The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1903-01-04
Miscellany
Page.
HORRORS IN THE
SAGHALIN PRISONS

Reuters representative has had an
interview with Mr.. Charles H. Halves,
who is believed to be the last English
man to visit the Russian penal settle
ment of Saghalin, and the only one to
explore the interior and northeastern
coast of the island Mr.. Halves had
been travelling in Korea, when he de-
cided to visit the island. From Kha-
barovsk he proceeded with a convoy Of
exile barges, and was landed at Nicho-
aaevsk, opposite Saghalin. The follow
ing is an extract from Mr.. Hawes's
narrative
My object was to proceed to the ex-
treme northeast part of the island to
study some unknown tribes there and
to see for myself the real condition or
the convicts. There are five great
penal establishments in this convict
island, and, with the exception of the
cIearings round these, practically the
whole of Saghalin is covered with
forest so dense that even the natives
cannot penetrate it. | spent several
DAYS in Alexandrovsk where, as in the
other settlements, murder goes on with
.sEznpunity. During my stay four people
whom | met were murdered. Almost
every one in the streets is a criminal,
for, with few exceptions only the worst
type of prisoners are sent to Saghalin
certainly besides convicts, ex-con-
victs, their wives and children, and
the officials, there are probably not
a dozen free-born individuals on the
island. Of murderers alone there are
ierI,f
ing I passed a man in the street of
whom | was warned to be careful as
he had already killed eight people. 1t
is no exaggeration to say that the ma
iority of the officials are the dregs
of the service-in too many cases
drunken and brutal. / went over some
of the prisons. Despite continued con-
tradictions that such thing exists,
there are still two wretched prisoners
chained night and day to wheelbar-
rows. In Aaexandrovsk prison there
were six hundred conVicts packed IN
four apartments, each constructed to
hold about fifty persons. While was
on the island nearly i 800 fresh prison
ers arrived, mostly for this prison, so
its subsequent condition can perhaps
be imagined.
AS the result of inquiry, found that
the three-thong whip with leaden
ends. known as the "plet," the use OF
which is forbidden in Russia and is
dying out in Siberia, is in general en-
uioyment here, and also the birch-rod i
dipped in salt With this instrument |
two women were fogged in February /
last. The convict's term of confine- |
ment in Saghalin is followed by six i
years enforced residence in the island
as "exiIe settlers and a further six /
years in Siberia as peasants" after
which they are free to return to
Russia, but as a matter of fact nine
tenths of the convicts never leave the
island. The one bright spot on this
island is the presence of an heroic
woman, Eugene de Meyers, a young,
attractive, and enthusiastic lady who
is working alone amid terrible sur
roundings. She has no regard for dan
ger, and lately spent long time in the
far interior with band of 200 convicts.
1t is known that the Czarina is great
ly interested in her work, and proba-
bly, this is the reason why she does
not meet with as much active hostility
from the officials in Saghalin as might
be expected