Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1881-07-25
An Escape from Siberia.
A TERRIBLE FLIGHT OF Four THorsANp
MILEs.

TERRIBLE FLIGHT OF FOUR THOUSAND
MuEs.
| have obtained from NJ Debagorio Mok-
rievitch, the Russian Socialist, of whose
presence in Switzerland | informed YOU on
| Thursday writes a Geneva correspondent of
| the London News, personal narrative of
his escape from Siberia NJ. Mokrievitch is
about 30 years old. He is the son of a coun-
try gentleman and highly educated, In 1873
he Joined Il secret political society, and for
| six years was actively engaged in what he
| calls the revolutionary propaganda in South
| ern Russia. Although constantly tracked by
| the emissares of the Third Section, it was
until 1879 that he fell into their hands. In
January Of that year he was at Kiefi. conduct
ing a secret printing Office, which one day
during his absence was entered by the police
Three of Mokrievitch's companions, Bandit
ner, Cssinsky. and third, who died without
disclosing his name, drew their revolvers and
made a 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 Mokrievitch sentenced to
ii years penal servtude in Siberia In
June following he and some other State con-
victs were sent to the central Jail of Mitzensk.
whence early in July they set out on their
long journey for Gust Kara, where they had
to undergo their sentences. They travelled
part of the way via Mini Novgorod by rail
way, steamboat and on horseback. The re-
mainder of the journey 1,450 miles, had to
be done on foot and in chains. They marched
| at the rate of about Is miles day. the nights
being passed in so-called et0pes. small houses
| swarming with vermin and unspeakably filthy,
where all classes OF prisoners. of both sexes,
were compelled to sleep huddled together on
bare boards. Between kiasnoyarsk and
Irkoutsk NJ. Mokrievtch and two of his
| companions, Isbitzkey and Orloff, changed
names and dresses with three ordinary con
victs who were under sentence of perpetual
exile. This, NJ. Mokrievitch assures me- is
a very common expedient and can be effect
ed at a cost of few rubles.
His destination was now that of the peas
ant whose name he had taken, a settlement
| in the province Of Irkoutsk. Izbitzkey and
| Orloff got away before reaching Irkoutsk,
probably by the connivance of the guard.
Orloff was soon recaptured. Izbitzkev has
never been heard of since and is supposed to
have perished Of hunger or been devoured by
wolves in the trackless forests Of Eastern
Siberia. On November Is, 1879, a few DAYS
after leaving Irkoutsk for Balaganask-his
! final destination-M. Mokrievitch also gave
his escort the slip. As soon as his flight was
| discovered a number of Bourvats, balfsav-
| age Mongol horsemen, as keen as sleutb-
| hounds and cunning as red Indians, were
sent after him, but he succeeded in evading
their pursuit and reaching Irkoutsk. To
| avoid recapture, which. had he gone west
would have been almost certain, he made of
| toward the Chinese frontier. and after a walk
| of 700 miles. in the depth of a Siberian win
ter, he doubled back in the direction Of
European Russia which he reached after
journey Of 1000 miles, performed mostly on
| foot.
He underwent terrible hardships, and met
with many adventures Without the frequent
aid and generous hospitality of the coun-
try people who are noted for their kindness
| to fugitive eonvicts, he could not possibly
have made good his escape and lest he should
expose those who helped him to the ven-
geance Of the Russian government, he does
not desire to make publicly known the exact
direction he took. NJ. Mokrievitch's jour
ney across Russia. though not unattended
with difficulty and risk, was childs play
! compared with his walk through Siberia.
| Furnished by his friends with false papers
he succeeded in getting safely out of the
country, and few days ago reached Swift
zerland, where he feels free to breathe and
call himself by his right name Except
Wiotrowsky in the last century, NJ. Deba-
gorio Mokrievitch is the only state prisoner
condemned to hard labor that ever escaped
from Siberia. Lapatia, who escaped from
Irkoutsk, was an unconvicted exile, and
Bakounine, an involuntary settler on the
Amoor, was taken away by an American
J merchant shin.