The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-05-20


aa-Sss member it's great distance
from the central administration and
that it is the prison-island TO which all
the worst criminals are sent. There
are probably not a dozen free-born in
dividuals outside of the convicts. eX-
convicts, their wives and children, and
the officials and native tribes. On
January l. 1898, there were on the
island 22.167 convicts and ex-convicts.
OF these 1880 were engaged in hard
' labor. and Of this number alone no
fewer than 1886 We're convicted OF
murder, so that out Of the total number
of convicts and eX-convicts moderate
estimate would give 5000 as murder
ers!
OF the 1856 murderers the large pro-
portion of 634 were women. Perhaps
this is to be explained by the brutality
of husbands, under the influence Of
drink and passion. for many Of these
women had stabbed or poisoned their
partners in life. 1t is not surprising,
therefore. that Sakhaln is name not
to be mentioned in st. Petersburg. To
do so is a greater faux pas than to
talk of Botany Bay in Sydney. But
bad as things were reported to be. l
was fully aware that great strides had
been made in the reform of prisons
and prison management since the time
when Mr.. George KEENAN, visited them
on the mainland in 1885. but 1 thought
= It extremely probable that the foot
steps Of reform had Jagged behind the
farther east one tracked them, and
that on Sakhalin-if one could only
get there-the condition Of affairs
would reflect the state Of things that
existed on the mainland ten years ago.
And so I found it. No Englishman.
with the exception Of Mr.. de Windt
who paid a flying visit to the island
in 1896, when his ship called, had WIS.,
tted the prisons, and none had ever
penetrated into the far interior.
After 'sundry adventures and many
difficulties overcome, l succeeded in
getting away from Nikolaeysk, which
: Is situated on the mainland, near the
mouth Of the River Amur, to the island.
At the very last moment I 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. He despaired Of
being able to land me. though he good
naturedly delayed, and at length tiny
tug. used for dragging lighters loaded
with convicts, put out, and to my sur
prise was allowed to board it; but 10
sooner had l ascended the steps Of the
wooden jetty than a military officer
stepped forward and demanded my
business. To him made reply in the
scantiest of Russian that had letter
of introduction to an ex-convict mer-
chant. His was q strange and sad
story, for in early days he had been
heir large estates, through which
the traveller from Berlin to st. Peters
burg passes. The only answer I 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 I had slept
in much worse places than that; then
I went to the door. but was stopped
by sentry, of whom, however, 1 de-
manded my baggage. From the win
dow I could see my ship preparing to
, leave. and in this 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 was a prisoner. hut how en-