This short feature has an interesting story and is reasonably well-crafted for its era. The story is fairly involved for a one-reeler, and there is easily enough material for a much longer feature. Indeed, it would have been better at several times its length, but in 1905 there was probably not yet much of a feel as to how much material you could effectively fit into 10 minutes of running time.
The story dramatizes the experiences of a family whose father is arrested as a political enemy by the tsarist police, and it is quite a grim, tense scenario. If the characters had been developed more fully, it could have been quite compelling. Most of them have indistinct personalities, and usually they are only identifiable by their clothing. Once again, it would not be long before some standard techniques would make this part of film-making more creative.
As it is, the story is still interesting, is told fairly well, and with more personal identification with the characters it could have been even more affecting. The film's overall quality is a little hard to determine, because the print (at least on video) is in bad shape in many places. Some of the settings are rather detailed, and there is plenty of action. It's worth seeing for those who like these early features.