Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1872-05-29
aMistfllanu.
1 Remarkable Escape from Siberia.

1 htlHAal
Escapes Of exiles from Siberia are very
-e-- The most recent, as we'll as one of
~ most remarkable, took place in 1916.
r- hero was VI. Ruin Piotrowski, Pole,
v5. having taken part in the revolt Of
1881. left his native land, and, after re-
ssn, In Paris for many years, ventured
Il. return as the emissary of his exiled
..rrrvmen. Passing himself as one Cath
.-- native of Malta, and teacher OF
..arlagcs. be remained about nine months
-- hamIeniec, in Podolia, where being rec
..-.ilsd as Pole. he was arrested Decem-
asr sI 1913. and after short trial Was
.er- In Siberia. There be was herded
-zrh eonvicts Of the lowest order, and
forced to perform the most arduous and
-eruI-Ive labor under the superintendent,
U6o wa, himself a common felon. Cherish
-p, hopes Of escape, he studiously avoided
.uarrelug with his keepers, lest ne should
6s scourged with the knout, for ne was
determined to resist the infiction OF fCoTpo-
Hal punishment at the hazard of his own
life orof others. His industry and general
rood behavior we're rewarded by his being
emDI9veI at a desk in the counting house
7f the government distillery at Ekaterin.
-ki-/avod. The Office was frequented by
numerous travellers, who came either to
-e.I grain or buy spirit, and among them
we're peasants, townspeople, traders, Rus
SANS, Tartars, Jews and Kirgheez BY
Fl. linr injuries Of these men he acquired
aa intimate knowledge Of the various parts
q Siberia, which was Of the greatest value
.a armiuL his plan Of escape. His cOndi-
rsa Was also improved by being allowed
% cave the barracks, where he was herded
r-a -le yi.est fclons, and lived in cabin
win $50 of his countrymen. His new
quarters though far from comfortable,
5.-s infinitely better than the old, though
ta. constant presence Of a guard Of soldiers
eaan be- and his friends had to pay for
v.ua.u-orer them, was by no means salts
factory
Though now in the possession of un-
usual privileges. and esteeming himself
fortunate when compared with many Of
bis brethren. doomed to labor with their
s.- heavily ironed, in the mines of Men
.aa.s under the lash Of cruel taskmasters,
4. -Iaa was his desire for freedom that
1- determined to attempt to recover it
even # rle risk Of being scourged with
.1. -olr. and immured in the mysterious
dungeons of Akatcua About this time
t1a Emperor Nicholas issued & decree
which aggravated the condition Of exiles
no Siberia Commissions visited the penal
settlements and proposed new measures of
severity, and in order to satisfy the suspi-
.l- de-poti-m Of the car, it was deemed
desirable TO curtail the privileges granted
70 some OF the prisoners, and oblige them
u ivl in the barracks with the other con-
E.t- All this made PiotrOWskl persist
a the project OF escape which he had
nali-ated tor a time.
After carefully considering the different
Fas- of leaving the Russian Empire, he
a.dcd to take the road to the north,
across the Urai Mountains and the steppes
ot Petchora and Archangel. This being
the most unirequeuted, was, for that reason
only, the safest route. 1t was also the
shortest, for among the numerous foreign
vessels at Archangel political refugee
would probably find some means Of deliver
aucc After obtaining all the information
possible about the manners and customs
ot the people on this route, he took the
Frecauuon also to acquire knowledge In
regard to the other directions in which
chance or fate might lead him. To collect
the necessary articles for the dangerous
Journey took q good deal Of time and
trouble. The most important Of these was
passport, of which there are two kinds
ID u,e IN Siberia; one being a mere pass,
good only for comparatively short distances,
and for very limited time and the other,
a much more importarc document, known
as .he p.akatDy, issued only by the high
authorities, upon stamped paper. Both of
these be succeeded in forging the latter
by approprIating a piece Of stamped paper
from the office, and afixing it to a capital
-eaL with arms Of the car, which he pro-
cured for few rubies from one of the
a1uvict-, who was skillful counterfeiter
The next step was to transform himself
nt7 native Of the country, a MAJ Of
Siberia lShirski tcheIoviek) as they say
20 Russia. lis beard had be6G nurposely
allowed % gTlw for a long time, so that it
a.- reached a proper length, and after
many attempts he succeeded in obtaining
q Siberian Wig made Of sheepskin, with
-aa wool inside, worn in that country to
saar out the intense cold. At last his
Disguise was so complete as to make rec
asn,u0n extremely Improbable The money
remaining after the purchase of these
a-.e.es was only one hundred and eighty
-l. about two hundred francs), a small
.ln .3r 80 long a journey, and destined by
al Gl.ucky accident to become still smaller
Though well aware Of the difficulties and
Dangers Of his journey, he had from con-
-e-ltlous motives done something to in
crease them. As his communications to
as brethren in Poland had resulted in
e1dalEerIng their safety, he made VOW
20. to ask tor help, protection, or advice
from any one, tall he had passed beyond
ile 1omuions of the car This determina-
u-n was adhered to under the most irving
ci-c instances
BY the last day Of January his prepara-
Tons were completed. The time Of starting
seemed particularly favorable, from the
TACT that one Of the great fairs peculiar
- Listern Russia was soon to be held at
Ierblte. at the foot Of the Ural Mountains
Am'd the multitude of travellers on the
road there seemed little chance of tracking
lugitIve; So profting by this circum-
stance, he set out on the Sth Of February
io. lie had put on three shirts, one
oi which, being colored, hung over tie
trousers, Russian fashion, and thick
g.oin waistcoat. Over these was a small
oarnouse Of sbeepskin, well creased with
allow reaching to the knees. He also
wore large riding-boots, we'll tarred. and
a s4sh OF white, red and black worsted
ued round the waist On his wig was
placed red velvet cap, trimmed witb
iuF' such as Is worn by a well-to-do Siber-
IAN peasant on holidays, Or By traveIino