Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-30
HE USED FALSE PASSPORT
Caught a Tall and Was Arrested
at Railway Station.
THROWN INTO A DIRTY CELL
Better Treatment Later in Trubetz-
koi Bastion-Declares He Was
Not in Conspiracy.

| NEW YORK. December 3O-Nichoas
| Tchaykovsky. the Russian patriot recently
released from a ST. Petersburg prison on
bail of $4,000 rubles. gives the first story
of his capture and his prison experiences
in this weeks Independent, just issued:
1--WE recall no Russian in recent years."
says the editor OF the Independent in
forewerd. who has endeared himself to
the American people as the patriot
Tchaykovsky.''
When he was cast into prison some
months ago under two-fold charge of
sedition hundreds of leading men and
women of this country and England and
France united in asking the Russian gov
eminent TO give him a speedy trial or to
free him, as 1t was feared that he would
not survive another winter in prison on
account Of his advanced years.
| His bail for trial later was finally ar
ranged. the Russian authorities agreeing ing
| to accept security I'm the sum of $1,000
rubles. This was promptly obtained.
Tchaykovsky's Story.
Il arrived in st. Petersburg in August
1907 writes Tchaykovsky in telling his
story. land decided to make a tour
through the eastern and northeastern
provinces which were the least known to
me. for the purpose of learning and OBJ
| servation.
| 81 had provided myself with an assumed
name and false Russian passport. and
safely went through those provinces by
rail, by boat and by horse chaise. 1 saw.
| heard and learned what I wanted: all
went well with me until the very eve Of
my departure for England.
''On that last day I had unfortunately
| ~ ncybt WI "a a
| bly, through merely the accidental COIN
cidence OF having entered a house where
some one else was being watched. Con-
! sequently as soon as 1 entered the rail-
| way station the following noon I was
| touched on the shoulder by a gendarme
| and arrested
when asked for my name and pass
| port produced my false document, ac-
| knowledging that although 1 had been
| residing under that name. 1t was not my
| own passport. l moreover declined to
| reveal my identity until a formal accusa-
| ton and the reason of my arrest were
declared.
Put Into Dirty Prison.
"Then all my papers, packets and lug
| gage were ransacked, catalogued, sealed,
and together with me sent under strong
escort to a preliminary prison. There
1 had to live for three days in an empty
and dirty ROOM at night sleeping with
out undressing on a bare and hard OIL
| cloth couch using my fur coat as pill
| low and my overcoat as blanket.
| when, two days later, the legal stua-
| ton was explained to me l disclosed my
real name and received permission to
write letters to my family in England. l
learned afterward that these first letters
never reached their destination.
Fortunately. 1 had provided myself
with good sandwich for the journey be-
| Ct
| was given me during my first eighteen
| hours in this dirty prison.
IAN atmosphere of sulky suspicion and
| hatred. veneered with military deception.
| surrounded me here, although my own
| appropriateness added to my gray hairs
and decent clothing, preserved me from
actual ru0eness.
| Some weeks later Tchaykovsky was
| taken to the Trubetzkoi bastion, where
| the remainder of the prison term was
spent.
The Trubetzkoi Bastion.
Il found myself he writes. lin a spa
| cious vauted cell with whitewashed walls
| and a yellow painted floor, scantily
| lighted by one narrow window far above
| my reach in the thick wall. Here l was
ordered to strip by my guards, while
| they stood in front OF me. eagerly scruti-
niZing every motion.
a
| ceremony over. my own things were re-
| moved. and I was left in he empty cell
| in the position OF an unwilling DiOgenes
alone with my thoughts.
MY cell appeared to measure about
oox1Ox1O feet The furniture consisted of
rough iron table, an iron bedstead, an
electric lamp and porcelain basin fixed
to the wall under water tap in one OF
the corners. The bedstead had a thin
mattress. a sheet. blanket and decent
nj
ment in Russian and quart mug were on
the ia BILE.
Piercing the wall. 2isx3 feet thick. was
the window. about 4x:' feet. with double
glass framed in iron and wired to prevent
doves from outside visiting the cell
through the ventiators. This window
admitted a limited amount of light. con-
sequently only a narrow strip Of sky could
be seen from the upper cell, and none
at all from the lower ones.
These lower cells are positively damp.
and this, together with the darkness. must
act terribly upon the nerves and the
health of those who are unlucky enough
to be incarcerated therein for any period
over year..
Was Treated With Consideration.
In all of his story Tchaykovsky utters
no word of bitterness, and apparently he
was treated with more consideration than
many Americans are usually led to be-
lieve Russian jailers show. His food was
coarse. but he could send out and buy
more delicate diet and having the money
he did SO: later he was visited in regular
intervals by his wife or his daughter, and
fresh-air exercise daily was allowed him
for a very brief period.
The charges against him, he states. |
are criminal conspiracy and agitation
abroad. 1t was easy for him to knock
the bottom OUT Of the first charge, he
adds because it was based on such a
Fantastic and inaccurate statement of
facts but in regard to the other he adj
mits that he never made any attempt to
conceal his sympathy with the liberal and
revolutionary movement in Russia, nor
has he ever hesitated to tell the truth
about the Russian situation. If to do
these things is crime under the present
Russian law he is willing to bear the
consequences.
Under the terms of his lberati ton he
is confined to the town in which he is
being tried. one exception only being
made for him to pay a flying visit to his
dying mother i'll kaZan