The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1881-09-01
ESCAPE FROM SIBERIA.

Geneva Correspondence London News.l
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NJ. Mokrievitch il about thirty three
years old. He is the son Of country
gentleman and highly educated. In
1879 he joined 4 secret political society,
and for six years was actively engaged
In Whist he calls the revolutionary pro-
paganda in Southern Russia. Although
constantly tracked by the emissaries Of
the Third Section, it was not until 1879
that he fell into their hands. In Janu-
ary Of that year he was in Kief, con-
dncting q secret printing Office, which
one day during his absence waS entered
by the police. Three of MOkrievitCh's
companions, Brandtner, Ossinsky and .
third who died without disclosing his
name, drew their revolvers and made :
vigorous resistance, but were finally
captured, and Mokrievitch was taken
the next day. All four were tried by
court martial. Brandtner, Ossinsky and
the unknown were hanged, and Mokrie-
witch was sentenced to fourteen years
penal servitude in Siberia. In june fol-
lowing he and some other state convicts
were sent to the central Jail Of Mtzensk,
whence early in July they get out On
their long journey for Gust Kara, where
they had to undergo their sentences.
They travelled part Of the way via Mimi
Novgorod by railway, steamboat and on
horseback. The remainder Of the jour-
ney, 1.45O miles, had to be done on foot
and in chains. They marched at the
rate Of about fifteen miles . day, the
night being passed in so-called etapes,
small houses swarming with vermin and
unspeakably filthy, where al classes Of
prisoners Of both sexes were compelled
to sleep huddled together on bare floors.
Between Krasnoyarsk and Irkoutsk NJ.
Mokrievitch and two Of his companions,
Izbitzkey and Orloff, changed names
and dresses with three ordinary convictl
who were under sentence Of perpetual
exile. This, NJ. Mokrievitch assures
me, is . very common expedient, and
can be effected ct . cost Of few
rubles.
His destination was now that Of the
peasant whose name he had taken, !
settlement in the province Of rkoutsk
Izbitzkey and Orlof got away before
reaching Irkoutsk, probabably by th'
connivance Of the guard Orlof VA,
recaptured. Izbitzkey has never beer
heard Of since, and is supposed TO hav'
persisted Of hunger or been devoured b.
| wolves in the trackless forests Of Eastern
| Siberia. On November 18th, 1879, ,
few days after leaving Irkoutsk for Bala
ganask--his final destination-M. Mo
krieyitch also gave his escort the slip
As soon as his fight was discovered
number Of Bouryats, half savage Mon
gol horsemen, as keen as sleuth hound
and az cunning ~ red Indians, wer
sent after him, but he succeeded il
evading their pursuit and reaching
Irkontsk. To avoid recapture, which
had he gone west, would have bee
almost certain, he made off toward th
| Chinese frontier, and after walk Q
700 miles in the depth Of . Siberia
winter, he doubled back in the direc
ton Of European Russia, which b
reached after journey Of 4, 200 miles
performed mostly on foot. He under
went terrible hardships and met wit
many adventures. Without the frequeu
aid and generous hospitality of th
country people, who are noted for thei
kindness to fugitive convicts, he coul
not possibly have made good his escape
and lest he should expose those VII
helped him to the vengence Of the Rul
sian Government, he does not desire
make publicly known the exact diree
ton which he took. NJ. Mokrievitch
journey across Russia, though not una
tended with difficulty and risk, wa
child's play compared with his wal
through Siberia. Furnished by hi
friends with false papers. he succeede
in getting safely out Of the country, an
reached Switzerland. Except WiotroN
sky in the last century, NJ. Debagori
Mokrievitch is the only state prisone
condemned to hard labor that ever es
caped from Siberia. Lapatia, who e.
capped from Irkoutsk, was All unconvicte
exile, and Bakounine, an involuntry SCI
tier on the Amoor, was taken away ,
an American merchant ship.
Preferred the Hospital.
Zach Chandler was not only . stron
man and expert boxer, but he had tb
. sand to back his muscle, and it didn
take all day to rile him. Just at u
. A.