Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-04-10
End of Russia'S
Shame Is in Sight

THE dreary march of the exile into
the wastes of Siberia will soon be
nothing more than hideous memory
Czar Nicholas, the most humane ruler
that ever sat on the throne Of Russia, Is
expected to issue proclamation striking
the exile clause from the criminal code
of the country. Already at his sugges
ton, it is said, the duma, as preliminary
step in the direction of the great reform
has reduced the appropriation in supper
Of the atrocious system from seven mil
lion dollars to thirty thousand.
The history of Siberia for several cen
turtles has been one Of blood and tears
Ivan the Terrible, who Instituted thu
fearful system, commenced the practic'
for the purpose Of getting rid Of un
welcome political enemies. Later h
used the WildS as n place of banlshmen
for every one, priests and officials alike
who refused to sanction his acts of ter
ror.
Siberia, the land of horror, has beer
the theme for many a work of fctioI
and the story Of its horrors has been tolt
many times in many ways. Those Wnf
have survived the fearful life they were
forced to live in their exile are united II
declaring that no story ever written has
pictured the sufferings OF the exiles toe
wildly.
Many of the most prominent members
of the nobility have been sentenced t
spend their lives in Siberia and returned
home pardoned after years Of torment
wrecked in mind and body. Count Men
schikoff one of the foremost Of Russia :!
statesmen. died in Siberia. Chief of Pc
lice Lopukhin is now In exile IN IN
prived of civil rights and forced to tot
like slave. Thousands have LITERAL!
starved to death in it's wilderness. anc
have heard the terrifying swish or the
knout welded by the cruel Cossacks Wht
| represent the government in that desc
late country.
1t is said that Gear Alexander died
as a monk in a Siberian monastery,
whittier he was banished by his brother,
Nicholas I. A report just submitted to
the duma by Gen. Kouzmin Karaveff, a
r, ember of that body, states that last
year moro than six hundred men Were
hanged, shot or otherwise put to death
by horrible methods without trial
Enlightened Russia, headed by the
present emperor. is tired of these things
The nation is tired of having their coun-
try held up to ridcule by civilized coun-
tries and pointed to as practlclng tht
barbarisms of the middle ages. I
has demanded that the atrocities shall
cease, and the duma In taking the first
step in the reform is but answering the
clan. or of the brightest minds in the en-
pire.
According to documents banded to the
duma by the police department there are
now in Siberia 74,OOO man and woman
exiles The statistics show that in re-
cent years the men who have acted rs
advisers to Gar Nicholas have allowed
their wrath to descend upon quite as
many petty lawbreakers as political
criminals.
In sfueria now are 10000 workingmen
about 10000 peasants and nearly 25,OOC
teachers, students and political exiles.
BY a ukase of the present car, II
1900, who even then wished to abolish
exile absolutely, imprisonment was sub
stituted for transporting the offenders
against the law to the Siberian wilder
ness. His act mitgated to a certain ex-
tent the atrocities that had been taking
place prior to the change, but by no
means provided solution Of the prob
lem.
Now prisoners are sentenced to toll in
the salt mines for terms varying from
five to twenty-five years. II they sur
tvive their sentences they are allowed to