The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-10-04
Dreadful Stories Told of the
SChlusselburg Fortress.
NO VISITORS ARE ALLOWED
Even Nearest Relatives Of Political Pris-
oncrs Are Not Permitted Within
the WalIs-Empress Goes
to the Circus.
sY MALCOLM CLARKE.
Special Gable to The Times-Dispatch,
Copyright, 1908.

BERLIN, October 3.-Russian political
exiles report that political prisoners con-
tinue to be tortured in that terrible Rus
sian prison known as the Schlusselburg
fortress.
What really goes on there nobody knows,
for the secrets of this terrible prison are
guarded zealously, and few prisoners ever
escape alive.
No visitors are ever permitted to enter
this terrible prison, and the world. even
iii Russia knows little or nothing about
It.
Up to August, 1854, political offenders
who were regarded by the Russian Gov
eminent as belonging to the most dan
gerous category, were confined In the
Fortress Of st. Peter and ST. Paul. on the
hanks of the Neva, in st. Petersburg,
either in the Trubetzkoi Bastion or In
another isolated building known as the
Alexeielevsky Rovein.
Tho chief warders live In almost equally
close confinement within those precincts,
being seldom allowed to go out, and they
received their orders direct from the chief
of the secret police, over the heads of
the Governor and officers of the fortress.
The isolation of the prisoners con-
dcmned to those living tonbs" appeared
to be complete. But a certain Nechaef,
after many years detention, contrived to
establish relations with the outside world.
When this was discovered some Of the
warders were sent to Siberia. Nechaeff
was executed, and the famous fortress of
Schlusselburg, on little island in Lake
Ladoga, near to where the Neva flows
out OF 1t. was converted into the chief
State prison for political offenders.
1t is the only prison where the con-
demned are deprived of seeing their near
est relatives. such as father and mother,
while in the Schlusselburg, from the be-
ginning UP to the present time-i. G., for
nineteen years, no such Interviews have
been allowed.
In 1900 one of the prisoners Popoff)
asked for permission to see his old moth
er, who had written to him that she want
ed to see her son. If only once, before she
died.
This was refused, although Popoff Is
now completing the twenty-frst year OF
his imprisonment
Correspondence between the prisoners
and their nearest relatives is. Indeed. al
lowed. but under very stringent condi-
tions-namely, not more than two letters
year. the size of the letter not to ex-
coed one sheet of note paper: the CORE
spondent may touch only on his health,
occupation and family affairs.
In no case Is any allusion to the prison
allowed. Even Its name must not be
mentioned.
After having been examined, and II
passed by the local authorities, the let
ter is sent for second examination to
the Department Of Police, which detains
some OF the letters every year, notwith-
standing the absolutely harmless nature
OF their contents.
or the ffty-nine persons confined In this
prison since 1884. eight were executed
two shot for having struck at officials
three transferred to lunatic asyums, two
sent to Saghalin Island to serve out their
term, three committed suicide, thirteen
died and twelve were sent into exile and
fourteen are still In prison.
Sees the Circus.
The Empress took the little Princess
Victoria to Busch's circus two or three
nights ago. The Empress, at the end Of
ono , or the numbers, rose to go, but the
little girl begged her to stay, and she
did until the end of the show. which. bv
the way. is an excellent one.
AT the end of the last number the En-.
press summoned the proprietor Of the cff-
Gus and complimented him on the "miI.
tary' precision with which his programme
was executed.
one or the stories that appears to be
widely believed outside of Germany is that
frincess Victoria is deaf and dumb
This Is absolutely untrue. She is a nor.
NAL healthy little girl. Mr.. Jackson
late First Secretary OF the United States
embassy here and now Minister 10
Greece, was unchlng at the palace one
day, when Victoria ran In, grabbed her
fathers hand. and, child fashion, climbed
up dalking and laughing all the whils)
his Majesty's person until she reached
his shoulders.
One guest remarked she was the only
one IN the world who could walk over
the Emperor.
Costly Practical Joke.
during the recent army manoeuvres in
Germany has cost n captain Of artillery
his job.
AS known NIL the world over, the
Kaiser every year In person leads a series
of furious cavn,ly attacks upon the ar
tillery of the enemy, and, of course, Is
always victorious, according to the decl-
sion of the u!npires, who do not wish to
offend the war lord.
The captain In question finally got
tired of being technically defeated every
day, and the last day of the manoeuvres,
when getting ready to resist the on
slaught OF the Kalsers division, he gave
orders to load all the cannons with
potatoes.
When the Kaiser came stormlng on,
leading his victorious masses against
the battery, the captain did not fire until
tho attacking force was within a range
of 600 yards, when he suddenly gave them
a broadside of good hard German pota-
toes, with the astounding result that
thelattack on this point was ANONYMOUSLY
defeated. to the great JOY Of the artil-
lerists.
The Kaiser, however. did not appreciate
the Joke, and the poor CAPTAIN WAS
forced to hand In his resignation,
This story has Just become known, but
TO tell it In Germany is considered "lese