THE PRISON OF IRKUTSK.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4289, 23 February 1901, Page 8 (Supplement)

THE PRISON OF IRKUTSK.

(Fiom “Russia. of To-dav” in’ •''Scribner's Magazine..’’) Tho single cells wore large, r.iry, arid fairly light, while the whole prison was surprisingly clean. But übuye a'/ X was struck witli the relations ' between tiro prisoners and their governor. Never iu my lifo have I seen such a terrible lot cf human beings gathered together —ono out of every live looked a mere beast, and when tho door of onfe of the large rooms was thrown open, and I was invited to step in among two hundred of them, I confess at first I hesitated. There were only four of us —the governor, the head-warder, the doorkeeper of the room and myself, with, nobody else eveA within hail, while in ono case there were but two doors between them and the street, and an old man keeping watch. In an English prison those men would hava been outside in a couple of minutes. But M. Sipiagine, the inspector, as ho is called, treated them exactly like a troop of children. Whenever he; entered a room or cell lie lifted Ins cap and said “Zdrasti!” (“Good-day!”) % and tho same reply was always cordially given. I was prepared for a “show’’ visit, but it was perfectly clear that, in this prison, at any rate, there is nothing like terrorism. The prisoners came up to the inspector, asked him questions about themselves or their sentences without tho least trace of fear or embarrassment, and even took bun literally by tiia button-hole and turned him aside from us when they wished to make some private remark to him. Ono man going to Sakhalin produced a paper showing that ho had a small sum of, money to his credit in a prison at Moscow, and The particulars wore noted down and orders given that this was to bo sent alter him. Another wished the doctor to examine him again before he stated for Sakhalin; tho inspector spoke a word to his_ orderly, and later in the day I saw this man sitting at the hospital door awaiting his turn. There, was no political prisoner there at tho time; at least, I was assured that this was the case, and later I saw the official report for the day, in which no suck prisoner figured. I saw a number of “politicals” elsewhere at various times, but they were all earning a good living ns clerks and book-keepers. Of course I did not go as far as the terrible little town of Kolymsk, a thousand versts north of Irkutsk, where/ the worst political offenders are exiled to a living death. But from all I saw I was not surprised to learn that at’the- beginning of each winter an influx of minor offenders takes place into prison, where they get warm quarters, plenty ef wholesome food, and no work. And I saw clearly that the Russian authorities have /o deal with a stratum of population far below any that exists with us —a brutish, hopeless, irreclaimable mass of human animals.

It is evident, however, to anybody who studies the state of Siberia, that this wonderful country can never attain to its duo development until the while svstem of convict* transportation is done away with. Not a week passes without a murder in every Siberian town. Two emigrants had been killed in the Siberian train shortly before my visit. Nobody dares go out at night. People even in Irkutsk often fire a revolver shot out of the window before going to bed to warn off a possible attack. The head of one force of free labourers upon railway works was in Siberia for an outrage upon a child ; the boss of another was a murderer. The porter at my hotel in. Irkutsk was a murderer from the Caucasus. Theoretically, when bad_ characters are deported they art l forbidden to leave the district to which they are assigned ; practically, they leave as soon as it suits them, and their first object is to kill some peasant for his clothes and passport. Indeed, if they did not move away they would starve, for in many cases the authorities simply turn them out and leave them to their fate. The political exiles have made Siberia what it is, for they have been amongst the most educated arrd energetic classes in Russia; but the criminal are a fatal bar to further pragress. Siberia will therefore eagerly welcome the good news that the commission appointed _by the Czar to consider the whole question of criminal transportation has just reported against the Siocnan_ system, and recommended the construction c. greet

convict prisons in Russia, •ti'i cost off these to the State will to cnornoasiy j greater than that of criminal Siberia. j and assuredly the lot cf the convict will! henceforth be harder, bus the decision was inevitable if ona of tho rrnhcstjparts of the Czar’s dominions is to attain its proper prosperity.