The Warwickshire Herald. — 1888-09-06 (Birmingham, West Midlands, England)

LIFE IN A RUSSIAN CONVICT SHIP. A description of the Russian convict transport Nishni-Novgorod, which lately sailed with 460 criminal deportes for the Russian penal island of Saghalien, is given by the Daily .IVezrs Odessa correspondent. Reports have been circulated as to the treatment of the convicts during the long and tedious voyage of 45 days to the Pacific, but it is pointed out that considering that the convicts now banished to Saghalien are exclusively criminals of the very worst type, any further extension of the freedom of their accommodation on these vessels is held to be incompatible with the personal safety of the ship's company and convoy escort. The vessel is an iron steamer of about 3,800 tone burt hen, and is specially fitted as a convict transport. With a full complement of convicts the vessel carries 652. The officers and crew number 80, exclusive of a marine convoy escort of 62 men, specially chosen for this duty. The iron-barred compartments, or cages, in which the convicts are confined run parallel fore and aft, on either side of the upper and lower 'tween decks. The iron bars an inch thick, of these cages and the wood-work in which they are act, are heavily and solidly constructed. The more desperate characters are manacled and chained to iron staples in their berths, from which they are released when necessary. The greater number, although retaining the waist and ankle shackles, of light construction, have the freedom of traversing the length of the compartment, which may vary from 25 to 40 feet. Except during the distribution of rations, no culinary vessels are left with the convicts. Even the drinking water is obtained only through an india-rubber mouthpiece fixed in an enclosed water-tank, and through which the drinker sucks his draught. Immediately outside the cages, and attached to the under pare of the deck overhead, is a steampipe connected with the ship's boilers. Into these pipes are fitted screw nuzzles at intervals of 12 feet. The object of the steam-pipe is to suppress any dangerous outbreak among the inmates of the cage. By means of a short hose, specially made to resist the steam heat, quickly attached to one of the steampipe nozzles, the turbulent convictsare readily quieted or parboiled. After the ship has passed the canal batches of convicts are in turn brought upon deck for a shower-bath and short exercise, but some of the more d.,:parate convicts who stubbornly resist all disciplinary control, are confined to the cages during the whole voyage. Both the upper and lower 'tween-decks are open and airy, the system of 1 ventilation, says the writer, is excellent, and the cages ' themselves are kept scrupulously clean, being repainted every voyage. Every convict, in addition to having his hair cropped short, has the left half of the head from front to back closely shaven. Among the 460 convicts carried ley the Nishni-Novgorod about Mare murderers. One of these is a relative of the Shah of Persia—Prince libanalain-Mirza, son of go. and sentenced Prince Bet nem kn., 25 years of a to 20 years' hard lalsmr for the murder of his brother in Russia. Another noble criminal is it large landed proprietor of Vilna. Six murderers are Mahommedans. Upon the greater number of these convicts, in addition to their variens terms of hard labour in the mines and quarries, will be inflicted on their arrival a given number of blows from the knout, varying. from 50 to 125, according to their crimes. As is well known, observes the merrespondent, the Russians boast of their humanity in this respect ; but if it were possible to obtain a trustwerthy return of the munber of I wretched convicts who yearly sIICCUIII la to Ow severity of hard-labour sentencos, the r,ollt would appal even the judges who pronounce these so-called humane judgments. He mention,: Ow ease of a Con- ; vict, shout 15 years of age, who has for the seemed j thne bee-ti siliten:vd for murder. and wlio is tee reeeiVe 125 Hem,. of the knout on arrival on the island, and thereoft,•r i.e be di:lined to his I Jarrow er handwaggon ijJJr the lirst 12j 111.,11tillg of 11i,, sentonce. the chains being w,-el,! Im the convicts' limbs. The scene no board was alio..;et her sad-Heim!. .111,1 elepreSsing.. Not is noirnitir or lament wa: heard t ram the stolid-I,so:ing and broken spirit-d v vet vie-, crowded I ;whimh the bars t whi,ll remind .„ the spectator only tJJJ) foroil,ly of the wtht dens WO are BeCtigtolll.,l t.) se, in it try el:ing menagerie. , (`•mvicts are cAlevt.,l t ventral prisons At Kb:id:44f, Moscow, a. Klett.. and other is pulous ' centres. reilude convicts of tnis class are transported in a ar;),trate vessel.