Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-11-11
ESCAPED FROM SIBERIA.
Adventures of Three NihilistS Who Had Been
Sent Into Exile on a Ten Years Sentence.

Adventures of Three NihilistS Who Had Been
Sent Into Exile on Ten Years Sentence.
The San Francisco Chronicle contains
story of the adventures of three fugi-
t1ves who fed from Vladivostok and cross.
ed the Pacific in the Russian man-of-war
| Moskova, and are now in that city. These
| three men were nililist students at the
| University of Keif. One night at secret
meeting the police desdended on the room
! and fourteen were captured. The evil
| dence was clear, aud one who was deliver
ing speech received twenty years in ST.
| IBERIA, while tbs others received ten years.
| The names of the three friends who chung
| together are Dimitri, Vissati and Ivan.
The family names they refused to divulge
for fear of consequences no their relatives.
| They were taken with several other con-
demned ninilists by sea to Vladivostok,
suffering great hardship. on the voyage
as the vessel was OvercroWded, and when
| ever near port the matches were fasten-
| ed down, and their quarters became like
between-d 9cks on an African SLAYER Ten
men and two women died on the passage
Arrived at Vladivostok afted sivty two
days of suffering on shipboard, what was
the surprise of the students to find in the
office of gendarmes placed as a guard ov-
er them an old friend, who had been de-
| ported from Odessa for nihilism. This
officer told them he had been sent over
lsnd to Siberia, but owed his present po-
s1t1on to his services as secretary of ms
pector of cOnvicts. He gave the prison
ers money which enabled them to change
| their virmin-infested garments for new
clothes. They were drafted to the town
of Onla, where they were employed in the
&C
| through the influence of their friend, they
were transferred to Vladiyostok, where
two were were employed in navy store
houses and the other became messenger
in the prison office. Dimitri, the elder,
concluded his story as follows:
''Little by little we gathered money
contributions from our friends and by do
ing various work for the ship people, so
cur lot was easy compared with the I'M
fortunate beings who were condemned to
work IN silver mines and never daylight,
but live in underground cells on beds of
straw with the mule that haul the ore cars.
Their lot is terrible, a living death. When
IN June the steamer MoskoYa came to
NladlvOstOk we heard she was to go home
by way Of America, and we resolved to es-
cape. Our few rubles we bought clothing
and tobacco with, and upon the night
previous to her departure shave our boards
off and chaeged hats, disguised ourselves,
| and came on board the ship in the dark
ness. MIST of the crew were drunk, but
many of them were good friends to us, and
never betrayed US; indeed, it was through
the help of one of the Moskova's officers
that we came all safe. Our work was in
the bOiler-roOm, and we keep out Of sight
as much as possible"
The most singular feature of the escape
of these fugitives is that they crossed the
Pacific in a distinguished company of
Russian officials. On board of the Mus
kova were Vice Admiral Ivan Shestakoff
minister of marine of the cazar; Prince
Wittgenstein, adutant gsneraI of the en-
ulre, and Prince Galitzen and TOnalui,
relatives of the car. These officials re-
manned here for few days, and then left
for New York, on their way to Russia.
The nihilist fugitives- intend to work
their way to Mennonite colony in Nebras-
ka, where they hope to find an asylum.
Each of the men looks ten years older
than the age which he gives, and there
faces were hunted appearance, as they
still fear pursuit and capture, although
assured they are safe.