The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-09-26


|. From the condition of a vacant
cell, the correspondent gained the
impression that. so long as the TALLER
behaves considerably Imprisonment
in the Troubetskoi bastion involves
no physical suffering. The white
washed cell was a large and clean
one, paved with red cement, lighted
with an electric light set into the
wall and attached to which was a
night light. enabling the warder TO
watch the prisoner through the slot.
The cell was not damp and the
sanitary arrangements were modern.
The furniture consists of a good bed,
and a table screwed to the wall. The
| only defective arrangement is the
inadequate natural lighting, which
the procurer admitted, saying that
the five-foot thick wall prevents
the enlargement OF the windows.
From an examination of the pris-
on regulations and the statements
made by Assistant Governor Kurin-
din, the correspondent obtained an
idea of the treatment accorded the
prisoners.
"All eight prisoners. who formerly
were compelled to wear prison cloth
ing, now wear their OWL" said NJ.
Murindin. I'VE supply gratis the ra-
are allowed to purchase an officers
ration, which all Of them do except
Protopopoff. who declaring. that he
is the cause of Russia's misfortunes,
persists in eating a private's fare.
The prisoners friends, who may
visit them twice weekly. are allow
ed to bring certain authorized foods,
among which one may find caviar.
The prisoners are permitted to
smoke but are allowed no alcohol.
Few Restrictions.
Most Of the prisoners" continued
the assistant governor, among whom
are three of Russia's most cultivated
citizens, read all day under no
restrictions. except that newspapers
are not allowed. They have little no.
ton Of the events of the past six
months in Russia and the outside
world. They receive letters and may
write them three times a. week. The
letters are examined by the procurer,
but after the revolution the prison
administration ceased the practice of
testing for invisible ink. which had
been in vogue continuously since the
reign Of Peter the Great.
THE prisoners exercise in the
court yard twice daily with only
their guards for company. Thev
never see one another. The doctor
visits each cell daily, but in case Of
serious sickness the prisoners are
sent to hospitals outside. as were
for instance, the late Premier Sturm-
er and the former empress friend
Mile. Virubova, as there is no hos
pital within the fortress. The .pris-
oners behave extremely well, and are
never Querulous now. Immediately
after the revolution, however. we
had here the Black Hundred Jew
batter, Orloffev, who raised trouble
daily. The only request we received
lately was from General Rennen-
kampm, who being afraid Of lynchfng,
begged US not to transfer him to an
other prison"
The Prison Guards. "'r
The correspondent next inspected
the prison guards. who are OF two
classes. The first is a regular mill
tary unit, posted on the periphery
OF the bastion. The second Is COM
posed of two representatives OF
every regiment in Petrograd, who
are stationed inside. These men
jealousy watch the prisoners.
Governor Kurindin deslared that
escape from the prison was incon-
ceivable and that none was on record
in. modern times. In the library, the
correspondent found volumes in
Russian, French. English, German,
Italian and even in Finnish, the last
for the use of the Finnish patriots.
who under former Premier Stolym-
pins oppressive equality law" were
tried and imprisoned in Russia.
The court yard, in which because
of the rain that was falling at the
time, no one was exercising, makes
an -incongruous impression because,
though overlooked by the forbidding
barred windows. 1t can be reached
only through a metal cage, in which
the prisoners wait. The yard itself
is a green paradise. overgrown by
bushes and shaded by tall lines OF
poplars, aspers and naples. 1t is
trimmed with a broken pavement,
from the crevices Of which rise wild
plants and untrodden grasses. Under
a. towering tree In the center OF the
yard, a. shapeless bathhouse used by
the prisoners strikes another 1ncon-
gruous nota-
Next in order came a visit TO the
unoccupied obsolete part of the pris-
on under the commandant's house.
This consists of real stone sacks
with earthen floors far below the
river level and with windows guard
ed by numerous bar work. designed
to initiate a row OF medieval hall
herds.
There said the procurer, Ian
guished, / believe, Peters son, Alexis,
before he was tortured to death, and
the, next cell, held the beautiful, but
unfortunate pretender, Princess Tar
akhanoff. whom adventures set up
as the, daughter OF Empress Eliza
beth"
Roll, Of Past captives.
Returning to the chancellory the
correspondent examined the roll OF
past captives, among whom were the
terrorist assassin, Gershuni and the
chemist Nicholas Morosoff, held in
the bastion for IS years Under sus-
picion Of completely in the assassina-
ton OF Alexander II.
In the roll were two other entries
OF a striking character in a different
way. The first reads:
1905, Jan. IL, Pieshkoff Alexis
Maximovinch." This is the real name
Of Maxim Gorky. The second entry
reads: "Gillik Issye, identity uncer-
tain, believed surname MazantzefT,
handed over for execution, Feb. z,
1908"
While the roll was under examina-
ton there occurred the most striking
incident OF the visit After putting
hisNhead into one OF the side rooms
the procurer announced that the
examination within the room had
ben finished. Into the chancellory,
with two soldiers behind him WALK
ed, well dressed but collarless, a man
~ vsefHNInf hafuaf aIfehf fp1Ipa aYuaTY