The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1881-09-29
SIBERIAN HORRORS.

?. SIBERIAN HORRORS. 7a
Experience. of a Chicago Pedas-eue Ex
He'd to siberia and Compelled to Work
In the Mines.
Occupying humble furnished lodgings
in one of the large buildings in the heart
of the city, and earning moderate
income as teacher of music and lam
guages, is an old man, counting by years,
though his eye is SO bright, his frame so /
robust, and his step SO firm that stran- 1
ger meeting him for the first time would .
never suspect that he had passed mid /
die life But he comes of hardy race
the Swiss-and was nurtured in the !
life giving atmosphere of the Alps. In
his youth he had a constitution of iron,
else he could not have survived the suf-
ferings and privations which have been
his lot. s. ,r ~
The assassination of the Czar was an
event which had the effect of loosening
his tongue, and during a discussion of
the causes of the tragedy he narrated an
interesting incident Of his life. ~ st,-
What good can ever come Of an as
sassination ?" sisf i{-
ASSASSINATION Well it is an un-
nothing more than bloodshed, and what
great reform was ever accomplished
without bloodshed? It cost rivers of
blood to emancipate the slaves of Amer
ica."
."True, in that case, but the serfs of
Russia were liberated without the sacri-
Gee of single hfe." 49,.
"Do you think the people of Russia
are free to-day? No. They can not be
bought and sold like merchandise, but
they are slaves all the same. They be-
long body and soul to the Gar, whom
they, call the Father, and he can dispose
Of them as he sees fit. You have heard
of Siberia. Is a man free when, without
just cause and without trial, he may be
banished to that place !? Why, even a
foreigner loses his freedom the moment
he sets his foot on Russian soil. Do you
think all exiles are Russian subjects
No. I, Swiss, was in Siberia I"
You in Siberia? An exi1e"
eyes" al..
Chow could that happen?"
81 will tell you, because it will show
you how great is the power of the Czar
and how defenseless are the people. My
case is one in thousands, and my suffer-
ings nothing as compared to those which
many exiles endured.
81 was soldier in my youth, and
served in many parts of the world. In
my last engagement I was severely
wounded. 1t is nothing now, but for
| time was incapacitated for active mill
tary service. 1. had always had taste
for music, and had received a good .mu-
seal education. When I retired from
the army, therefore, I sought to support
myself by teaching. st. Petersburg
seemed to present a good field, SO I went
there. I was well supplied with letters
of introduction, which procured for me
the influence of some of the most inn
portant personages in Russia, and 1 had
no difficulty in obtaining pupils Of high
rank. At first taught music only, but
] soon found that / could materially add
to my income by teaching the English,
French and italian languages, of which
I had a thorough knowledge. = Within q
| year I was well established and had
laid by little money. I had every rea-
son to congratulate myself upon my po-
! sition. - --- - i. - .-.~,.
"But an evil day came. It was sit
| ting alone in my little library one even
| ing when two agents of the police en-.
tered and placed me under arrest" -
| "For what cause ?" -
"For what cause? That was the
question I myself asked, but it was
many a long. day before it was answered.
The police would tell me nothing. They
simply hurried me off to prison. Nc
formal charge was preferred against me,
there was no trial, but in two weeks
was on the way to Siberia. 1t was win
ter, and the journey was terrible one.
Think of it Thousands of miles in an
open sledgel L was taken to the Ouk
boul mine, and there in the dark, breath
ing poisonous exhalations, worked
with convicts of the" lowest class, while
a guard, armed with whip, stood ready
to lash us if we relaxed our efforts. Thii
: lasted for six months. could not have
stood it much longer. Already m.
my strength was beginning to fail, al
though when I entered the mine I wa
as strong as three men. I determined
to escape, but before had decided how
or when, I was transferred to Irkoutsk
The government was building roads anc
needed laborers. 10 Is was hard work il
pared to the mine. After while the,
AOuuu was I'LL Sue51ACCA, dhN pddo oAo.
could make better use of my head thar
of my hands. From that time my s1tu
alton was much pleasanter. :aias
"One day I found an opportunity t
escape. IT. was in winter-my SECOND
winter in Siberia. A courier was to b,
sent to the Gar. He was going in
sledge, and was to be accompanied par
of the way by guide. I had mad
good use of my time in the engineering
department, and knew the route from
Irkoutsk to the frontier as we'll as
could be learned from maps. I resolved
if possible, to take the place OF tn
guide. Fortune favored me. The courie
was to start early in the morning. Th
night before, I found the guide, Pile
him with brandy, and left him in
drunken stupor. Before daybreak re
turned and aroused him. He was stl
intoxicated and very thirsty. A fey
more drinks of brandy sufficed to agsi
stupefy him. Then I took his clothes
his horse and his sledge, went for th
, courier, and in an hour we had LEI
, Irkoutsk far behind us. The courie
suspected nothing. He had never see
the real guide, and had therefore no res
son to suppose I was an impostor.
accompanied him as far as Omsk, whei
he procured another guide and anothe
vehicle. You may be sure was NJ
sorry to part with him. for at every pos
, ing house since we left Irkoutsk ha
expected arrest. I felt that would