Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1903-06-03

from the ccutra administration and
that 1t is the prSon-sland TO which all
the worst criminals are sent. There
arc probably not dozen frrc-born in
dIvldualS outside of tie convictS. OK
cOnvicts. their wives ana children, and
the officials and native tribes. On
January |. 1S:lS. there were on the
island DO. 1914 cUnvicts and eX-convicts.
or these 1850 We're engaged iii hard
labor. ard of this number alone no
fewer than 2S3!i were convicted of
murder, so that ont Of the total numhrr
OF cOnvictS and cX-cunvlclS Il moderate
estimate would give $500 as murder
ers.
OF the 2SjG muc!cr"rs the large pro-
portion of G3-l were women. Perhaps
this is to he explained ny The brutality
of husbands under the influence Gf
drink and passion. for mary OF these
women lad stabbed or poisoned their
partners in life. 1t is moi surprising
therefore, that Sakhalin is a name not
TO he mentioned in st. Petersburg. To
do so is a greater faux pas than to
talk Of Botany Bay in Sydney. But
bad Us things were reported to he. |
was fully aware that great strides had
been made in the reform Of prisons
anI prison management since the time
wien Mr.. George Kennan visited them
on the mainland in 1SSJ. but thought
1t extremely l.ohab!e that the foot
steps of reform had Jagged behind The
farther cast one tracked them. and
that on S;ikhalin-if one could only
get there-thc condition of affairs
would reflect the state OF things that
existed on the mainland ten years ago.
And so l found it. No Englishman.
with the exception of Mr.. Ge Windt.
who paid flying visit to the island
in 1886, when his ship called, had Wis
ited the prisons. and none had ever
penetrated into the far interior.
After sundry adventures and many |
difficulties overcome, succeeded in
getting away from Nikolaevsk, which |
-iS 81 4: . to4a-satiIe mainland, near the |
mouth Of the RfvprcSTirur, 10 rrIr rSrerrrrr-7l
At the very last moment WAS pacing
the deck Of a tramp steamer which
stood in about two miles from the
shore, and the captain was signalling |:
again and again. lie despaircd OF |
being able to land me. though he good
naturedly delayed, and ut length tiny !
tug, used for dragging lighters loaded
with convicts, put out, and to my sur
prise was allowed to board 1t; but L
sooner had ascended the steps of tne
wooden jetty than military officer
stepped forward and demanded M
business. TO him | made reply in thu
scantiest of Russian that had letter
of introduction to an cX-convict mer-
chant. His was strange and Sau
story, for in early days he had been
heir to large estates, through which
the traveller from Berlin to st. Peters
burg passes. The only answer l re-
ceived was that the eX-cOnvict mer-
chant was now at the coal mines and
would not return for another twenty
four hours, and that l must remain
there in custody. looked around the
log-built room and thought | had slept
in much worse places than that: then
I went to the door, but was stopped
by a sentry, of whom, however, l de-
manded my baggage. From the win
dow I could see my ship preparing TO
leave. and in his lay my great hope:
for although tie authorities might lock
me up they would not be able to send
me away for some time.
Here I was prisoner. but how cn-