The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1921-02-25
BOL.SHEVIK PRISON
METHODS DENOUNCED
M. Schwartz, California Socialist, Says
They Lack All Elements of De-
cency and Civilization.

Berlin, Feb. "a tBy the Associated
Press )-Bolshevik prison methods lack
all elements of decency and eiviliza :
ton, says NJ. Schwartz, California So
cialist and labor leader, who, with his
wife. was thrown into bolshevist prs
ons in Moscow for four months after
he had failed to voice approval OF the
bolshevist government. His wife died
of the effects of hunger strike start
ed while in prison, as he has made
known in previous statements.
MY first two months in prison were
the worst" Mr.. Scharwtz said after
arriving in Berlin "My wife, who
could not speak word of any Ian
ouagc but English, was taken from
me. | did not know whether she was
in the same prison, or what had be
come of her. / could not get word
of satisfaction from any of the prison
officials.
There was small peephole IN the
door of my cell which opened into the
main corridor. This had little slide
over it and there was sign in Rus
sian warning the inmates of the cell
that they would be placed in solitary
confinement if they peeked out into
the corridor.
"Many times day footsteps passed
the door Sometimes there were light
steps and / imagined women were
| passing To the horror of other men
in the cell with me, occasionally
moved the slide the least bit in the
hope of getting glimpse of my poor
wife. / became holder and bolder The
corridor was so dark it was difficult to
recognize the people who were pass
| ing.
FINALLY, in sheer desperation.
pushed the slide far back one day wher
light footsteps were audible. To my
horror the eye of the guard almost
touched mine. He opened the door anc
asked me if I could read Russian.
| admitted / could and explained to hin
! that nv anxiety about my wife wa,
responsible for the violation Of regula
tions.
II was Immediately taken to a darl
cell in the cellar. II was full of hun
cry rats. Water and sewer pipes raj
all around the walls and there was 81
much gas that I felt | was choking
I began pounding on the door but tn,
guard warned me not to and threat
ened to put me into still lower Gel
if | didn't keep quiet.
"At the end of three hours | was 81
badly overcome by the gas that
pounded on the door in desperation
and asked to see the commissioner VIII,
was in charge of the prison The guart
was apparently uneasy about my con
dition and called the commissioner
81 told the commissioner my anXiet,
about my wife and asked him if h
would not have peeped through tn
hole under the same condition. II
was moved by my appeal and asked m
if ! would promise not to repeat tn
offense if he let me back into my oil
cell.
"You may be sure promised, an
7 kept my promise. I had companion
in nv old cell and there weren't an,
rats and gas. I can't tell You how hor
rible it is to be confined alone. Eve
if ones companions have no scommo
language, human companionship make
cell more endurable. Solitary con
finement, such as my wife endured 70
two months, is the most horrible pun
ishment that can be inflicted
"Think of 4 cultivated, refined Amer
lean woman being treated as she wa
bv the bolshevistsl It is no wonde
that her constitution was so under
mined by her jail experience that sh
, died shortly after we were released
But her blood is on the hands Of Lenin
and Trotzkv and Chiteherin iforeig
minister). She appealed to them re
: peatedlv for a hearing and so did
She finally effected our release by he
: hunger strike, but her strength wa
r not sufficient to survive the awfr
agony she endured"