Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-08-11
HORRORS OF SIBERIA.
Converted Russian Jew Tells of Death Torture in Siberian Prison.

aE- a s
 Death Torture in Siberian Prison. 1 Springfield, Aug 11.-Rabbi Solo, l mon of New York, converted Jew,
 and a former Russian revolutionisi | and exile to Siberia, gave an engross- ing account in the Presbyterian church Sunday morning of the Jew- ish prosecutions in Russia and a thrilling history of his own confine- ment in Siberian dungeon. MT Sol- omon was sent to Siberia by the Rus sian government because of his reyo- lutionary ideas. While in that des- ert land of gloom and barrenness he was condemned to death, but by h.. aid of fellow-exiles, had a miracu- leus escape-the night before he was to have been executed.
 There is cell in Siberia,'' said the speaker, where prisoners are confined when tksy are to die. It is called the iron sell and within it's dungeon walls the poor mortal who goes to his doom mus. pass the find hours of mental and physical agony. Everything is iron in that dungeon The floor, the walls and the roof, all are made of iron. Scarcsly any light penetrates into the cell, which contains an iron chair and iron ta- ble, To be confined there a few hours is worse than death. In that place men are slowly roasted to death. It is the torture chamber where those who disobey the man dates of the Russian Czar are killed like dogs. .
 ''The bottom of the cell under the
 floor is heated gradually. The iron floor becomes red hot by slow de- grees. The convict within the mar row walls jumps from the floor to the table to escape a horrible death. But as the minutes, which seem hours, go by, the heat penetra es in. 10 the inner cell and soon the table upon which the prisoner has taken refuge becomes so hot that he must leave 1t for another place. He then in despair seeks the iron chair for relief from he. insufferable heat But there is no relief in the chair, That, too, is soon scorching hot, and the whole interior becomes a fiery furnace. Death follows by inches untll the man Is crisp.
 Such was the fate that I faced. The night before. my last day on ear h l knelt down on my knees and prayed to God. was on my knees for six hours heseeching God for strength. l was not praying then to the czar but to God And those who believe that prayers are neve, answered, listen to me. Early the next morning I heard persons com Ing to my dungeon. Thought it was the officer to prepare me for execu- ton in the iron furnace. Instead it was two fellow-exiles. They hac come to rescue me. Disguised as of, hcers, they took me down to near by cellar, where l stayed for three days without food or drink. The story of wha. happened after tha: would take several hours to tell, brt suffice 1t to say that I escaped from Siberia and later was on the broad Atlantic sailing for the land of the free and the home of the brave America ..
 The rabbi said hat the people in the audience ought to congratulate themselves that they were Chris tians, and lived in a free land. He painted a word picture of the con ditions in Russia, where the peas ants were taugh: to look upon the czar as divine. The czar was wor- shiped. The speaker said that hs would rather die than hold Iny sue. belief. There are 90,000,U00 poor peasants in Russia, however, who Tn their ignorance and poverty must bow before the power of the czar. And woe betide the person who tries to enlighten hese peasants. Editors. preachers and students who even at tempt to educate the Russian peas antry and teach them the revolution ary doctrine, soon finds tha: their paths lead to Siberia, the land or exile.
 While the peasantry of Russia is starving to death, the rabbi said. the Czar lives in palace, the interior of which is of gold and jewels. Rooms lined with gold decorations, golden ceilings, golden floors and golden ev erything. The Cars jeweled crown alone would, if turned to ready mon. ey' supply the wants of the poverty stricken peasants. The czar. accord ing to the speaker, does not derive his power from his intellect. but from the Russian church. Those who join the Greek church in hat country are taught that they are look to the Czar for the divip, strength.
 Not many years ago." concluded Rabbi Solomon, ''I confess that n hated the church of Christ hu. [