Prison Memoirs of an Anarchist - Rebel Worker

220 Pages·2011·3.28 MB·English

Alexander Berkman
II
Thesunisslowlynearingthebluepatchofsky,visiblefrommycellin
thewesternwingofthejail. Istandclosetothebarstocatchthecheering Prison Memoirs of an Anarchist
rays. Theyglideacrossmyfacewithtender,softcaress,andIfeelsomething
meltwithinme. CloserIpresstothedoor. Ilongforthepreciousembrace
tosurroundme, toenvelopme, topouritssoftbalmintomyachingsoul.
Thelastraysarefadingaway,andsomethingoutofmyheartisdeparting
withthem. . . Butthelengtheningshadowsonthegrayflagstonesspread
quiet. Graduallytheclamorceases,thesoundsdieout. Ihearthecreaking
ofrustyhinges,thereistheclickofalock,andallishushedanddark.
Thesilencegrowsgloomy,oppressive. Itfillsmewithmysteriousawe. It
lives. Itpulsateswithslow,measuredbreathing,asofsomemonster. Itrises
andfalls;approaches,recedes. ItisMiseryasleep. Nowitpressesheavily
againstmydoor. Ihearitsquickenedbreathing. Oh,itistheguard! Isitthe
deathwatch? Hisoutlineislostinthesemi-darkness,butIseethewhites
of his eyes. They stare at me, they watch and follow me. I feel their gaze
upon me, as I nervously pace the floor. Unconsciously my step quickens,
butIcannotescapethatglintofsteel. Itgrimacesandmocksme. Itdances
beforeme: itishereandthere,allaroundme. Nowitflitsupanddown;it
doubles,trebles. Thefearfuleyesstareatmefromahundreddepressionsin
thewall. Oneverysidetheysurroundme,andbarmyway.
Iburymyheadinthepillow. Mysleepisrestlessandbroken. Everthe
terrible gaze is upon me, watching, watching, the white eyeballs turning
withmyeverymovement.
III
Thelineofprisonersfilesbymycell. Theywalkintwos,conversingin
subduedtones. Itisamotleycrowdfromtheendsoftheworld. Thenativeof
thewesternpartoftheState,the“PennsylvaniaDutchman,”ofstolidmien,
passesslowly,insilence. ThesonofsouthernItaly,stockyandblack-eyed,
alertsuspiciononhisface,walkswithquick,nervousstep. Thetall,slender
Spaniard,swarthyandofclassicfeature,looksabouthimwithsuppressed
disdain. Each, in passing, casts a furtive glance into my cell. The last in
1912
42
6. The Jail
I
The days ring with noisy clamor. There is constant going and coming.
Theclatteroflevers,theslammingofirondoors,continuallyreverberates
through the corridors. The dull thud of a footfall in the cell above ham-
mersonmyheadwithmaddeningregularity. Inmyearsistheyellingand
shoutingofcoarsevoices.
“Cellnum-beree-e-lev-ven! Tocourt! Righta-way!”
A prisoner hurriedly passes my door. His step is nervous, in his look
expectantfear.
“Hurry,there! Tocourt!”
“Goodluck,Jimmie.”
The man flushes and averts his face, as he passes a group of visitors
clusteredaboutanoverseer.
“Whoisthat,Officer?”Oneoftheladiesadvances,lorgnetteinhand,and
staresboldlyattheprisoner. Suddenlysheshrinksback. Amanisbeingled
pastbytheguards. Hisfaceisbleedingfromadeepgash,hisheadswathed
inbandages. Theofficersthrusthimviolentlyintoacell. Hefallsheavily
against the bed. “Oh, don’t! For Jesus’ sake, don’t!” The shutting of the
heavydoordrownshiscries.
Thevisitorscrowdaboutthecell.
“Whatdidhedo? Hecan’tcomeoutnow,Officer?”
“No,ma’am. He’ssafe.”
The lady’s laugh rings clear and silvery. She steps closer to the bars,
eagerlypeeringintothedarkness. Asmileofexcitingsecurityplaysabout
hermouth.
“Whathashedone,Officer?”
“Stolesomeclothes,ma’am.”
Disdainfuldisappointmentisonthelady’sface. “Whereisthatmanwho
—er—wereadinthepapersyesterday? Youknow—thenewspaperartist
whokilled—er—thatgirlinsuchabrutalmanner.”
“Oh,JackTarlin. Murderers’Row,thisway,ladies.”
41
“Damnyou,you’llthinkbetterofit. Officers,takehimback. Samecell.” Contents
Everymorningandevening,duringthreedays,thesceneisrepeatedby
new inquisitors. They coax and threaten, they smile and rage in turn. I
remain indifferent. But water is refused me, my thirst aggravated by the
Part I 7
salty food they have given me. It consumes me, it tortures and burns my
vitalsthroughthesleeplessnightspassedonthehardwoodenbench. The 1. TheCalloftheHomestead ................................ 9
foulairofthecellisstifling. Thesilenceofthegravetormentsme;mysoul I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
isinanagonyofuncertainty. II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
III . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
IV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
2. TheSeatofWar ........................................ 25
3. TheSpiritofPittsburgh .................................. 29
I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
III . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
4. TheAttentat ........................................... 33
5. TheThirdDegree ....................................... 35
I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
6. TheJail ............................................... 41
I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
III . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
IV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
V . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
VI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
VII . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
VIII . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
IX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
XI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
XII . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
XIII . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
7. TheTrial .............................................. 73
40 1
Part II 77 “Yes,we’vegotyourfriend,andweknowallaboutyou.”
1. DesperateThoughts ..................................... 79 “Thenwhydoyouaskme?”
I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 “Don’tyoutrytobesmartnow. Answermyquestions,d’yehear?”
II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 Hismannerhassuddenlychanged. Histoneisthreatening.
III . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 “Nowanswerme. Wheredoyoulive?”
“Givemesomewater. Iamtoodrytotalk.”
2. TheWilltoLive ........................................ 93
“Certainly,certainly,”hereplies,coaxingly. “Youshallhaveadrink. Do
I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
youpreferwhiskeyorbeer?”
II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
“Ineverdrinkwhiskey,andbeerveryseldom. Iwantwater.”
III . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
“Well, you’ll get it as soon as we get through. Don’t let us waste time,
3. SpectralSilence ........................................ 99
then. Whoareyourfriends?”
4. ARayofLight ........................................ 103 “Givemeadrink.”
5. TheShop ............................................. 107 “Thequickerwegetthrough,thesooneryou’llgetadrink. Iamhaving
I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107 a nice cell fixed up for you, too. I want to be your friend, Mr. Berkman.
II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109 Treatmeright,andI’lltakecareofyou. Now,tellme,wheredidyoustopin
III . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111 Pittsburgh?
“Ihavenothingtotellyou.”
6. MyFirstLetter ........................................ 113
“Answerme,orI’ll—”
I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
His face is purple with rage. With clenched fist he leaps from his seat;
II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
but,suddenlycontrollinghimself,hesays,withareassuringsmile:
7. Wingie .............................................. 117
“Nowbesensible,Mr. Berkman. Youseemtobeanintelligentman. Why
8. TotheGirl ........................................... 123
don’tyoutalksensibly?”
9. Persection ............................................ 127 “Whatdoyouwanttoknow?”
I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127 “WhowentwithyoutoMr. Frick’soffice?”
II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131 Impatientofthecomedy,Irisewiththewords:
10. TheYegg ............................................ 133 “IcametoPittsburghalone. IstoppedattheMerchants’Hotel,opposite
I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133 theB.and0. depot. IsignedthenameRakhmetovintheregisterthere. It’s
II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137 a fictitious name. My real name is Alexander Berkman. I went to Frick’s
officealone. Ihadnohelpers. That’sallIhavetotellyou.”
11. TheRouteSubRosa ................................... 145
“Verygood,verygood. Takeyourseat,Mr. Berkman. We’renotinany
12. Zuchthausblothen .................................... 147
hurry. Takeyourseat. Youmayaswellstayhereasinthecell;it’spleasanter.
I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
ButIamgoingtohaveanothercellfixedupforyou. justtellme,wheredo
II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
youstayinNewYork?”
III . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
“Ihavetoldyouallthereistotell.”
13. TheJudas ........................................... 155 “Now,don’tbestubborn. Whoareyourfriends?”
14. TheDip ............................................. 163 “Iwon’tsayanotherword.”
2 39
“Youdon’tmeanyougaveyourrealnameonthecardyousentintoMr. 15. TheUrgeofSex ...................................... 167
Frick?” 16. TheWarden’sThreat .................................. 173
“Igavemyrealname.” I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
“AndyouareanagentofaNewYorkemploymentfirm?” II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
“No.” III . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
“Thatwasonyourcard.”
17. The“Basket”Cell ..................................... 181
“IwroteittogainaccesstoFrick.”
18. TheSolitary ......................................... 183
“Andyougavethename‘AlexanderBerkman’togainaccess?”
I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
“No. Igavemyrealname. Whatevermighthappen,Ididnotwantanyone
II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
elsetobeblamed.”
III . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
“AreyouaHomesteadstriker?”
IV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
“No.”
“WhydidyouattackMr. Frick?” 19. Memory—Guests .................................... 191
“HeisanenemyofthePeople.” 20. ADayintheCell-House ............................... 197
“Yougotapersonalgrievanceagainsthim?” I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
“No. IconsiderhimanenemyofthePeople.” II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
“Wheredoyoucomefrom?” III . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
“Fromthestationcell.” IV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
“Come,now,youmayspeakfrankly,Mr. Berkman. Iamyourfriend. I V . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
amgoingtogiveyouanice,comfortablecell. Theother—” VI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
“WorsethanaRussianprison,”Iinterrupt,angrily. VII . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
“Howlongdidyouservethere?”
21. TheDeedsoftheGoodtotheEvil ....................... 215
“Where?”
22. TheGristofthePrison-Mill ............................ 219
“IntheprisoninRussia.”
I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
“Iwasneverbeforeinsideacell.”
II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
“Come,now,Mr. Berkman,tellthetruth.”
III . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Hemotionstotheofficerbehindmychair. Thewindowcurtainsaredrawn
IV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
aside, exposing me to the full glare of the sunlight. My gaze wanders to
23. TheScalesofJustice .................................. 231
theclockonthewall. Thehour-handpointstoV.Thecalendaronthedesk
I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
reads,July—23—Saturday. Onlythreehourssincemyarrest? Itseemed
II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
solonginthecell. . .
III . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
“Youcanbequitefrankwithme,”theinquisitorissaying. “Iknowagood
IV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
dealmoreaboutyouthanyouthink. We’vegotyourfriendRak-metov.”
WithdifficultyIsuppressasmileatthestupidityoftheintendedtrap. In 24. ThoughtsThatStoleOutofPrison ....................... 239
theregisterofthehotelwhereIpassedthefirstnightinPittsburgh,Isigned 25. HowShalltheDepthsCry? ............................. 243
“Rakhmetov,”thenameoftheheroinChernishevsky’sfamousnovel. I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
38 3
II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245 willknowthetruth—andthepicturewillshowmehangingfrom . . . No,
III . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245 theyshallnothangme!
26. HidingtheEvidence ................................... 251 Myhandstealstothelapelofmycoat,andadeepsenseofgratification
I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251 comes over me, as I feel the nitroglycerine cartridge secure in the lining.
II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253 I smile at the imaginary carpenter. Useless preparations! I have, myself,
III . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254 preparedfortheevent. No,theywon’thangme,Myhandcaressesthelong,
narrowtube. Goahead! Makeyourgallows. Why,themanisputtingonhis
27. Love’sDungeonFlower ................................ 257
coat. Ishedonealready? Nowheisturningaround. Heislookingstraight
28. ForSafety ........................................... 267
atme,Why,it’sFrick! Alive? . . .
29. DreamsofFreedom ................................... 269 Mybrainisonfire. Ipressmyheadagainstthebars,andgroanheavily.
I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269 Alive? HaveIfailed? Failed? . . .
II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
30. WhitewashedAgain .................................. 275
II
31. “AndByAllForgot,WeRotandRot” .................... 281
I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Heavyfootstepsapproachnearer;theclankingofthekeysgrowsmore
II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
distinct. Imustcomposemyself. Thosemocking,unfriendlyeyesshallnot
III . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
witness my agony. They could allay this terrible uncertainty, but I must
32. TheDeviousnessofReformLawApplied ................. 289
seemindifferent.
33. TheTunnel .......................................... 293
WouldI“takelunchwiththeChief”? Idecline,requestingaglassofwater.
I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Certainly; but the Chief wishes to see me first. Flanked on each side by
II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
a policeman, I pass through winding corridors, and finally ascend to the
34. TheDeathofDick .................................... 299 privateofficeoftheChief. Mymindisbusywiththoughtsofescape, asI
35. AnAlliancewiththeBirds ............................. 301 carefullynotethesurroundings. Iaminalarge,well-furnishedroom,the
I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301 heavily curtained windows built unusually high above the floor. A brass
railingseparatesmefromtheroll-topdesk,atwhichamiddleagedman,of
36. TheUnderground ..................................... 309
distinctIrishtype,isengagedwithsomepapers.
37. AnxiousDays ........................................ 317
“Good morning,” he greets me, pleasantly. “Have a seat,” pointing to a
38. “HowMenTheirBrothersMaim” ........................ 323 chairinsidetheTailing. “Iunderstandyouaskedforsomewater?”
I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323 “Yes.”
II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324 “Justafewquestionsfirst. Nothingimportant. Yourpedigree,youknow.
III . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326 Merematterofform. Answerfrankly,andyoushallhaveeverythingyou
39. ANewPlanofEscape ................................. 329 want.”
I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329 Hismanneriscourteous,almostingratiating.
II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330 “Nowtellme,Mr. Berkman,whatisyourname? Yourrealname,Imean.”
III . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331 “That’smyrealname.”
4 37
. . . Theuprightironsofthebarreddoorgrowfaint,andmeltintoasingle 40. DonetoDeath ....................................... 335
line;itadjustsitselfcrosswisebetweentheupperandsidesills. Itresembles I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335
ascaffold,andthereisamansinkingthebeamintotheground. Heleans II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336
itcarefullyagainstthewall,andpicksupaspade. Nowhestandswithone 41. THeShockatBuffalo .................................. 341
footinthehole. Itisthecarpenter! Hehitmeonthehead. Frombehind, I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 341
too,thecoward. Ifheonlyknewwhathehaddone. HeisoneofthePeople: II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342
wemustgotothem,enlightenthem. Iwishhe’dlookup. Hedoesn’tknow III . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343
hisrealfriends. HelookslikeaRussianpeasant,withhisbroadback. What
42. MarredLives ........................................ 351
hairyarmshehas! Ifhewouldonlylookup. . . Nowhesinksthebeaminto
I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351
theground;heisstampingdowntheearth. Iwillcatchhiseyeasheturns
II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351
around. Ah,hedidn’tlook! Hehashiseyesalwaysontheground. justlike
III . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 353
themuzhik. Nowheistakingafewstepsbackward, criticallyexamining
IV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 355
his work. He seems pleased. How peculiar the cross — piece looks. The
43. “PassingtheLoveofaWoman” ......................... 361
horizontalbeamseemstoolong;outofproportion. Ihopeitwon’tbreak. I
rememberthefeelingIhadwhenmybrotheronceshowedmethepicture 44. Love’sDaring ........................................ 369
ofamandanglingfromthebranchofatree. Underneathwasinscribed,The 45. TheBloomof“TheBarrenStaff” ........................ 375
ExecutionofStenkaRazin. “Didn’tthebranchbreak?”Iasked. “No,Sasha,” I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 375
mother replied, “Stenka — well, he weighed nothing”; and I wondered at II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 377
thepeculiarlooksheexchangedwithMaxim. Butmothersmiledsadlyat
46. AChild’sHeart-Hunger ............................... 381
me, and wouldn’t explain. Then she turned to my brother: “Maxim, you
I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381
mustnotbringSashenkasuchpictures. Heistooyoung.”“Nottooyoung,
II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 382
mamotchka,tolearnthatStenkawasagreatman.”“What! Youyoungfool,”
47. Chum .............................................. 385
fatherbristledwithanger,“hewasamurderer,acommonrioter.”Butmother
I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 385
andMaximbravelydefendedStenka, andIwasdeeplyincensedatfather,
II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 386
who despotically terminated the discussion. “Not another word, now! I
III . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 387
won’thearanymoreofthatpeasantcriminal.”Thepeculiardivergenceof
48. LastDays ........................................... 393
opinionperplexedme. Anybodycouldtellthedifferencebetweenamurderer
andaworthyman. Whycouldn’ttheyagree? Hemusthavebeenagood Part III 399
man, I finally decided. Mother wouldn’t cry over a hanged murderer: I
1. TheWorkhouse ....................................... 401
sawherstealthilywipehereyesasshelookedatthatpicture. Yes,Stenka
I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 401
Razinwassurelyanobleman. Icriedmyselftosleepovertheunspeakable
II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 402
injustice,wonderinghowIcouldeverforgive“them”thekillingofthegood
III . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403
Stenka, and why the weak-looking branch did not break with his weight.
IV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 405
Whydidn’titbreak? . . . Thescaffoldtheywillprepareformemightbreak
Part IV 407
withmyweight. They’llhangmelikeStenka,andperhapsalittleboywill
somedayseethepicture—andtheywillcallmemurderer—andonlyafew 1. TheResurrection ...................................... 409
36 5
I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 409 5. The Third Degree
II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 410
III . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 411
IV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 413
I
V . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 414
VI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 414
VII . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 415 Theclankingofthekeysgrowsfainterandfainter;thesoundoffootsteps
VIII . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 418 dies away. The officers are gone. It is a relief to be alone. Their insolent
IX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 419 looksandstupidquestions,insinuationsandthreats,—howdisgustingand
X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 420 tiresomeitallis! Asenseofcompleteindifferencepossessesme. Istretch
XI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 425 myselfoutonthewoodenbench,runningalongthewallofthecell,andat
XII . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 427 oncefallasleep.
I awake feeling tired and chilly. All is quiet and dark around me. Is it
night? My hand gropes blindly, hesitantly. Something wet and clammy
touches my cheek. In sudden affright I draw back. The cell is damp and
musty;thefoulairnauseatesme. Slowlymyfootfeelsthefloor,drawingmy
bodyforward,allmysensesonthealert. Iclutchthebars. Thefeelofiron
isreassuring. Pressedclosetothedoor,mymouthinthenarrowopening,I
drawquick,shortbreaths. Iamhot,perspiring. Mythroatisdrytocracking;
Icannotswallow. “Water! Iwantwater!”Thevoicefrightensme. WasitI
thatspoke? Thesoundrollsup;itrisesfromgallerytogallery,andstrikes
theoppositecornerundertheroof;nowitcrawlsunderneath,knocksinthe
distanthollows,andabruptlyceases.
“Holloa,there! Whatcherinfor?”
The voice seems to issue at once from all sides of the corridor. But the
soundrelievesme. Nowtheairfeelsbetter;itisnotsodifficulttobreathe. I
begintodistinguishtheoutlineofarowofcellsoppositemine. Thereare
darkformsatthedoors. Themenwithinlooklikebeastsrestlesslypacing
theircages.
“Whatcherinfor?”Itcomesfromsomewherealongside. “Can’ttalk,eh?
Sorderly,guess.”
What am I in for? Oh, yes! It’s Frick. Well, I shall not stay here long,
anyhow. Theywillsoontakemeout—theywillleanmeagainstawall—a
slimywalllikethis,perhaps. Theywillbandagemyeyes,andthesoldiers
there. . . No: they are going to hang me. Well, I shall be glad when they
takemeoutofhere. Iamsodry. I’msuffocating. . .
6 35
Icatchthestranger,stillclingingtome,whensuddenlysomethingheavy
strikesmeonthebackofthehead. Sharppainsshootthroughmyeyes. I
sinktothefloor,vaguelyconsciousoftheweaponslippingfrommyhands.
“Whereisthehammer? Hithim,carpenter!”Confusedvoicesringinmy
cars. Painfully I strive to rise. The weight of many bodies is pressing on
me. Now—it’sFrick’svoice! Notdead? . . . Icrawlinthedirectionofthe Part I
sound,draggingthestrugglingmenwithme. Imustgetthedaggerfrommy
pocket—Ihaveit! RepeatedlyIstrikewithitatthelegsofthemannearthe
window. IhearFrickcryoutinpain—thereismuchshoutingandstamping
—myarmsarepulledandtwisted,andIamliftedbodilyfromthefloor.
34 7
4. The Attentat
ThedoorsofFrick’sprivateoffice,totheleftofthereception-room,swings
open as the colored attendant emerges, and I catch a flitting glimpse of a
black-bearded,well-knitfigureatatableinthebackoftheroom.
“Mistah Frick is engaged. He can’t see you now, sah,” the negro says,
handingbackmycard.
I take the pasteboard, return it to my case, and walk slowly out of the
reception-room. But quickly retracing my steps, I pass through the gate
separatingtheclerksfromthevisitors,andbrushingtheastoundedattendant
aside,Istepintotheofficeontheleft,andfindmyselffacingFrick.
Foraninstantthesunlight,streamingthroughthewindows,dazzlesme.
Idiscerntwomenatthefurtherendofthelongtable.
“Fr-,” I begin. The look of terror on his face strikes me speechless. It is
thedreadoftheconsciouspresenceofdeath. “Heunderstands,”itflashes
throughmymind. WithaquickmotionIdrawtherevolver. AsIraisethe
weapon,IseeFrickclutchwithbothhandsthearmofthechair,andattempt
torise. Iaimathishead. “Perhapshewearsarmor,”Ireflect. Withalook
of horror he quickly averts his face, as I pull the trigger. There is a flash,
andthehigh-ceilingedroomreverberatesaswiththeboomingofcannon. I
hearasharp,piercingcry,andseeFrickonhisknees,hisheadagainstthe
armofthechair. Ifeelcalmandpossessed,intentuponeverymovementof
theman. Heislyingheadandshouldersunderthelargearmchair,without
soundormotion. “Dead?”Iwonder. Imustmakesure. Abouttwenty-five
feet separate us. I take a few steps toward him, when suddenly the other
man, whose presence I had quite forgotten, leaps upon me. I struggle to
loosenhishold. Helooksslenderandsmall. Iwouldnothurthim: Ihave
nobusinesswithhim. SuddenlyIhearthecry,“Murder! Help!”Myheart
stands still as I realize that it is Frick shouting. “Alive?” I wonder. I hurl
thestrangerasideandfireatthecrawlingfigureofFrick. Themanstruck
myhand,—Ihavemissed! Hegrappleswithme,andwewrestleacrossthe
room. Itrytothrowhim,butspyinganopeningbetweenhisarmandbody,
IthrusttherevolveragainsthissideandaimatFrick,coweringbehindthe
chair. Ipullthetrigger. Thereisaclick—butnoexplosion! Bythethroat
8 33