RUSSIAN POLITICAL PRISONERS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1211, 31 July 1884, Page 3

RUSSIAN POLITICAL PRISONERS.

The following particulars respecting the banishment of political offenders in Russia under the "Third Section" into the Arkangel District is given by the correspondent of the Standard at Mescow ; " In the cheerless region of Arkangel, of which the aborigine* say, ' God made Russia, but the devil made Arkangel, there are more than two hundred of those banished ones —men and women, all young, all poor, most of them sent without tris.l, few amongst them knowing even of whnt they are accused. Victor Ivanovitch dines with his friend 8., for instance, and after a stroll along the boulevard they separate. B. is arrested that very evening, and when Victor, astounded and horror-stricken hastens to enquire, the cause, he finds everybody, even Bi's own father, as much in the "dark as he is himself. All questions and 'petitions on the subject receive vague, administrative answers ; all relatives and friends are systemet ; cally discouraged and '/'" silenced., Eagerly they wait and watch •'.-.. for the numerous political trials that come . on without intermission, hoping to see ' the loved one's name on the list of criminals, or see his face onoe more, let it be;even in the prisoner's dock ; but as they wait and watch the prisoner is, without : •> any trial, en route for Arkangel. "Arrived there, the routine is the same, •whatever the crime alleged, the age, or ,• sexj' the prisoner is taken to the police ward—a dreary, log bnilding, containing two seetiong, one for men, the other for women. The solitary table and chair, four walls, and even the ceiling are covered with the names of youthful pre- • decessors, whose pencilled jests and clever caricatures bear witness to the Strength- and confidence in themselves i ' with which they began their life in exile. In this dreary abode a week or ten days is ■pent, whilst > the governor of Arkangel, after due reflectien, marks out for this idangerous personage seme final place of exile, some miserable little district town, such, as Holmonger, Shenkoursk, Pinega, or Mezen ; he is then told that his "docu- , monts" are ready, and a gendarme enters, saying it is time to start. The prisoner jumps into the jolting post-wag-gon, two geudarmes jump in after him, the troika-bell above the horse's neck begins to rinar—and riogs on —for days and iweeks—through wood, and swamp, and plain, along Arctic roads inconceivably dreary and lonely, until the weary convoy at length arrives at its destination. The little town is small and black, it consists of log huts, of nnpaved streets, a wooden church painted green, and the only live stock visible are twelve raw-boned horses, , a herd of sickly cows) and thirty or forty reindeer. The population rarely exceeds one thousand,and consists of thelapravnik, ten subaltern officers, the Arbiter of the Peace, the Crown Forester, a priest, a few shopkeepers, thirty or forty exiles, a chain-gang of 'God-forgotten' Russian " felons, and a crowd of Finnish beggars. On his arrival the, prisoner is driven straight to the police ward, where he is inspebted by the Ispravnik, a police officer, who is absolute lord and master of the district. "This representative of Government requires of him to answer the following questions : : —His name? flow, old? Married or single? Where from? Addrens of parents, or relations, or friends. Answers to all of which are entered in the books. A solemn promise is then exacted of him that he will not give lessons of any kind, or try to teach anyone ; that every letter he wiites will go through the Ispravnik's hands, and thut be will follow no occupation except shoemaking, carpentering or field labor. He is then told be is free! but at the same time is solemnly warned that should he attempt to pass the limits of the town he will be shot down like a dog rather than be allowed to escape, and should he be taken alive will be sent off to Eaßtern Siberia without further formality than that of the Ispravnik's personal order. " The poor fellow takes up his little bundle and, fully realising that he has now bidden farewell to the culture and material comfort of big past life, he walks out into the cheerless street. A group of exiles, all paJe and emaciated, are there to greet him, take him to some of their -' miserable lodgings, and feverishly demand ; news from Home. The new-comer gaaes on them as one in a dream. Some are melancholy mad, others nervously irritable, and the remainder have evidently tried to find solace in drink. They live in community of twos and threes, have food, a scanty provision of clothes, money and books in common, and consider it their sacred duty ; to help each other in every emergency without distinction in sex, rank or age. The noble by birth get sixteen shillings a month from Government for their maintenance, and commoners only ten, although many of th*m are married, and sent into exile with young families. Daily a gendarme visits their .lodgings, inspects the premises when and how he pleases, and now and then makes amysterious entry in his note book. Should any of their number carry a warm dinner, a pair of newlymended boots, or a change of linen to some passing exile, lodged for the moment in the police ward, it is just as likely as ! not marked against him as a crime. It - is a crime to come and see a friend off, or accompany him a little on the way. In fact, should the lapr-mnk feel a little out of sorts—the effect of cards and drinkhe vents his temper on the exiles ; and as cards and drink are the favorite amuse- '"' merits in those dreary r«gion», crimes are marked down against the exiles in astonishing numbers, and a report of them '* sent to the governor of thu province. Winter Ufctt eight month*, a period during which the surrounding; country presents the appearance of a noisless, lifelnse, frozen marsh. N» roads, no communication with the outer world, no means of escape. In course of time almost every individual exile is attacked by nervous convulsion*, followed by prolonged apathy and prostration. They begin to quarrel, and even Late each other. Some of them contrive to forge false passports, and by a miracle, as it were, make their escape, but the great mijority of these victims of the Third Section ei»her go mad, commit suicide, or die of delirium tremens. .