The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-12-02
A SIBERIAN PRISON.

W III St. Petersburg, in Moscow, all Rlong the Trans Siberian line, I have &come across Britishers who have no Hove for the Russian, who sheer at his Nprcnhvities, show disgust at his per-
 sona1 habits Yet, when I have men,
 tioned MT. Kennan's brilliant and start Hing story of his wanderings, l have ' been met with an "Ach!" and shrug Eof the Shoulders.
 < Well, in spite of hearing this--and oo- 8G&Slohally something stronger-by ev- Eery Britisher in the country. I kept an &1pen mind. If opportunity came #N9puld have a look at a prison myself ESQ during a talk with his eXcellency the SKoVernor general of the Irkutsk Prov
 3hce, I asked if he had any objection to seeing the Irkutsk prison. @ Not at all; but think the Alexan- 9llrovski prison, thirty versts from here, |SWOuld be better
 M tAAOA6ht Ol faAChdIol ohl, AllS E3argest prison in the country, but con- jdsred seeing that was out of the ques- sS59n. I accepted the governor generals
 gestiOn, and said I would go there nv return Journey through Siberia.
 4ry we'll! Could now go to the local Certainly! When? Any time!
 1Sorrow? Yes! After breakfast? time convenient to yourself!
 the next morning accompanied by
 1yX Interpreter drove out to Irkutsk N WAs not the gloomy sullen stoned, [ lIt wlndowed, iron barred structure, 3 {cl1 as are our prisons at home. The !431Slt showed two storied, whitewash- btilding. The sides and backs were with pine tree logs. tightly set
 ether, and all sharply pointed at the
 6entry boxes were stationed every
 yards, and Russian, soldiers in blouses and white caps paraded 4ud down, carbine on shoulder. X met by the governor, a short, kind |3$% %tuOking man, who kept his hands in | pockets except when lighting an- @@x IN cigarette, and by the inspector of
 4401E, tall, fair whiskered man, in
 III 4f4 and gold uniform
 fter the preliminary introductions
 & Inner wooden door, not iron stud- < WAs thrown open, and then there E TT rather slim, ramshackle iron
 te to go through. We were now in exercise yard, a nice open space, 95&flted with smallish pines and plenty r &6n4a about A crowd of several 3i9in6red men, coarse featured and
 St1y beared, all in lose white linen II theH; were scurrying to their dorni- ISS on the shouted order of the gov fSior. < A dangling sound struck my Y noticed many of the men wore 44 xtns fastened about the legs. The |SSnVicts gave a backward glance at < visitors.
 here are they going?" I inquired. Ns Back to their cells. They have four I3SftTH Recreation a day, two hours in HE morning and two in the afternoon. 3 3f1t0tight you would like to see them lIta heir cells
 you restrict them in talking?" 5 Ssga Il, no, they just do as they like ex- < YIf tint they must not sing. We have ySi1 hundred men here, and some very
 singers. These are in the chapel &Hxsif, and have dormitory to them xKs and practise frequently" AS Ne took promenade of the entire liIl aaiig, with two armed attendants in
 wake. The corridors were white x G1fed, with sanded floors The doors SY TIE of heavy wood, with iron grat- keys were turned and the bolts x vryo ;p+p faI Btl$ we'll lighted room, with fifty or six f& men standing in a rough line. Good tiiilg, men" said the governor, and S8Sy replied, "Good morning, sir" The 3SSfiers had the brutal features al- XSyb seen in the criminal classes, the , |3SAWy jaw, the low forehead, the cum 2 2SK eye. Most were thieves, but also | <lff were accused men among them I ititig trial-and the mixture of both 1 9xh hdenined and untr1ed struck me as 1 (l38air to the latter.
 MI picked out men, and through my | <4Spreter asked for what they were in SS S1scn They answered readily. One V8Hiag man said he was serving six months for stealing a coat; which | lFasn | true, for he had bought it from III sunknown man. Thereat the other IfisCners laughed. x That do they do here?" I asked What they like, except that they Sf3tEt keep their cells clean" And clean |IlSF were There was a place to wash 5Isf one sor two religious books were on IT kable, and on the wall was a cheap (I&ograph of the Czar, and in the cor HI was an icon, or a sacred picture.
 What attracted me was the informal HS4etionship between governor and pris- z4fs The men talked without any re- |9f&int, made requests, and even jests x SFe visited cell after cell, with the 1fne kind of occupants, and each al
 LITE neat and clean.
 a40tfcing how insecurely guarded the 2H8Ie place was, I asked if ever there Y IF any insurrection. "In my prede- S5esorss time" said the governor, |thAre was, because the food was bad. 3iit I can't say the men are dissatis- [Sd. Indeed, the prison is always filled Ip In our harsh and long winter with I,en charged with petty thefts. They yart to get into prison to secure food nd shelter"
 Next | was shown hardened crimin- ls. men in solitary confinement. They tera brought out of their cells into the etter light of the corridor so I might them. There was one deep hested hfrsute man, with clouded