The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-01-05
DRIVE
EX|lEs TO SUICIDE
Official Report Admits Russian Pris.
oners Took Lives as Protest
Against Knouting

ST. PETERSBURG, Jan. 5.-The re-
cent debate on the tortur eof political
eXiles in Siberian prisons precipitated
such scene as even the Duma had
never witnessed.
Just as that house was about TO add
journ the Social Democrats and mem
bers OF the Labor party presented d
motion protesting in bold language
against the cruelty TO political pris-
oners, especially in the Wologda and
Zereciteinski prisons, where many
'politicals' were treated so inhumanly
that they found deliverance only by
suicide. One was SHazonoff, who as
sassinated Phelye.
Czheidze, deputy, thrilled the
duma by his impassioned speech.
The time Will come he prophe-
sled, when not only the duma bur
the whole people will arise and pro
test, forcibly, If need be, against Rus
sian prisons being converted to tor
ture chambers. These suicides Of no
litical prisoners are very convenient
for the government who is saved the
trouble OF keeping its enemies in cells
and the expense OF sending them TO
the gallows.
A tremendous uproar followed Lib
erals and Socialists Numbered ap-
plause, while the members of the
Right" or government party, Kissed,
stamped, spat, and cried:
'Off with him TO the gallows, the
traitor"
AS soon as he could make himself
heard arMkoff, Reactionist, yelled
that the prison authorities are per-
fectly justified in knouting political
prisoners and that deputies like
Czcheidze who protest against such
punishment are themselves fit only
for hard labor or the gallows
Buried in Committee.
After further furious debate the
protesting motion was sent TO com
mittee by the narrow majority OF ten
votes, 12l to III. The noes" were
hot for discussing the motion then
and there, knowing il will remain in
committee for a year at least and
emerge in form wholly favorable TO
the reactionaries.
This scene in the duma, the close
ness OF the vote, combined with pro
tests from all but the most reaction
airy newspapers, forced the prison
board to issue an official statement
day or two ago. The members OF the
board acknowledge that the prison all,
thorities have knouted 100 political
prisoners because they refused TO 40
hard labor, complained OF their food
and made great disturbances, break
ing doors and furniture, whistling and
singing.
Tuning TO the suicides, the official
description of Russian prison life be
comes one of the most extraordinary
documents inVthe empire s history. 1t
runs:
In the latter part of this year
news was brought Ito the prison au-
thorities) that the revolutionary So
cieties were collecting money 10 help
large numbers of political prisoners
at hard labor to escape. especially
from the prison OF Nerozyn. This in
formation was confirmed by the news
that large quantities OF poison had
been intercepted on the way from
lrkutsk to Zerentaja, where some po-
litical prisoners were confined In the
sentiments This poison, evidently,
was intended 10 poison the wardens
so that the prisoners could escape the
easier.
After that it was discovered that
book on physics had been sent to
Tazonof, who assassnated the Min
lister Plehve Bound in this book the
prison authorities discovered 800
roubles IN paper money. Inquiries
were made and resulted in the dis
covery that this money was intended
TO aid in the escape of several poltr
cal prisoners; among them Maria Spir-
idonova, who assassinated uzenoff-
sky, governor Of Tamboff These
facts forced the prison authorities TO
enforce greater discipline and to
double the prisoner s guards.
1t was found necessary TO knout
the political prisoners Solanski and
Pietroff. After this, by way Of pro-
test, the prisoners Masloff, Ordincoff
and Puchalski opened their veins,
while Michaleiff Kunej and Sazonofe
poisoned themselves with morphia.
Then nearly all the political prison
ers started a hunger.strike (refused
TO eat as a protest against knouting
and other prison regulations.
Took Poison To Escape knout.
The liberals made the statement
public They declare that poison was
sent TO the political prisoners that
they might escape by suicide the tor
lures they have to- endure. They are
crowded together in cold, filthy cells
they have not enough food and such
scanty clothing that often their very
bones are twisted by rheumatism
The hardest labor is imposed on these
unhappy women and men; they can
not perform il. OF course, so they are
knouted almost to death. The women
some of refined birth and breeding are
subjected TO a thousand insults.
As one unhappy creature wrote,
whose letter reached the outside
world:
And yet our tormentors will not let
us die. They always stop short III