The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1903-05-08

Sakhaln has the worst
~ reputation. This Is not
| Ill9ll blu surprising when we re-
member it's great distance
from the central administration and
that II Is the prison-islaDd 10 which all
the worst criminals are sent. There
are probably not dozen free-bOrn in
diyiduals outside OF the convicts, ex-
convicts, their wives and children. and
the officials and native tribes. On
January /. 1893, there were on the
Island %. l67 cOnvlcts and ex-convicts.
or these 1850 were engaged I'm hard
labor, and OF this number alone no
fewer than 1896 were convicted OF
murder, so that out OF the total number
or cOnvicts and ex-cOnvlcts moderate
estimate would give 5000 as murder
ers.
or the 1896 murderers the large pro-
portion OF G3i 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. II is not surprising,
therefore. that Sakhalin is name not
to be mentioned I'm St. Petersburg. TO
do so Is n greater faux pas than to
talk OF Botany Bay In Sydney. But
bad AS things were reported to be,
was fully aware that great strides had
been made In the reform Of prisons
and prison management since the tlme
when Mr.. George KEENAN, visited them
on the mainland in 1885, but thought
IL extremely probable that the foot
steps OF reform had Jagged behind the
farther east one tracked them, and
that on Sakhalln-lf 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 | found IT, No Engishman.
with the exception of Mr.. dc Windt,
who paid n flying visit 10 the island
In 1896, when his ship called, had Wis
ited the prisons, and none had ever
penetrated into the far interior
After sundry adventures ana many
difficulties overcome. succeeded I'm |
getting away from Nikolaevsk. which |
Is situated on the mainland, near the |
mouth Of the River Amur, 10 the island |
At the very last moment | wns pacing |
the deck of n tramp steamer which |
stood In about two miles from the |
shore, and the captain was signalling |
again and again. lie despaired of |
being able To land me. though he good |
naturedly delayed, and at length tiny |
tug, used for dragging lighters lohdcd |
with convlcts. put out, and To my sur |
prise | was allowed to board Il: but 40 |
sooner had | asCended the steps Of the |
wooden jctty than military officer |
stepped forward and demanded my |
business. To him | made reply I'm the |
scantiCst Of Russian that | had n letter |
of Introduction To an cx-COnviCt mer- /
chant His was strange and sad
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 | re-
CeivCd was that the ex-conviCt mer-
chant was now at the coal mines and |
would not return for another twenty |
four hours, and that | must remain |
there I'm custody. | looked around the |
log built room and thought had slept |
In much worse places than that: then
l went To the door. but was stopped |
by n sentry, of whom however. de
my baggage. From the win
dow | 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 prisoner but how on. |