The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1881-08-04
Remarkable Escape from Siberia.


have obtained from NJ. Debagorio
Mokrievitch, the Russian Socialist, OF
whose; presence in Switzerland in
formed you on Thursday, a personal
narrative of his escape from Siberia
NJ. Mokrievitch is about thirty-three
years old. He is the son of a country
gentleman and highly educated. In
1873 he joined a secret political society,
and for six years was actively engaged
in what he calls the revolutionary prop
aganda 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 JAN
uary of that year he was in Kief, con-
Quoting a secret printing Office, which
one day during his absence was entered
by the police. Three of Mokrievitch's 8
companions, Brandtner, Ossinsky. and a
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 Mokrievitch was sem
fenced to fourteen years penal servi-
tude in Siberia In June following he
and some other State convicts were sent
to the Central Jail of Mtzensk, whence
early in July they set out on their long
| Journey for Gust Kara, where they had
to undergo their sentences. They tray-
eled part of the way Uia Mini Novgo-
rod by railway, steamboat and on horse
back. The remainder of the journey,
1,45o miles, had to be done on foot, and
| in chains They marched at the rate oi
| 6ftoor miles dau rho NIGHT ha-
ing passed in so-called etdpes, small
houses swarming with vermin and un-
speakably filthy, where all classes o.
prisoners of both sexes were compelled
to sleep huddled together on bare
boards. Between Krasnoy arsk and
Irkoutsk M. Mokrievitch and two of hi.
companions, Isbitzkey and Orlof
changed names and dresses with three
ordinary convicts who were under sen
tence of perpetual exile. This, Nj
Mokrievitch assures me, is very com.
mon expedient, and can be effected at {
cost of few rubles-
His destination was now that of the
peasant whose name he had taken, {
settlement in the Province of lrkoutsk
Izbitzkey and Orloff got away before
reaching Irkoutsk. probably by the con
nivance of the guard. Orlof was sool
recaptured. Izbitzkey has never beer
heard of since, and is supposed to hay'
perished of hunger, or been devoureC
by wolves in the trackless forests o
Eastern Siberia. On November II
1879, a few days after leaving Irkoutsl
for Balaganask-his final destination
M. Mokrievitch also gave his escort tn
slip. As soon as his fight was discov
cred number of Bouryats, half-savag
q nTnN n
hounds and as cunning as red Indians
were sent after him, but he succeeded
in evading their pursuit and reaches
Irkoutsk. To avoid recapture,. which
had he gone west would have been al
most certain, he made off toward tn
Chinese frontier, and after walk O
700 miles in the depth of a Siberian win
ter he doubled back in the direction @
European Russia, which he reache
after a journey of 1000 miles, per
formed mostly on foot. He underwear
terrible hardspips, and met with man
adventures. Without the frequent al
and generous hospitality of the countr
people, who are noted for their kind
ness to fugitive convicts, he could nc
possibly have made good his escape
and lest he should expose those VIII
helped him to the vengeance of tn
Russian Government, he does not de
sire to make publicly known the exae
direction which he took. NJ. Molrie
vitch's journey across Russia, thoug
not unattended with difficulty and rish
was child's play compared with h
walk through Siberia Furnished b
his friends with false papers, he sut
ceeded in getting safely out of tn
country, and q few days ago reache
Switzerland, where he feels free
breathe and call himself by his rigf
name. Except Wiotrowsky in the La
century, NJ. Debagorio Mokrievitch
the only State pri5oner condemned
hard labor that ever escaped from S
IBERIA Lapatia, who escaped frol
Irkoutsk, was an unconvicted exile, an
Bakounine, an involuntary settler @
the Amoor, was taken away by 9
!. American merchant ship.-Genevd Di
patch TO London Netcs.