Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1847-02-27
Nr"e"y NJ the RuSsian Government TO.
wards tho Polish cx,ses.
Translated by TIE Boston A,los from the Pa.
ris COnSiituiiOnneL

we compile, from one Of the Polish Journals
published IN Paris, and which our government,
unfortunately for their fame, have sought to sup.
press. the following narrntive of the acts of cru.
city prac,ised on Poles bnnishcd 10 Siberia for
political causes. Europe is but too often en-.
t'rely ignorant of the Practices ot Muscovite ".
ranny. But, from time to time, some victim
escapes aud comes 10 western Europe, to de.
nounce to the civilized world the frightfnl
conr'" pursued by that barbarous government
towards thnt portion of its subjects whose only
offences are their aspirations after liberty. 1t
will not be forgotten. that only few weeks
since, the journals published an account of the
arrest, by the police Of KGngsburg. Of a Pole.
whom they had surprised asleep on the steps OF
church lie attempted nt first to pass him.
self of as a Frenchman, n native of l.nncuedoc,
but when closely pressed by their questions. he
at length Confessed that he was a Polish exile,
who had escaped from Siberia. Iie wss i'm.
mediatey thrown into prison. and by orders re.
ceved from Berlin, he was bout to be deliver.
cd up to the Russian Government, when for,u.
na''Iv he again succeeded IN escaping. This
fugitive has just succeeded in reaching Paris.
His nnme is Rufn Piotrowski; he is well known
to some of the most respectable Polish emi.
grants, who attest his excellent character md
his veraci,y.
The following are the facts which he relates
relative to himself:-A native Of Ukraine, he
served in the corps OF General Dwernck,, du.
ring the insurrecton Of 1891. After ,ha. corps
had entered Galicia, NJ. Pio,rowski returned 10
Poland and entered the service in the l2lh re.
giment OF the line. where he remained until
the end of the campaign. Driven back into
Prussia with the corps Of General Rybinski, he
came to France with the other Polish emigrants
IN 1882; there he rema ned until ls43. LA.
wing at that period formed tho resolution Of re.
visiting his native country, he LEI, Paris in :he
month o! January Of 'hat year. returned to Rus.
sia under the name of Cataro. where he took up
his abode as professor fihe French language
in Kamienietz, the capital Of Podolis. lie soon
won the general esteem. and was even employ
I'd to give lessons in the house Of high Rus.
sian functionary. Aftera stay Of nine months.
he was everywhere received as q stranger of
great learning and irreproacbable character.
Unhappily he conhded the secret of his origin
IN several persons. A clerk in the Office Of the
government having learned that NJ. Piotrowski
was Pole, communicated the information TO
relative, an old sergeant major, who informed
the governor of the province. NJ Pio,rowski,
arrested and confronted with his accu.ers, at
fir, denied the fact. but seeing that be should
expose many innocen, persons with whom he
had been in friendly relations. he confessed that
hs was Pole by birth, denying resolutely ;ha,
he had returned to Russia with any hostile
views against the government. Notwithsinn.
ding this denial. and the absence Of all proof.
he was loaded with cha ins, transported in De.
cember, lS43, TO Kef, and condemned to be
shot. The governor of Kiet commutcd his pun.
ishment to hard labor for life, and the sentence
was approved by the Emperor. He was trans.
ported TO Siberia in The month Of August, lSii.
Several persons. accused Of having entertained
relations with him, were bsnished to remote
parts of Russia, and others compelled to serve
as private soldiers in the Russian army. The
in nformer was decorated with the order OF ST.
Stanislaus. Ia Siberia. Piotrowski was pla-
ced, by order of the Governor General, in a
brandy distilery belonging TO tie government,
to labor there as q common workman, with ex.
press orders TO the inspector to keeps constant
watch upon him. This distilery 10 situated in
Ekaterinsk, near city in tina, district called
Tavs.
lie found in that locality about 800 convicts
nearly all of whom were robbers and inurderefs,
from all the nations in the Russian empire, only
two being for political offences, and both OF
these Poles. In the commencement of his stay
he was watched by sentinel, but afterwards,
being employed in writing, he WAS less careful.
Iy guarded. Alter staying l6 months IN the
esta Sllshmen,, he determined to regain his Ii.
berty or perish. He left his place OF exile tow
ards the end of January, selecting the winter
as the most favorable season Of the year to es-
cape. the rivers. lakes ard bogs being nearly
impossible except when frosen. + ON motives
which may be easily appreciated. he gives no
account of his journey. lie confines himself to
a narrative Of his journey across the ufal
Mountains, in the midst of bare rocks, frozen
and frigh,ful deserts, in which he several times
remained three days, without taken ATTY nour'
ishmeni. Fearing to ask the hospitality OF the
few inhabitants of the country. ho excsyatet
I for himself, al night, ho'e in the snow sss