Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1917-09-26
Prison BaStion of Two Hum
dred-year-oId Fortress Of
St. Peter and St. Paul Is
Opened for Investigation.
8 EXALTED PRISONERS
NOW AWAITING FATE
Cells Are Not Subject to Inun-
dation by Neva River at
Flood Stage; Conditions Are
Reasonably Sanitary,


Petrograd. Monday, Sept. 24.-As
the result of a months negotiations,
after which a decision by Premier
Kerensky finally was asked, the As
sociated Press correspondent was
permitted today to inspect the motor
ious Troubetskoi bastlon of the fort
ress of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, the
bastile of Petrograd. Here, during
two centuries, there have been inn
INJURED high born traitors, pretenders
to the throne, assassins of emperors.
propagandists of nihilism and bomb
throwers and here today the most
hated adherents of the banished au-
tocratic regime are awaiting the ma
TONS verdict.
Eight Exalted Culprlts.
In this bastion are interned eight
exalted culprits. They are General
Rennenkampff, whose record as a
military Judge in 1905 during the at
tpnlptads n1.5i.s sisE.s. ,s5aftst4sEseos,
"hangman's progress" to Siberia
classed as equalling, if not SURPRISING,
the infamies of the notorious Jefreys;
NJ Bieletsky, former director of po-
lice and accomplice of agents provoca-
teur; the reactionary former minister
of the interior, NJ Makaroff. who pro-
cured the election of burglar to the
duma to act as a spy; M. Sikremieff,
accused of serious offenses as chief of
the army motor supply office; former
Minister of Justice J. Chtcheglovitioff
whom the late Count Witte charac-
terzed as the "most clever most cor
rupt man in Europe; Prince Alexan-
der Dolgorukoff, the cavalry COM
mandant, and finally Alexander Pro-
topopoff, once classed as patriotic
member of the duma, next an oppres-
sive minister of the interior and last
the ally and slave of the mystic monk
Rasputin.
Prison on the Neva.
The bastion. which is a part of the
obsolete fortification, is on the banks
of the Neva. 1t is a two-story, hex
agonal building surrounding a court
yard, along five sides of which runs
a double tier of low, arched windows,
heavily barred. The sixth side is
high wall.
According to popular belief the bas-
ton cells are stone sacks" which,
being below the level of the river, are
liable to inundation, but this idea is
erroneous The lower row, in which
there are thirty six cells, is on the
ground level but there are no pris-
oners here and the upper story, with
tho same number of cells. is out Of
reach of the recurring river floods.
The correspondent visited the fort
ress in company with the assistant
procurator of the Petrograd high
court
Before inspecting the cells the cor
respondent visited the prison chan-
cellory, out of which lead two doors
Pointing to them. the procurator
said: Inside are prisoners under ex-
amination.' He opened the first
door Immediately, showing stoutish,
gray-bearded man, who was Bieletsky,
gesticulating to an examining masls-
trate, while through the other door
when 1t was opened could be seen only
regular, aquiline profile silhouetted
against a ,aired window.
Protopopoff There.
THAT is Protopopoff," said the
procurator. closing the door.
The correspondent was then con-
Quoted to the cells on the upper story
e in which the prisoners are confined
at present The cells open on a COR
ridor which follows the hexagonal
construction of the building. On one
side of the corridor are barred win
dows opening out on the courtyard,
while on the other side row Of red
painted, ironbound, oaken doors with
slots for peering and pigeon holes,
which may be closed at will, for hand
ing in food to the occupants.
From the condition of a vacant cell
the correspondent gained the impress
sion that, so long as the jailer behaves
Troubetskoi bastion involves no ply
steal suffering. The whitewashed
cell was large and clean one. The
cell was not damp and the sanitary
arrangements were modern. The fur
niture consists of a good bed and a
table screwed to the wall. The only
defective arrangement is the made
euate natural lighting, which the pro-
curator admitted, saying that the five
foot thick wall prevents the enlarge
ment of the windows.
Treatment of Prisoners.
From an examination of the prison
regulations and the statements made
by Assistant Governor Kurindin, the
correspondent obtained an idea of the
treatment accorded the prisoners.
'All the eight prisoners. who. for
merly were compelled TO wear prison
clothing, now wear their own" said
NJ Kurindin. I'VE supply gratis the
ration Of soldier, but the prisoners