The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1881-10-20
SIBERIAN HORRORS,
EHPr'teh 'PH Of q Chicago E'Cdagnstic- Ex
ieH q" siberia and CUsplIeIlctA III Work
tn The Mines

EHprrie's'rH or II ChicnE" PCsIagnsttc Ex
He'd t0 siberia and Compelled IL work
i" The Mtnes,
Occupying humble furnished LODGINGS
IN one OF the large buildings in the heal
OF the city, and enrnns & moderate
income HS = tcacher of music and Ian
g"a8eS, is an Old man, counting by years,
tlouGh his eye is SO bright, his frame SO
robust, ard has step So firm that strar-
ger meeIn8 him for the first time would
never suspect that he had passed mid
que HE. But he comes Of hardy race
the SwlSs-~and wae nurtured in the
nie-glVlhg atmosphere of the Alps. In
MS youth he had constitution of iron.
else he could not have survived the suf
terlngs and privations which have been
his lot 0n
The assassination of the Gar was an
event which had the effect of looseninp
his tongue, and during d discussion of
the causes of the tragedy he narrated OH
interesting incident of his life.
What good can ever come of an as
sassination ?"
Assassination We'll, it is an un-
pleasant word, I admit, but it means
nothing more than bloodshed, and what
great reform was ever accomplished
without bloodshed? 1t cost rivers of
olood TO emancipate the slaves of Amer
lea"
True in that case, but the serfs Of
dussla were liberated without the sacri-
ice of single life"
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. TEoy be-
long body and soul to the Czar, whom
they call the Father, and he can dispose
OF them as he sees fit. You have heard
Oh Siberia. is man free when, without
Just cause and without trial he may be
ban!shed to that place ? Why, even
foreigner loses his freedom the moment
ne sets his foot on Russian soil. Do Won
Glllnk all eXlles are Russian subjects
NO. L, Swiss, was in Siberia !"
" You in Siberia? An exile?"
eyes"
How could that happen ?"
81 will tell you, because il will show
you how great is the power of the Cav
ana how defenSeless are the people. NV
case is one in thousands, and nv suffer
ings nothing as compared to those which
many exiles endured.
was q soldier in nv youth and
served In many parts of the world. In
my last engagement L was severely
wounded. 1t is nothing now, but for
time L was incapacitated for active mill
tary service. | had always had taste
for music, and had received O. GOOD NIL
seal education. When I retired from
the army, therefore, I sought to support
myself by teaching. st. Petersburg
seemed to present good field. SO I went
there; was well supplied with letters
OF introduction, which procured for me
the influence Of some Of the most i'm
portant pcrsonages in Russia, and I had
no dlthculty In obtaining pupils Of high
rank. At first L taught music only, but
! soon found that could materially add
to my income by teaching the English,
French and italian languages, of Which
had q thorough knowledge. Within q
year L was well established and had
laid by little money. I had every roa-
son to congratulate myself upon my po-
sition.
"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
QueSIlOn l. HySelI asked, Dut 1T was
many long day before it was answered
The police would tell me nothing. They
simply hurried me off to prison. No
formal charge was preferred against me,
there was no trial, but in two weeks l
was on the way to Siberia It was win
ter, and the journey was q terrible one.
Think of it +! Thousands of miles in IN
open sledge [ was taken to the Ouk-
boul mine, and there in the dark, breath.
ing poisonous cxhalations, + worked
with cOnvicts of the lowest class, while
a guard, armed with whip, stood ready
to lash us if we relaxed our efforts This
lasted for six months. I could not have
stood it much longer. Already my
my strength was beginning to fall al
though when I entered the mine I was
as strong as three mon. l determined
to escape, but before had decided how
or when, ] was transferred to IrkOutsk.
The government was building roads and
needed laborers. It was hard work in
the burning sun, but child's play as COM
pared to the mine. After q while they
found was an engineer, and that they
could make better use of my head than
OF my hands. From that time my stu
alton wos much pleasanter.
Cone day found an opportunity to