Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1902-05-19
A LIVING DEATH.
Awful Fate of Russian Prisoners in
Mines of Saxhalin.

Mines of Saxha1in.
A writer in Leslie's Weekly gives a
graphic account of the horrors of prison
life at the Russian convict station on
Saghalin, an island in the Sea OF
Okhotsk.
The total number Of convicts at pres
ent 0uartered 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 consigned to the mines,
which. in a measure, is an amelioration
of their punishment, but of the gates
of Saghalin they may tiguratively 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 their rigor of the punishment to
which they have been condemned. The
lesser criminals, chained and logged to
guard against possible escape, are Civ
en- occupation above ground as tillers
of the soil or prison attendants, sub
ject 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
compared with the future condition of
the more unfortunate degcnerates,
those guilty of real heinous crimes,
and those whom Russian ctficialdom
fears even more, political malefactOrs.
These prisoners. so soon as they are
landed, are assigned to distinctive
number 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 con-
demned to life of the most abject
misery, degradation and hardship. The
vast subterranean channels become
populous avenues Of wild-eyed. frantic
maniacs. The most brutal immOrali-
ties are prevalent; children are born,
but no distinction Is made for their con-
ditlon; the steel-hearted Overseers give
them a distinctive number if they sur
vive to Il proper age; infanticide is en-
although guiltless of all crime, they
suffer the fate Of their parents.
Down in the dark bowels Of the
earth, denied even Il pittance of sun
shine or fresh air. these GOd-forsaken
unfOrtunates toll on endlessly, until
|
shrunken. tortured. gnOmes and ma
MACS, they labor OH till their doom is
happily cut short by deaths welc0m-
ing hand. One or two, or ut the ut
most, five years Of this living. death
prevails over the most vigorous vital
ity; more often long before that time
the miserable wretch ends all by sui
eide. Small wonder it 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 unceremoniously buried. Some
| times the thrill of liberty is too strong
to be resisted; sudden frenzy to es-
cape light up the embruted breasts
with the faint hope of despair. and.
goaded to fury, the bolder spirits start
an insurrection, ovcrpOwer their guards
and rush toward the shelter of the
| gloomy mountain businesses. Like
mad dogs, they are trailed, surrounded
! by soldiers and shot down with no COM
| junction