Chained Together Like Wild Beasts

Feilding Star, Volume IV, Issue 68, 10 November 1883, Page 3

Chained Together Like Wild Beasts

' : A hitch of 25- Socialists and Reyolu-; twhwti'hasbeehßent St. Petersburg, by the Mpscow'railway, ,to their ..different detsinatioiig iii Siberia. They '•were'neariy nil well-known revolutionary characters. -;A8 usual "they, ; were all . chaibed'tdgether, , in couples,' like wild beasts ; ■ th'e^wdmcn by the wrist and the meaby ancle and wrist, and surrounded by -a brilliant array of sabres. Their treatment, however, on 'the whole, seems to have been-rather more humane than is usuiil'in such cases. vEachwas allowed to swhi^o^herfriehds before departure, add to pair off wjthany chosen companion. The prisoner uPribndoff', chose to be chained to hisjrif^ w^iifas one of the party,; Each' Wa^ : allowed- (6 carry about 60lb. baggage and variousrsums ; of m- ney collected by friends and: nqn-political sympathise'rsVto keep tlie hair Jong, and to ride to the ra il Wajr sta tion. The au • ' thorities now being "in -..'■'softer^ m<»od, the Times correspondentjays, their object appearsto be to remove these offenders out of jwrm'&jMy,- rather than > td; give Jtheni ahy.unnecessary ;i , But when ■iwijl this e^ilh Vs file; of political criminals come to'ari end? iV the 'question that.in.voluritarily/rtses;in the' mind of every one who has watehed for many years^ past this never-ending-struggle between the Governnien t ;ahdvithe;N ihilists; Undermining works are istill frequently discovered, and political., trials continue to be held in the principal town, although attracting -, but lit tie - attention, : , pw.i rig to their jfirrquep'cy 1 and tliel<?omplete .secrecy of tlie proceediiigs. 'The ;cdm mission of enquiry appointed r to ■enquire into the condition of political prisoners, for -the purpose ;of imiiigatihg [• their- punishments in certain deserving cases .haveu.j mbide-i f . cided to reduce the terms of exile and aud imprisonment in^Siberia of 51 per-. .sons to five.tfouiyand a^*mall,nuniber of V years ' respectively. .• -. ■ . V; ; ;