Identifier: sidelightsonsibe00simp (find matches)
Title: Side-lights on Siberia; some account of the great Siberian railroad, the prisons and exile system;
Year: 1898 (1890s)
Authors: Simpson, James Young, 1873-1934
Subjects: Prisons -- Soviet Union Exiles -- Russia (Federation) Siberia Siberia (Russia) -- Description and travel
Publisher: Edinburgh and London : W. Blackwood and Sons
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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heold rdgimc. In them the wooden sleeping-platforms were con-structed on the usual model, but, being ancient, many of theboards composing them did not meet together, and so greatquantities of dust and filth had congregated between them,and could not easily be removed. In one or two other par-ticulars they also differed from those furnished in the newerstyle, for they were without central tables, and the personalproperty of the men hung on the walls from nails, or lay onskirting shelves that varied in size and range. Although thedisparity in the amount of private possessions in the case ofdifferent individuals was very evident, yet every one had atin can of some sort, while many possessed a rough kind ofbedding. From the middle of the ceiling a lamp was sus-pended,—another instance of the nntchalnils trust. Onetype of room, which was perhaps 15 feet high, 24 feet broad,and 36 feet long, was lighted by two large windows. Therewere other larger kameras with four windows ; the number of
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ADMIRABLE MANAGEMENT. 213 prisoners inhabiting them was proportionally greater, but inthose of the ordinary size the regulation number of twenty-tive was never exceeded. I stayed behind in one, asking themore intelligent-looking of the men if they got sufficient foodand clothing—in short, if they had anything of which tocomplain. One vigorous fellow replied that he could notsay a word against the food and clothing, of which theygot enough. Our complaints are all of one class,directed against our sentences: we think we have been toohardly dealt with, we think that we were in the right, wealways feel sure there has been some mistake about us. Ofcourse one can always say—and often with truth—that themen are frightened to complain. Still, I hope to be able toshow that in this instance the answerer spoke in verity andwithout fear: further, it surely is possible to detect when aman says what he feels, and when his response is dictated bysecret terror. But when he mentioned justice, he

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