Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-04-03
RUssIA's HORROR.
Most Desolate Place in the Empire Se-
 lected as a Living Tomb.

lected as Living Tomb.
 In Resurrection" the play at His Majestys theater there is a terribly realistic stage picture of the interior of typical Russian prison. But the most terrible of Russian prisons is Sak- haltn, Russia's' penal settlement in the Pacific ocean. Eastern coasts are always cool or cold, according to the latitude, and the struggling island of Sakhalin would have no population, save the Esquimo-like natives, but for the fact that years ago it was selected by the Russian government as the most desolate part in all the en- pire, and, therefore, most suitable for penal settlement
 Cursed by nature, doubly cursed by man, this dreadful island is the horror of all Russia. The m ost hardened criminals turn pale, often faint when, they hear the word as the judge, in passing sentence, for throughout all Russia, Sakhalin is feared as a living tomb.
 All over the empire bands of con- victs are in motion, the rattle of the chain, the shuff1ing of convict feet, and the heavy tramp of soldiers are heard in every town. From all parts of Russia these criminal rivulets con- verge towards Odessa. A convict ship awaits them there. Between decks the vessel is fitted with iron cages like those for savage animals. From 1,SOO to 5000 miserable criminals are pack ed into the cages, and the long voy- age begins. \ revolt on board is of frequent occurrence, 1t 1t is always subdued, for connected with the ships boilers are special hose appliances by which scalding steam can be turned into any cage and the occupants par boiled.
 Once at Sakhalin. the doors of hope are closed to the convict. Theoretical ly, when his term of service is ended he is at liberty, but he spends six years on the island as an .exile set tier" six yearr more in Siberia as a peasant settler" and Is then permit ted to return to Russia. Some do so. Few. however, go further than eastern Siberia. The notorious Sophie Buff stein, the golden hand of the nihil- fsts, now keeps hotel in Vladivostock. Practically nine-tenths, perhaps even larger proportion of the convicts, after crossing the strait, never return. Rus sian officialdom Is forgetful. Sakhalin IS etluIOSJ Ou llIS Ouu0T sue OI lllo WOTIu from St Petersburg. Unless the con- vfct has wealthy and influential friends willing to use argument and, if necessary. bribery, In his behalf, he is never heard of again.
 The .crowding < frightfu1. The main prison of Aleyandrovsk has four halls, each adapted to the use of about fifty men. Packed into these rooms are 600 convicts and during Hawes's visit ship arrived with 1 300 more Among these hopeless, most desperate and miserable wretches no sanitary condi- tions are maintained. They die by hundreds of typhoid. goal fever and other diseases. and nobody cares, for the quicker they die the less trouble they give their keepers, andevery death leaves more room for, the survivors. EscaDes from s-se stockades are suffi- ciently numerous to keep the released prisoners. those who have served their terms. in terror of their lives. for the first object of an escaped convict is to murder a settlerNand get his clothes and passport rt--London Sun.