Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-22
VICTIMS OF ROYAL DESPOT
APPEAL TO AMERICANS

cells are dark and ventilation Is most def
Client. The political prisoners are all loaded
with chains. and many Of the cells are so
low that their unhappy inmates can neither
stand nor sit upright. but must crawl about
on their hands and knees. The more for
tunate political prisoners are allowed the
use of petroleum lamp to light their dark
dungeons for three or four hours every day
The atmosphere in the cells Is so bad that
the smoke of cigarette will often remain
suspended in the thick air in the center of
the cell for days together.
T. One Of the inmates of those horrible dun
geonS Is a young man named Isajlo To-
mitch. At the age of thirteen Tomitch
wrote some crude verses ridfculing the des-
potic system OF Prince Nicolas He was
sentenced to six years Imprisonment, but
escaped after two years incarceration and
fled abroad. At the age of eighteen he re-
turned to Montenegro on receiving a solemn
promise from the prince that he should re-
main unmeested Scarcely had he set foot
On his native soil when he was seized and
thrown into the Podvoltima, where he has
now lain laden with chains for twelve
years Although only thirty years of age
Tomitch Is a mere human wreck, with
snow-white hair. furrowed cheeks and
feeble limbs Another inmate of the politi-
cal prison is Sharko Kaludcheroyitch who
was formerly the husband of a handsome
woman. His wife attracted the attention
of Crown Prince panilo of Montenegro and
kaludcherovitch one day surprised the pair
together. To prevent any further trouble
Prince Danilo simply caused the betrayed
husband to be incareerated in the Podyol-
TINA. where he has now been for ten years.
He went mad after four years of imprison-
ment, and is now a violent maniac
Capt. Peter Popovitch has been confined
In the political prison of the last FIVE years.
His only offense was that he held progress
sive political opinions. This, however is a
crime in the eyes of Prince Nicolas and so
Capt PoDovitch was cast into an under
ground dungeon and loaded with chains
which eat into his flesh.
Not long ago a former Montenegrin Judge,
named Vladimir Tomitch a brother of
lsajlo Tomitch- committed suicide In one of
the cells of the political prison. Vladimir
Tomitch was educated in Germany and
Austria and graduated at the universities
OF Berlin and Vienna. He returned to Mon
tenegro and became a Judge but soon In
CURED the dspleasure of Prince Nicolas by
expressing the opinion that political re-
forms in Montenegro were necessary For
TINS utterance he was arrested ahd con-
veyed to the Podvoltima. After six months
OF solitary confinement Tomitch was per-
mitted the use of a petroleum lamp for five
hours every day. At the very first opportu-
nifty he broke the lamp on his own body.
thereby committing suicide by burning him
self TO death. Many other cases could be
mentioned In which brave and talented men
who have committed no crime whatever
holes
month after month and year after year
Prince Nicolas regards the maintenance of
TINS pohtlcal prison as one OF the best
means OF maintaining his absolute power
over his subjects, recent Montenegrin
minister OF Justice. Tchauiitch recon,-
mended the abolition of the political prison
and the Introduction of law preventing
the punishment OF any person without pub
nc trlai Within few days of making
these PROPOSALS Tchauitch was nyste-
riously murdered under circumstances which
indicated with unmistakable cle4rness that
he was assassinated by hireiings of The
reigning prince.
Prince Nicolas is not only a nereIIess
tyrant. but EFFORTS colossal. sums of money
from MIS- impoverished subjects for his own
purposes. Montenegro is poor country ;,
There are few industries and large area s
OF land are unsuitable for profitable culti-
walton. The population thus consists al
most entirely of poor peasants whose linn
tied financial resources do not enable them
10 pay exorbitant taxes. The total revenue
OF Montenegro amounted last year to
81, go coo but only one-fifth os this sum
was devoted to the administration of the
country. The remaining million dollars
were retained by Prince Nicolas for him
self and for the members of his family
Four-fifths of the entire national revenue
were thus devoted to the payment of the
re-gnng family, ard only one-ffth to the
needs of the necessitous population This
allowance of 81 ,eoo,ooo from the state added
10 his own private income enables Prince
Nicolas 10 keep up n truly regal style at
ant potentate has been corrupted by close
association with the courts of Russia and
Italy. He has suffered from swollen head
since two OF his daughters married grand
dukes of the Russian empire, and still
more so since his daughter Elena became
Queen OF Italy.