Is A Stvertay Priso:
Wall I remember ax a boy being thrilled, more than any Red Indian story ever thrilled, by Mr, George Kennan's lurid descriptions of prison life in Siberia. These descriptions thrilled others besides school-boy. The world shivered at the enormities perpetrated in the snow-driven land beyond the Urals. Only Russia could be so cruel; a civilised count rauld shrink from such barbarities," said the herver-stricken.
And since those days there simmered in my mind a curious craving to see this vaunt Iand of Siberia, and let my own eyes gaze on the starved wretches sent to living death.
In St. Petersburg, in Moscow, all along the Trans-Siberian line, [have come across 10 love for the Rus-dilatoriness, swear ing proclivities, show disgust at his personal habits.. When T have mentioned Mr. Kennan's brilliant and startling story of his wanderings, I have been met with an "Ach!" and a shrug of the shoulders.
Well, in spite of hea ionally' something stronger—from every Britisher in the country, 1 kept an open mind. If opportunity came I would a look at a prison myself. So during a talk with his Excellency, the Governor-General of the Irkutsk province, T asked if he had any objection to my seeing the Irkutsk prison.
"Not at all, but I think the Alexandrovski prison, thirty versts from here, would be better." a I had thought of Alexandrovski, the largest prison in the country, but considered seeing that was out of the question. accepted the Governor-General's suggestion, and said I would go there on my return journey through Siberia. Very well! Could I now go to the local gaol? Yes! Certainly! When? Any time! To-morrow? Yes! After breakfast? Any time convenient to yourself!
So the next morning, accompanied by my interpreter, I drove out to the Irkutsk prison.
Tt was not the gloomy, sullen-stoned, slit-wind"wed, iron-barred structure such a8 are our prisons at home. The sides and backs were walled with pine-tree logs, tightly set together, and all sharply point ed at the top. Sentry boxes were stationed every thirty yards, and Russian soldiers white caps paraded up and down, carbine on shoulder. I was met by the Governor, a short, kindly-looking man, who kept his hands in his pockets "except when lighting another cigarette, and the Inspector of Prisons, a tall, fair-whiskered man in white and gold uniform. After the preliminary introductions, the inner wooden door, not iron studded, was thrown open, and then there was a rather slim, ramshackle iron gate to go through. We were now in the exercise yard, a nice open space, planted with smallish pines and plenty of seats about. A crowd of several hundred men, coarse-featured, and mostly bearded, all in loose white linon clothes, were scurrying to their dormitories on the shouted order of the Governor. A jangling sound struck my ear. I' noticed many of the men wore chains fastened about the legs. The convicts gave a backward glance at their visitors, "Where are they going I inquired.
"Back to their cells. 'They have four hours' recreation a day, two hours in the morning and two in the afternoon. I thought you would like to see them in their cells."
"Do you restrict them in talking "Oh no, they just do as they like except that they must not sing. We have 700 men here, and some very good singers' These are in the chapel choir, and have a dormitory to themselves and practise frequently.
We took a promenade of the entire building, with two armed attendants in our wake. The corridors were whitewashed, with sanded floors. The doors were of heavy wood with iron gratings.
The keys were turned and the bolts pulled. So we passed into a low-roofed but well-lighted room, with fifty or sixty men standing in a rough line. Good morning, men," said the Governor, and they replied "Good morning, Sir." The prisoners had the brutal features always seen in the criminal classes, the heavy the low forehead, the cunning eye. were thieves, but also there were accused men among them awaiting trial—and the mixture of both condemned and untried struck me as unfair to the latter.
T picked out men, and through my inter-prefer asked for what they were in prison? They answered readily. "One young man said he was serving six months for stealing coat; which wasn't true, for he had bought it from an unknown man. Thereat the other prisoners laughed, "What do they do here?" I asked.
"What they like, except that they must keep their cells clean." And clean they were. There was a lace to wash in, one or two religious books were on the table; and on the wall was a cheap oleoyraph of the Czar, and in a corner was an icon, or a sacred picture.
What attracted me was the informal relationship between Governor and pri-toners. The men talked without any restraint, made requests, and even jests.
We visited cell after cell, with the same kind of occupants, and each always neat and clean.
Noticing how insecurely guarded the whole place was, Tasked if ever there was y insurrection. 'In my predecessor's time," said the Governor, there was, because the food was bad. But I can't say the men are dissatis! Indeed, the prison is always filled up' in our harsh and long winter with men charged with petty thefts. They want to get into prison to secure food and shelter."
Next 1 was shown hardened criminals; men in solitary confinement. They were brought out of their cells into the better light of the corridor so I might photograph them, There was one deep-chested, hirsute man, with clouded brow, who stood like a log with his chains hanging about him. He had killed four people. The next was a wiry little fellow, with short, pointed beard and very bright. beady eyes. He was the
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.