New-York tribune., 1905-02-10
GORKY KEEPS CHEERFUL
In Solitary Confinement. bat Daily
InteTogated.

St Petersburg Feb. s-The Associated Press
representative here able this afternoon to see
Maxim Gorky. and assure the authors friends
that he is well and cheerful The Procurator the
Court OF Appeals, who is conducting the nvestiga-
ton OF the charges of high treason against Gorky,
refused The Associated Press representative per-
mission to converse with the prisoner it is
trary 10 law TO allow any except relatives and
counsel to visit political prisoners.
At q closed carriage, in which sat Gorky
muf1ed in furs and attended by gendarnne drove
out OF the grim portal Of the Fortress OF St Peter
and St Paul and proceeded at rapid trot 10 lone
ly building beyond the Tauride Palace. three miles
distant. where GorSy, Kedrine and the three pro-
tessezs who were arrested with them are almost
daily conveyed and interrogated by the Procurators
assistant The Associated Press representative fol-
lowed and Gorky aight and enter the prem
ises, where he remained several hours. An officer
Of the gendRrnes said: 'Gorky does not bstray the
slightest sign Of encouragement. He is cheerful
and talkative and retains the fullest ooTnposure
during the long tntsrrogetions. Indeed. he is SO
self-possessed that he like the examiner
than the examined"
The Associated Press representative later saw
General Ellis, commandant of the fortress, who
gave the fullest details of the treatment and
commodation Of political prisoners. He said:
stringent regulations and allow you to visit Gorkys
gS eHJ no sTa1seT Is ever a 70 he
bastion contains thirty cells, all over ground,
porcelain stoves. Each cell contains a lavatory.
running water and electric lights. It Is true the
floors asphalted, but this is necessary pre-
caution. Each prisoner 10 taken daily 10 the CEN
tral courtyard. The ratiopS consist OF tea and
bread in the morning, soup and. meat at noon and
another dish Of meat in the evening. A prisoner
may have tea at any time The government allows
TN cents daily, which is ample owing TO the sim
plicty Of the food. The rations are good and well
cooked The prisoners also permitted TO purchase
extras through officer, but not allowed to
ceive anything from relatives. as this is the means
invariably used for conveying inteligence surrePu-
tousy. The special dress Of prisoners is Identical
the military hospitals. The prisoners, indeed,
cut off from the outside world, and unable to see
or talk with each other They taken out for
exercise singly, accompanied by two guards. whose
duty is after the prisoner IS returned TO his cell
Ito search the courtyard to II any missive has
been left for the following prisoner. Despite
precaution to prevent prisoners from writing, the
guards constantly pick up scraps Of paper with
messages written upon them This is the reason
why Gorky is allowed books, but not writing
terials.
The commandants statements corroborated
in every particular by former prisoners in the
fortress who have been interviewed by The Asso-
ciated Press representative
Absolute secrecy is still maintained regarding the
exact nature Of the charge against Gorky, but It
is believed that IL is alleged attempt to induce
troops to nutiny and to stir up revolt Of work
men It has yet been decided whether he will
be tried by military or a civil court, but II IS
practically certain that the charges against him
do not involve the death penalty.