New-York tribune., 1905-02-27
hAXIM GORkY'S PRISON.
Cells Of st. Peter and st. Pail For
tresS for Political Offenders.

While visitors TO St Petersburg are permitted 10
inspect tfe Cathedral in the fortress of ST Peter
ana : Paul. where al the sovereigns OF Russia
since the 1eiSu of Peter the Great executing only
Feter II ale entombcd and to VII oh he reu ms OF
Grand Duke Sergius viii be transferred from Mos
COW as soon as the alterations in progress in
me imperial charaal house are complete. no is
permitted TO view the prison part Of the fortress
"hefe political offenders confined. and where
the famous Russian author Gorky has been detained
since his arrest at Riga TIE only descriptions
thereof are either based upon pure Imagination or
else are derived from reports of prisoners who
have undergone detention there-reports that are
n't always trustworthy.
TIE most reliable account thereof is that given
by a German noblcman and officer. whose name IS
not unknown in TINS country. Count Won PfeiL and
Mo, ertern- the Russian armv al he outbreak
OF te ftusso-IuTkish War. went through the cam
paiTn with the famous PreobayeusKi Rea,T1eut in
which lie hslc the rank Of Lieutenant Colonel He
remained III the Russ an service until late in the
ses and while in the Russian army was often officer
q the gu2.rd duty in the St Peter and s.. Paul
fortress. Even officer OF the suarG would
rave lad no opportunity of becoming acquainted
with the interior OF The prison house had it not
1ecn tcr his friendship with OF the higher Off
GERS Of the "Elues' the dreaded Eendarmere
are cs He'd taking their the color Of
heir Uniform
According to Count Pfen. access is obtained TO
the prisons by several strong iron studded doors
oenfnth the yaulted arches Of the Troabetskoy
oas tion which are guarded by turkeys and double
guards with loaded guns and fixed bayonets Within
Is long. broad corridor guarded in turn by trust
H@3IThy men, chosen FROM the reserve of the body
guard stationed in the fortress. The floor the
corridor IS covered with several thCknesscs o. mats
80 mat guards and gcndaTmcs move TO and fro
"oiseiessly- Opening onto the corridor are q long
row Of cells. each separated from the oy
walls several feet in thickness From the corridor
the celI doors scarcely be distinguished from
The gray masonry and a small SASH window in the
door leaves the prisoner under the gaze Of the
Wa-ders at all times. The cells are roomy and
airy, being abouG eight PAGES .ong ard four wide.
III = corner is an iron bedstead fastened % the
floor. with good mattress and TWO wool-en
blankets In the are wooden table and
chair, and til g washstand and sanitary appliances
occupy two corners OF the cell, Water is supplied
from water tap.
Daylight enters the cells through lofty window
with triple iron bare Fu- the daylight Is only
weak. as high wei faces the wiadow at a distance
OF but fsw feet At nightfaU the cells arc lighted
daily the prisoners receive hot meal Of two kinds
OF food and thrice a day is served On fast
days no meat Is allowed Every day each prisoner
IS taken into the fresh air for forty MINUTES exer-
Use in small V1ied-iu garden guarded by
EendaUnes but always alone. Books are provided
for tn g prisoners, and there is a comparatively
large library but it is composed exclusively Of
rel Ei''us works. Every book being returned 70
the library is examined most carefully by means
OF maSnify.ng glass for the purpose Of checking
any attempts of prisoners to communicate to one
az other by means of secret marks in the books