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parts of the Russian empire; that the worst crimes, such as
murder, occupy the first place on the list; that coining, a
speciality introduced by the runaway prisoners, has spread
immensely among the Siberian peasantry, the labouring classes,
and others; and that the increase of crime is far in advance
of the increase of the population, and is accelerating from
year to year at a frightful rate.
Not only is crime in Siberia distinguished by its frequent
occurrence, but also by its shockingly cynical character.
Illustrations of this it is unnecessary to give here, but it
is an undoubted fact that the moral sensibilities of the
people at large have become so blunted that hardly more
attention is paid to a shocking murder than to the killing
of a calf. The people have become so used to crimes
that they do not pay much attention to them. Only now
and then are complaints made of the lack of vigilance on
the part of the police. In the city of Tomsk complaints
of this kind once led to an incident which is characteristic
of the Russian régime and of Siberian life generally. The
Duma or city council of Tomsk formally requested the
police-authorities, on account of the growing number of
thefts, robberies, and murders within the city, to increase
their vigilance and look after the night watchmen. The
police-authorities, considering this as an insult to themselves,
summoned the city council in corpore before the
police-court. The following figures, however, will show that the
city council had good reason for their action. According
to the “Police Gazette,” there had occurred in the city of
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