The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-07-05
SENTENCED TO SIBERIA.
Nihilist's Experience Between His Arrest
in Kieff and His Escape in Irkutsk.

1ed by the Nihilist brothers Iyichevitsh, was
; regularly besieged and captured by the gen
larnfs at the point Of bayonets They fought
desperately on both sides. The gendarmes
Were ordered to take the conspirators headquar-
ters at any cost, and the Nihilists were deter
mined to defend themselves to the last shot.
One door after another was broken in, but not
before each was turned into sieve by the shots
fred from both sides Captain Sudeikin and
his men wore suits of chain mail, yet gen
aarme was killed on the spot, and several were
wounded Both brothers Ivchevitch were NOR
ALLY wounded N. Brantner and another friend
we're seriously wounded. The consplrators were
pverpowered, arrested and brough to the police
headquarters.
On the same night in another house was ar
rested and brought to the same police building.
In what plight beheld my comrades there!
n Posen and B. Steblin- Kamensky were stand
Ing with their arms tightly bound behind their
backs and held by gensdarmes In q cor
ner of the same room wore sitting Miss Armfeld,
/ Miss Patalitzin, and p, Sarandovitch, all bound
| and helpless. The room was filed with PONCE
men and armed gensdarmes Amid the roar OF
voices there suddenly appeared the glgantlc
6gure of our brave comrade, known under the
assumed name Of Antonof. He was dragging
]. behind him two policemen who tried to hold him
By his arms Never can forget his appearance;
Pale was his face sparkling his eyes, disordered
his black, curly hair, and trembling his frame
from head to foot.
What is thatqs he Numbered, pointing at
fosen and Kamensky. ARMS tieda Away with !.
the ropeSlS
fPiease calm yourself, said the police cap
tain. We will unite them.
Instantly the ropes were taken away.
Water! Iwant drink reared Antonoh.
Bring water at once" commanded the cap
( tain. Presently colonel Of gendarmes ap-
peared. and ordered that each OF us should De
taken to separate cell.
use your swords and bayonets in case OF
need, said the colonel to the gendarmes.
On the next day We we're transferred to the
fortressy where scores of our. friends had been
pining for years waiting for the quick and Just
trial" which has been solemnly promised by the
Gear Alexander. OF course we were subjected
TO solitary confinement However, we kept up
b lively correspondence. We telegraphed to one
another by rapping on the wall Occasionally
we shouted to each other in our cipher. The
fortress authorities tried in vain to hinder us
from talking in one way or another In April
ne were tried by the military court AS we were
not allowed though we had the right by law to
moose our own counsel. we decided not to take
eny part whatsoever in the sham trial.
Three of our party of ffteen--AntonoH, Brant-
ner, and Ossinsky--were condemned to death,
and the rest to hard labor in the Siberian mines
FOR fourteen years and ten months. When the
sentence Of death was announced lady prisoner
swooned. The spectators who packed the hall
were greatly excited curiosity prompted some to
stand up on the benches
What do you stare att" Numbered Antonof,
with his eyes flaming For shame to make a
spectacle Of this thingp The paCple fell back and
turned to the exit.
After the trial we condemned pFisoners-those
who were to die and those destined for Siberia
were allowed to pass part of every day to-
gether 1t was impossible to describe our feel
ings On the eve of the execution of our three
friends we babe them last good-by. must say
that on that momentous evening the three who
were about to die tried their best to cheer the
rest of US Antohof was anxious about only
one thing-that his proper name would not be
discovered He loved his mother dearly, and
wished that she might remain ignoratt Of his
fate IT is hardly necessary to say that the three
died bravely
ria. The two of us who did not belong TO the
nobility were sent on foot, like the rest of the
unprivileged criminals. Their heads were half
6haved, and heavy chains were put on their
Feet According to the law, the noblemen do
not lose their privileges until they reach their
destination in Siberia, and SO some of us drove
in rude wagons. Our heads were not shaved
and we were free from chains. All, however,
! were dressed alike We had caftans of coarse
gray cloth, with two diamond shaped yellow
patches on our backs to signify that we were
sentenced to hard labor The Siberian exiles
proper wore only an ace OF diamonds From
Kieff we went by railroad in special prison
car, accompanied by gendarmes. Thus we
passed Orel Moscow, and reached Mini Nov
gorod. Then we were placed IN q barge. which
was towed by a steamer to Perm. Then again
we went by railway up to Ecaterinburg After
that there was before us the famous Siberian
road, It is common post-route, with three
telegraph wires stretched on one side. These
wires lead to the very shore Of the Pacific
Each Of US noblemen had troika and each
was accompanied by two armed gendarmes
From Kief to Ecaterinburg we had chance
TO look upon the world except through iron
bars and nets, but now we could enjoy the view
with no obstacle before our eyes What joy it
was for me / felt as II freedom was returning
to me. True, since the first day of my arrest
\ the idea Of attempting to escape never left my
mind. But now that looked upon the free wide
world the thought turned into burning desire
which controlled all my actions. Once in the
night while the gendarmes were asleep at my
side. took the cap from one Of them, and tried
to pull out his pistol. If had succeeded in get
ling that pistol / would have tried my legs, but
the gerdarme awoke and parted for the time
with my happy dream.
We made two hundred miles and reached Thu
men. From that town up to Tomsk we were
taken along with hundreds Of common criminals
in a barge Weran up the OBJ. The prisoners
called our barge poultry house, because it was
covered with solid iron net The prisoners
were packed in the barge like herrings in box
We, the political prisoners, were allowed to walk
occasionally on the deck. In this manner we
iourneyed 2, 700 versts From Tomskto Krasnoi-
aIsk we travelled 800 versts on the troikas, and
from there to Irkutsk we had to go by the etape
| system. One thousand versts were thus
iourneyed in two months. In our party
. there were 10 persons. There were 70
/ ,nst men, hearty women, babies, and the
lged. The etape system is arranged in this way:
All the prisoners were put into two lines. Then
followed wagons with theawomen and children
md the prisoners luggage. Then followed two
iroikas of the noble exiles, and three troikas of
he political criminals closed the procession An
Ilficer and thirty soldiers formed kind of chain
round our party. Fifteen miles was regular
lays tramp. Then all stopped in the prison for
HE night After two days Of walking day was
Flowed for rest The houses are divided into
cur unequal parts towit large hall for male
prisoners a family room, "a room for noblemen
md the guards room. OF cleanliness and com
iort in any Of the rooms there was absolutely
1onp.