Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1909-03-17


until a formal accusation and the
reason of my arrest was declared
Then all my papers. packets and
luggage were ransacked. cataloged
(although not without omissions and
disappearances), sealed and together
with me sent under a strong escort
to a preliminary prison There 1
had to live for three days in an
empty and dirty room tempo raGtIy
converted into a prison cell at nieut
sleeping without undressing on q
bare and hard oilcloth couch, using
my FUR coat as a pillow and nv
overcT.at as blanket.
For the first IS hours in his
dizzy prison no food was brought
20 him. He writes further of life
in the Trubetskoi bastion: found
myself in a spacious vaulted cell
with whitewashed walls and yellow
painted floor, scantily lighted by one
narrow window far above my reach
in the thick wall. Here I was or
dered to strip by my guards while
~-A~S -NCCA III liblb Vi lie eagerly
scrutinizing every motion. A prison
garb had to be donned instead. rough
linen. a thick loose and long ooa~
OF WOODEN cloth and pair of loose
leather slippers, rough pie, SC OF the
same linen for handke hief a
napkin and towel completed my
new wardrobe. This ceremony ever.
my own things were removed and
was left in the empty cell in the
position of an unwilling Dioganes
alone with my thoughts.
My cell appeared to measure about
20 by 10 by 10 feet, and allowed at
least a good walking space, 10 PAGES
one way and five the other. The
entire furniture consisted OF a rough
iron table bracketed to the wall, an
iron bedstead close to the table. also
fixed to the wall and floor and al
ways open; an electric lamp covered
with convex glass over the table
in the wall; porcelain basin fixed
to the wall under a water-tap in one
lOf the corners and, last but not
least, an ordinary water-cIoset with
out any lid or screen. The bedsteaG
had thiR mattress, so that the iron
ltrellis underneath could be distinctly
felt; a sheet a blanket Tor two if
necessary and a decent pillow; a
small copy Of the New Testament in
Russian and a quart mug on the
table: such were my surroundings
Piercing the wall, 21s by feet
thick, was the window, about two
| by three feet, with double glass
framed in iron ant wired to prevent
doves from outside visiting the cell
through the ventilators. This win
dow admitted very limited amount
of light, principally due to another
external wall of the fortress of the
same hight as the Trubetskoi bastior
itself, arising at distance of 10 or
10 feet from the windows OF the
cells of both floors; consequently
only a very narrow strip of sky
could be seen from the upper cell
and none at all from the lower ones
as l learned subsequently, being tenn
porarily placed in one OF these low
er cells. The dark brick external
walls rejecting very little sunlight
through the windows leaves them
half dark even on bright sunny days
Moreover, these lower cells are pos
itively damp, and this, together with
the darkness, must act terribly upon
the nerves and the health of those
who are unlucky enough to be in
carcerated therein for any period
over a year. SOLITARY confinement
in the fortress even for two years
is not a rare occurrence F1ortun-
ately for me | was placed on the
upper floor and in order to escape
rheumat.cs asked the authorities at
the very beginning to allow me the
use of my own wooden undercloth-
ling, to which 1 had been accustomed
for the last 80 years of my life IN
England. This request OF mine was
granted, l was informed. out Of re-
gard for my age. A few months
later I was even transferred into
what was said to be the best and
ton, where the external wall re-
treats from the window and leaves
an open space for the southwest sun
rays.
When I entered the Trubetskct
bastion the food allowed by the
prison consisted of hot water ana
black rye bread in the morning. two
ounces of meat for dinner at noon
and a pudding or stew Of some kind
with hot water for supper at s. All
additions to this, such as tea and
sugar. milk. white bread. fruit. sweets
tobacco Il did not smoke). etc. had
to be ordered once a week al thu
prisoners expense from shops out
side. / had no reason to complain
Of the diet especially as mad
monev and could buy all the extras
that l wanted. materials were FRESH
and the supply sufficient. although
the cooking was somewha. iFT7Rer-
ent.