowed, iron barred structure,
such as are our prisons at home. The
front showed a two storied, white
washed building. The sides and backs
were walled with pine tree logs, tight
ly set together, and all sharply pointed
at the top. Sentry boxes were station
ed every thirty yards, and Russian
soldiers in white blouses and white
caps paraded up and down. carbine on
shoulder. 1 was met by the governor,
a short, kindly looking man, who kept
his hands in his pockets except when
lighting another cigarette, and by tho
Inspector of Prisons, a tall, fair
whiskered man, in white and gold uni
form.
After the preliminary introductions
the inner wooden door, not iron stud
! ded, was thrown OPEN and then there
was a rather slim, ramshackle iron
gate tc go through We We're now in
the exercise yard, a nice open space,
planted with smallish pines and plenty
of seats about. A crowd of several
hundred men, coarse featured and
mostly bearded, all in loose white
linen clothes, were scurrying to their
dormitories on the shouted order Of
the governor. A jangling sound struck
my ear. I noticed many of the men
wore chains fastened about the legs.
The convicts gave backward glance
at their visitors.
Where are they going?" inquired.
Back to their cells. They have four
hours recrea ton a day, two hours in
the morning and two in the afternoon.
1 though you would like to see them
in their cells"
do you restrict them in talking?"
"Oh, no, they just do as they like
except chat they must not sing. We
have seven hundred men here, and
some very good singers. These are in
the chapel choir, and have a dormitory
to themselves and practice frequently"
We took a promenade of the entire
building, with two armed attendants
in our wake The corridors were white
washed, with sanded floors. The doors
were of heavy wood. with iron graf
ings.
The keys were turned and the bolts
pulled. SO we passed into a low rooted
but we'll lighted room, with fifty or
sixty men standing in a rough line.
Good morning, men," said the govern
or, and they replied, Good morning,
ST. LIE pIlSOucIS Hdu the brutal Ied-
lures always seen in the criminal
classes. the heavy Jaw, the low fore
head, the cunning eye. Most were
thieves, but also there were accused
men among them awaiting trial-and
the mixture of both condemned and
untried struck me as unfair to the
latter.
picked out men, and through my
interpreter asked for what they were
in prison. They answered readily. One
young man said he was serving six
months for stealing a coat: which was
MT true, for he had bought 1t from an
unknown man. Thereat the other pris-
oners laughed.
what do they do here?" I asked.
What they like. except that they
must keep their cells clean" And clean
they were. There was place to wash
in, one or two religious books were on
the table; and on the wall was a cheap
telegraph of the Gear, and In the cor
ner was an icon, or a sacred picture
What attracted me was the Informal
relationship between governor and
prisoners The men talked without any
restraint, made requests, and even
jests.
We visited cell after cell, with the
same kind of occupants, and each al
ways neat and clean.
Noticing how insecurity guarded the
whole place was, asked IL ever there
was any instruction. I'm my prede-
cessors time" said the governor
there was, because the food was bad.
But / can't say the men are dissatls-
fed Indeed the prison is always filled
up in our harsh and long winter with
men charged with petty thefts. They
want to get into prison to secure food
and shelter"
Next I was shown hardened crimi-
nails; men in solitary confinement.
They were brought out of their cells
into the better light OF the corridor
so I might photograph them. There
was one deep chested, hlrsute man,
with clouded brow. who stood like
log with his chains hanging about him.
He had killed four people. The next
was wiry little fellow, with short.
pointed beard and very bright. beady
eyes. He was the most notorious house.
breaker in Siberia He laughed and
ioked, and admitted with a certain
pride his experiences. II know IL is
wrong to housebreak" he said merri-
iy when I questioned him, "but then
for working one gets so little money,
and II people are not able to take care
Of their property they deserve to lose
IT,"
We went TO another yard, all noise
Here there was ironwork. chiefly the
making Of bedsteads, and carpentry