VERIFICATION OF PRISONERS ON ARRIVAL AT PERASILNY, KRASNOIARSK.
[To face [p. 141].
In the rear of the column followed about twenty open sledges, on which were women, children, footsore prisoners, and miscellaneous baggage. Even the drivers were soldiers, and with their rifles across their knees presented a curious appearance. Last of all came my friend, the officer in charge of the detachment, in a luxurious covered-in sledge. There were no “politicals” with the party.
As I was desirous of seeing for myself all that takes place on the arrival of a gang of convicts at the étape or perasilny of a large town, I returned to Krasnoiarsk at the head of the detachment, and made sketches and photos to my heart’s content of the unsavoury crowd of ruffians following closely behind me.
The perasilny of Krasnoiarsk is situated on the outskirts of the town, quite close to the ostrag, or regular prison, and, like most buildings of its kind I have hitherto seen, built entirely of wood, even to the high wall surrounding it. It is composed of several blocks of buildings in which prisoners are indiscriminately placed pending their removal to their ultimate destination. On arrival outside this building, the convicts were formed up two deep for inspection, and immediately after told off to unload the sledges and get their baggage; after which they were marched into the building preparatory to being “verified.” In a large bare whitewashed room sat the officer who had brought the detachment and two prison officials, with a heap of papers before them. All the prisoners were in an adjoining room, at the door of which stood the staroster, or leader of the gang, waiting to call out the name as each man was required.
THE STAROSTER OF THE GANG.
It may not be generally known that in Russia every gang of prisoners has its staroster, or captain, who is elected by themselves from amongst their number, and who on all occasions acts as their spokesman. It is difficult to ascertain on what particular merits he is elected—perhaps it is that he is known to be the biggest dare-devil villain amongst them, or that he is generally feared; at any rate, from all accounts, the staroster has always such unbounded influence and power amongst his fellows that if he were to decree the death of one of them there is no doubt whatever but that the sentence would be carried out. As a matter of fact, cases of the kind have been frequently known, the sort of liberty which Siberian prisoners enjoy amongst themselves rendering this an easy matter, and detection of the actual assassin absolutely impossible. A weak prisoner, therefore, who is in the bad books of his staroster must have a bad time of it, for he can be bullied and knocked about with impunity, and would never dare to report it. I have heard of an incident which happened quite recently, and which will give some idea of prison life here.