The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1907-05-14
tcoa.Lpzas IL ,es.eraay.l

"Ah, madam, there are worst places
than Siberia. In Siberia there is q
chance. In the dreadful Trogzmon-
don there is none"
What is the Trogzmondoft:"
"a bleak rock in the Baltic, madam,
the prison in which death is the only
goal that releases the victim"
Dorothy rose trembling, staring at
him, her lips white.
"a rock in the Baltic! Is that
prison and not fortress, thenT
ut is both prison and fortress, mad
am. If Russia ever takes the risk OF
arresting foreigner. 1t is to the Irogz.
mondoff he Is sent. They drown the
victims there drown them in their
cells. There is spring in the rock. and
through the line OF cells It runs like a
beautiful riyulet, but the pulling of
lever outside stops the exit Of the Wa
ter and browns every prisoner within.
The bodies are placed one by one on u
smooth inclined chute of polished sand
stone. down which this rlyuiet runs,
so they glide out into space and drop
200 feet into the Baltic sea. 40 mat
ter in what condition such a body Is
found or how recent may have been
the execution, 1t is but drowned man
in the Baltic. There are no marks or
bullet or strapgulation, and the cur
rents bear them swiftly away from
the rock"
How come you TO know all this
which seems to have been concealed
from the rest of the world?"
Il know 1t, madam. for the best of
reasons l was sentenced this very
year TO Trogzmondotf. In my youth
trading between Helsingfors aGd New
York / took out naturalization papers
In New York, because was one Is
the crew on an American ship. When
they Illegally impressed me at Helsin=-
fors and forced me to join the Russian
navy, l made the best OF bad bar
gain and. being an expert seaman, was
reasonably well treated and promoted.
but at last they discovered | was IN
correspondence with a nihIlist circ'c
in London, and when was arrested
| demanded the rights of an Amer
lean citizen. That doomed me.
was sent. without trial, to the Troy,
nondoff in April of this year. Arriv-
ing there ! was foolish enough 10
threaten and say my comrades hat
means Of letting the United States
government know and that baltic.
ship would teach the jailers OF the
rock better manners.
THE cells hewn in the rock are
completely dark. so lost all count e
time. You might think we would Know
night from day by the bringing In Or
our meals, but such was not the ca 4.
The jailer brought i'll a large loaf az
black bread and said 1t was 10 sea2r
me for four days. He placed the ioaT
on ledge Of rock about three feet
from the floor which served as both
table and bed. In excavatlng the cell
this ledge had been left intact. with q
bench of stone rising from the floor
opposite. Indeed so ingenious had be.n,
the workmen who hewed out this
room that they carved rounded Stone
pillow at one end of the shelf.
Il do not know how many days
had been in prison when the explosion
occurred 1t made the whole ror';
CULVER, and wondered what had hap
pened. Almost Immediately afterward
there seemed to be another explosion.
not nearly so harsh, which though.
was perhaps an echo of the G~st.
About an hour later my cell door was
unlocked, and the Jailer, with M.
other man holding lantern, came In.
My third loaf OF black bread was parI-
IL consumed, so | must have bean Ia
prison nine or ten days. The jaiIer
took the lonf outside. aud when he ~.
turned asked him what had happen.
ed. He answered in a suriy fashion
that my American warsliip had fred
at the rock ard that the rock had struck
back, whereupon she sailed away,
crippled"
Dorothy. who had been listening In.
tently TO this discourse, here interrupt
cd with:
1T was an English warship that fired
the shell. ana the Russian shot did not
come within half nile Of her
The sailor stared At her ia wide eyed
surprise.
"You sec, l have been making Ia
quiries," she explained. Please 20
on"
II never heard that 1t was an Eng
lish ship. The TALLER sueered at me
and said he was going TO send me after
the American vessel rs | suppose he
thought it was. / feared by his taking
away OF the bread that 1t was intend
Ell to starvc me 10 death and was sorry
had not eaten more at my last meal.
lay down on the shelf OF rock and
soon fell asleep. was awakened by
the water tapping around me. The cell
was intensely stll. Up 10 this had
always enjoyed tlle,cOnipany OF nttle
brook that ran along the side Of the
cell fartiest from the door. Its music
had now ceased. and when sprang I'D
I found myself to tho waist in wary