Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-08-24
PULASKI'S POOR HEIR.
Terrible Life-Tale Of Russian Claim
ant for American Justice,
A Wretched Survivor Of Siberian In
humanity.

Philadelphia Press: A direct de-
scendant of Gen. Pulaski, the great
revolutionary soldier, is now In TINS
city, actively engaged In pushing his
claim to the money and estate, voted
TO the Polish general by the continent
tai congress, and which Pulaski
never lived to enjoy. Casimir sun
cZynski Is the name of the claim
ant, and he is Pulaski's granddaughter.
He has led IA life that would be worth
writing about, even though he had no
distinguished ancestor. He was a
Polish insurgent, but with many 9th
ers, was made prisoner by the Russians
and condemned To pass the remainder
Of his life in the Siberian mines. In
1879 he was liberated through the eli
forts of William M. Evarts, then secre-
tary OF state, and allowed by the nus
sian government to come to this coun-
try for the express purpose OF claiming
the Pulaski property. Since then
the machinery Of the law that was set
In motion by Sufltlynsh's attorney to
get him the estate has been going so
| slowly that its motion has hardly been
perceptible, but now there seems some
| chance of the case being settled.
| Iulhshl WIS " CIV +"
salary of So coo year. He earned
this for four years but never drew 1t.
In addition to the money he was
granted 500 acres of land, which he
was allowed to select from region not
then occupied. The ground which he
chose was in the center of the site on
which the city of Columbus, Ohio, now
stands. 1t Is probable, however,
I,nt tnh
to this land has lapsed. 1t
was never really occupied by the
continental general. When he died
| the sum of S24 600 remained to the
credit of his heirs in the United 5 a,es
treasury, and this, with interest added,
is still on the books at Washington
awaiting the disposition of congress.
Casimir, the claimant, was born In
Poland in 1888, his father being the
son of Pulaski's brother. Casimir was
gently reared and enjoyed an income
of 5000 roubles. When the
revolution of 1867 broke out
he abandoned everything to pa
triotism and went with his townsmen
to fight against the tyranny of Russia.
In the second engagement he was cap.
tured with 500 comrades and
liuluuTtu III uubbtbH ~
Warsaw. He remained there
his confinement he was drawn from
til he became insensible.
In the fall of 1858 he was sentenced
with the other prisoners to Siberia.
Heapplied for permission TO make use
of his horses on the way, but this was
,lan,.1 Ii ha told that nj
only his horses, but all his property,
had been contiscated by order Of the
ear. His sister, who was incOnsola-
BILE at his misfortune, determined to
accompany him to his destination.
She provided herself with team, but
the, retched Gas mir was never allow, d
to make use of 1t. With his legs and
hands chained he limped along on the
frozen ground, keeping AS near TO hi.
sister as possible. Occasionally
through the brutality of the guards he
was driven away from her and did
not get the benefit of her onsolation
and encouragement for weeks. The
journey to Irkutsk took two years and
ten days. On the way the eXiles were
allowed ten kopeka, or five cents a
day, with which to provide them.
selves tn food. They subsisted
chiefly on bread and melted snow. To
some extent they were dependent on
the charity of the peasants of the vii
lagos through which they passed.
Casimir Jared so well at their han IL
that he was frequently able to save up
his allowance for few days and then
indulge in some luxury.
When the party reached Irkutsk
Casimir's sister was compelled to turn
around and go through the weary
journey back to Poland. The unhappy
patriot, however, was Obliged To tramp
on and on for a thousand miles more
until he reached spot almost near
Alaska, where there were soft coal
mines. He was then taken 500 yards
under ground and given pick and
shovel. He claims that for fourteen
years he remained in the bowels of the
earth, and that during that time he
never once saw the sun. some of his
fellow-workers were chained to trucks
and forced to do the labor of beasts OF
burden. All OF them had their hands
and legs fastened together with irons
which bent them double.
Starvation and sickness existed i'm
the mines to a terrible extent and one
10y one the eNiles-many of whom had
like Casimir, been delicately reared
dropped OIL. The average duration OF
life was but few years. Casimir, how.
ever, had good cons titution and stool
the hardships in IA way that astonished
the guards. Sometimes they would
discuss thequestion of now many NOR,
years he could endure. According To
his statement the prisoners were or
dered To be shot for the slightest OF
tense. One man was murdered for ask
Ing for glass of clean water because
he Was sick aud could not drink the
horrible stuff that had been given him
Butcthe most terrible part of the
, story, and one that adds new horror
to the already long list that can be
made out when one writes of the ST
berian mines, Is Casimir's statement
that death OF prisoner was hailed
with JOY by his comrades. They fed
on the remains. So little food was
doled out by the officers that CORPSE
was torn to pieces and devoured MI
most before II had got cold. Casimir',
stories of Siberian cannibalism max,
the description Of the cousumpt on Of
human flesh durinpt he Greedy ex pedi
uon appear TO be q mere triile. II.
declares that weak men We're slauvh
! Tered by the stronger and that theil
iiesh was dried or frozen and
, then stored away for future use. This
was winked at by the Russian officials
who saw In 1t the economy of govern
ment stores. No heed was paid 10 the
disappearance OF II prisoner.
Casimir's sister, In few years. de.