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Exiles of Siberia
UNDREDS of crimi- Then, too, the exiles are distributed nals are sent every throughout the country, and not allowed year by the Russian to gather in large numbers. The object Government to the of the exile system is to give a population wilds of Siberia. to Siberia, and not to cause the death of Siberia is a cold, the banished individual. Every effort is dismal, desolate made to induce the exile to forget the country, although some parts causes that brought him to Siberia, and in summer are almost as to make him a good citizen in his new pleasant and inviting as those home. His wife and children may follow we see around us in our own or accompany him into exile at governcountry. The lowest sentence ment expense, but they cannot return of a criminal is to three years' to European Russia until he is perbanishment, and the highest is to hard sonally free to do so. This permission labor for life. Sentences vary all the way is denied in the cases of the worst crimibetween these two categories for five, ten, nals who are sentenced to hard labor and fifteen or twenty years banishment without must leave their families behind. Those sentenced to hard labor are labor or for the same number of years with labor. A man may be sentenced to a employed in mines or on roads, and in given number of years' banishment, of mills and factories of various kinds. Sevwhich a certain designated portion shall eral years ago, an order was issued that be to hard labor, or he may be sentenced exiles should no longer be kept at work in for life, with no hard labor at all. The mines, but I am told, on pretty good punishment is varied greatly, and the sen- authority, that this humane decree has tence is rarely carried out to its fullest been revoked since the rise of Nihilism. degree. The time of exile is not lessened In the mines of Nertchinsk, in the latter until a general pardon liberates entire part of the last century and the early part of the present one, the labor was fearful. classes The prisoners were in pairs, chained chants as book-keepers or other assistants together; they were often kept working in business. Some years ago, the perin mud and water for fourteen or sixteen mission for exiles to engage in teaching hours daily; their lodgings were of the anything else than music, drawing anl poorest character, and their food was nothing but black bread, and occasionally a little cabbage soup.
The great mortality in the the mines attracted the attention of the Government, and the evils were remedied.
Down to the end of the last century, criminals condemned to the mines were marked by having their nostrils slit open, but this barbarity has not been practised for a long time.
Those sentenced to lighter labor are engaged in trades, such as making shoes, clothing, or other articles.
Those who are simply exiled without labor ONE OF THE PRISONERS OF A SIBERIAN CHAIN-GANG. can work at their trades, if they have any, painting was revoked, when it was dis precisely as they would do at home. If covered that some of them had been using they are educated men, they may practise their opportunities to spread revolutiontheir professions, give instruction to young ary doctrines. people, or find employment with mer- There is said to be a secret road or path through Siberia, known only to the or cold, or may venture too near the vil. exiles; it is about two thousand miles lages in search of food, and fall into the long, avoids all the regular lines of travel, hands of the police. The path must be and keeps away from the towns and vil- travelled on foot, as it is not sufficiently lages. It winds over plains and among broad for horses; and when any part of it the mountains, through forests and near is discovered by the soldiers, the route the rivers, and is marked by little mounds must be changed. The exiles have means of earth, and by notches cut in the trees. of communicating with each other, and Those who travel this road must under- no matter how closely the authorities go great hardship, and it is said that not may watch them, an occurrence in one more than half who undertake it are ever Siberian prison will soon be known at all heard of again. They perish of starvation others in the country.
