HORRORS OF SIBERIAN EXILE.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2176, 15 February 1881, Page 3

HORRORS OF SIBERIAN EXILE.

The “ Rooski Courier,” Moscow. publishes the following intelligence from Yenesaisk, a town in mid-Siberia :—“ ' Again political exiles are arriving,’ is the word on everyone’s month. Nine have just arrived ; of these six were exiled from Moscow by Count Albedinsky, and are under orders to proceed further inland. For the moment they are exposed to our murderous climate, *We have no mercy to expect—we are forgotten,’ they say to the people. Having lost all hope of returning to Russia they are in a most desponding state. Only yesterday a girl attempted the third time to commit suicide by eating luoifer matches. She was saved by a prompt application of remedies ; but will rescue always be at hand ? We Siberians have seen many exiles during our life, but we have never seen such grief, such tears, such hopelessness, as presented by those nine exiles, who do not know their crime, who do not know how long they are exiled for, and where their destination lies, and who must not write a word in their letters about their condition. A common convict knows what he is transported for ; his term of imprisonment is told him by his gaoler. These wretched political prisoners know nothing. They are left in dark anxiety and despair. These are not the only sufferers. From Kirensk writes a political prisoner :— ‘ We are nine here—all exiles ; one of our number has just been sent away. His wife, Mdme. Belieff, remains in hospital mad. The exile of her husband further into the wilds of Siberia drove her out of her mind.’ From another place, a political exile writes: —‘ The arrival of a fresh exile from Russia has completely unhinged me. I work as smith, receiving a shilling a day. When I earn nothing I live on potatoes and onions. When I work in the field I often think of the luxurious days of my childhood, when I had no thought of labor.' At Balagansk an exile, who was once secretary to the Odessa Corporation, keeps himself from starvatisn by carrying about water at so much the bucket. His wife is at Ekaterinoslaff, and his children are scattered about Russia. ‘Everywhere at Balagansk,’ one writes, * may be seen anguish, and what is worse, almost actual starvation. At Popitch the exiles have no money to live on. At Belak there is a student glad to earn 15s a month. At Yorknoyarsk twelve exiles live huddled together in a tent. These are often without food."