The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1862-11-21
The story Of n Ssberinn Exile.
A PERILous ESCAPE FROM SIBERIA.

:
The story Of n Siberian Exile.
/ APERILous ESCAPE FROM SIBERIA.
NJ Ruin Pletrowski, a Siberian exile, ha
published in the English papers an inter
esting account of his banish hmeht and es-
cape. The principal points Of his narrative
are as folio ws:
i He went from Paris to Kamieniec in
Podolia, in 1843, under feigned name and
with an English passport. being desirous of
re-visiting a country from which he has
been banished, aud having some political
! objects in view. when, alter a sojourn Of
some months, he was detected by the Rus
sian police. sent into custody to Kew, and
there condemned to his Siberian Danish
ment. The authors status of noble ex
empted him from the worst iDfiction, that
Of making the journey to Siberia on foot.
To those who incur the latter sentence, and
they are the great majority. amounting, as
they did then, to about ten thousand an
nually. the journey from Kiew to Tobolsk
occupies . tull year; and if they are as
signed to the mines of NertchiEsk, in the
government Of Irkutsk, upwards Of two
years. During this long and exhausting
Journey they are liable to the knout or to
other murderous punishments, which the
author describes. Blu. he himself. though
condemned to hard labor. was transported
10 kibiika, laden with heavy chains, which
distressed him terribly, as a mlder alterna-
live.
Arrived at Ekaterininski Zarod. he was
first condemned to work in irons at the gov
ernment dis,ilery, in the company Of afro
cious criminals. His chains were. how
ever, removed. until eventually, like some
of his educated compatriots. he was en-
ployed a. . clerk in the distillery Office
| He was, nevertheless, liable to corporeal
chsstisement at the caprice Of the superin-
tendent. though by his diligence. patience
and tact. he contrived to escape this indig-
nifty. One curious and shocking incident
of Siberian exile is the destiny which at
tends the children who may be born to the
prisoners, and who are fa,ed to remain
serfs of the crown. Even when their pa
rents are amnestied, and permitted to return,
this degradation still attaches to the chill
dren, unless they are exempted bv special
decree; yet even this has not prevented
noble Polish ladies from following their
husbands. though under the condition, also,
that once in Siberia they must thencefor,h
remain there.
Attempts at escape are punished by in
by more summary tortures. The writer
tells the story Of certain Able Siorocinski
who attempted to organize concerted effort
for the liberation Of himself and his com
panions, and who was condemned TO 1000
strokes "sdas merci." and who received the
last 5000 on his lifeless body. Another
Pole. Wysocki, mcarcerated Mt Akatonia.
formed the design of forcing his way with
his comrades, across the steppes to Persia or
China. so chimerical were the hopes enter
tanned by these unhappy exiles. and SO in
variable. except in the authors case, had
been their speedy Illustration. At the end
of l845 an ordinance of the Emperor
Nicholas enjo;ned a more rigorous treatment
Of the Siberian prisoners, and threatened
TO abridge the little liberty which the author
then enjoyed, whercupon he resolved to
make for Archangel.
Having furnished himself with sham
passports and some little money, on the sth
Of February, 1896, he crossed the Irliche.
At night, by . boat. which was left unguard-
ed on its bank. and. disguised as Russian
peasant. he commenced his unprecedented
journey. Its success probably turned on
the single lucky chance of his meeting a
peasant At the outset who gave him lft
behind two fleet horses as far as Tara
Here he found other horses. aud in few
stages he got quickly ahead OF his pursu-
ers, il as is likely. he was pursued. Ii was
rarely that he venturcd to claim a refuge at
the lzbss on his route. and though the win
ter was one of unusual rigor he plunged at
nightfall into the forest and slept in a hole
in the snow.
He states that by degrees he acquired
great skill in the construction Of this spe-
cies of shelter, and that he contrived to take
repose there. though the absence Of warm
nourishment was most distressing 10 him,
and the frozen bread which at Intervals he
procured Mt the Ostiak cabins was a mis-
ersble support under such extreme hard
ships. AS rule the Inhabitants whom he
ventured to accost were compassionate and
hospitabe, though in one place he was sus
pected, from his possession of four shirts,
an unusual number for Russian peasant,
and NJ another place he was robbed of some
Of his little stock of money and of bis pass
port. Crossing the crest OF the Ural noun
,ains by moonlight. the grotesque desolation
of their scenery deepened the terrors and
depression of his strange situation. vet after
two months OF this savage existence io the
snow and the forests, he reached the gates
Of Vehki Oustioug in April. 1916.
Up to this point he had affected the char
acter hrst OF traveller TO the fair ut Irbite.
then Of workman seeking employ mcnt. and
now he assumed that Of pilgrim going to
salute the sacred images of the Convent Of
Solovetsk in the White Sea. In company
with number of other pilgrims he worked
his passage down the Dwina to Archangel,
and at length beheld the bourne of his ex-
hausting journey. Here, however. as he
crept along the quays. desiring but not
daring to accost some foreign captain in the
sight Of his country .he observed that a
Russian official barred the entry to every
vessel, and. Ne he dared not confront the
latter without his passport. on the very
threshold OF liberty be Vas compelled 10 re-
nource his project. AT this point he was
determined to make q further attemp, 10
reach the Lake OF Ladoga, and the Neva.
proceed to ST. Petersburg.
Az s., Petersburg he made cheap bar
gain with the master of a steam vessel