The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1888-12-15
A DESPERATE FLIGHT.
Terrible Exp eriences of a Political
Exile in Russia.

In the year 1916, Siccinsli, Bogdaszewski,
and /. with the three Russian soldiers who
guarded us, occupied q small shed near the
great distilleries of Ekaterinin ski iZovod, in
Northern Siberia.
II was poor little dwelling. The wind
whistled and the snow drifted through the
cracks in the boarding, but it had the in
estimable advantage of separating in some
degree our daily life from that Of the con-
victs, association with whom is one of the
hardest of the exile's many trials.
All the workmen at Ekaterininski-Iovo
were prisoners (and as matter of course
also exiles), and by far the greater proper
tion were convicts. The position of political
prisoners in such an establishment is neces-
sarily full of suffering, and my two friends
and had drunk the bitter cup to the dregs
We were Polish mobiles and Polish patriots,
and had each passed separately the trial and
Imprisonment in irons which had followed
our participation in the conspiracy Of 1S40-1
Siccinslsi and Bogdaszewski preceded me to
Siberia, and there alas +! l left them.
pass over the first five years of my exile,
with its tolls and trials, and will merely OBJ
serve that the permission to build and oc-
cupy dwelling apart had been granted to
my two friends and myself rs a reward for
diligence and good conduct.
R,r three guards never left us by day or
night, but they drew apart during the long
evenings, and either slept or feigned to do
so, while we talked together of our beloved
country and the irrevocable past.
or one subject, and that the one probably
most constantly in our minds, wo never
spoke at all. No one of US whispered the
word escape" and do not yet know wheth
er my two friends have succeeded In doing
so or not. But this l know, that II still in
in captivity they ponder through all the
hours of every day the exile's problem
when and how TO escape. Alas! how many
die without solving 1t! From the moment
of my arrest had resolved upon hight, ana
a knowledge of the terrible punishments in
fiicted by the Russian government, not only
upon fugitives but upon all who aid fugi-
tive, had induced me to determine to take
no one into my confidence.
NV occupation during the last four years
of NV IMPRISONMENT had been that of cor
responding clerk in the Bureau OF the Dis
tilleries. and had in that way been brought
in contact with merchants and peasants
from all parts of Siberia, and had acquired
a very thorough knowledge OF the geography
of the country, of its customs and It's inhao-
ifants In tho latter part of the year 1915
had made three attempts to escape, which,
fortunately far me, remained undiscovered
and unsuspected.
These failures were, however, OF use 10
rhGe since In consequence of them was in
dJIced TO try the route which proved the
way TO freedDm. The choice Of u route is
of the create st consequence to fugitive
when beginning his perilous journey. The
high road fro n Siberia to the center of Rus
sin is the on, oftenest taken, because the
most dii ect Ind the easiest. But for this
very reason it is incomparably the most
dangerous. The surveillance there exer-
cised by thefs overnment is one Of unceasing
vigilance, and it is ably seconded by the in
habitants, whose zeal and rapacity are con-
tiuually on tbs alert. The Tartais have q
saying with regard to the fugitives from
Siberia: If you kill a squirrel you have
but his single skin, but If you Kill a car
max, ~ Ia tern of contempt applied to pris-
soners), "yor have three-his clothes, his
shirt and him SELF (the reward for giving
up tile man to iustice). Five other roads re-
maiIed. ell less dangerous than the one
nboye alluded to- but far more difficult and
Weal isome l decided to go northward,
across the Oural Mountains and the steppes
of Pe:chara and Archangel to Archangel, a
route which way not only the least used,
but had also the immense advantage of be-
ing the shortest, for, once at Archangel,
hoped 10 be able to escape in one OF tho
many foreign ships always to be found In
that port
had for many months been accumulat-
ing one by one, with great secresy and no
small difficulty, the articles indispensable
10 my flight.
First among these was = passport The
Siberian peasant is fond OF travelling, and
she law requires him TO be provided with
ywo passports. one for small distances, that
Is, from village to village, and another
sealed with the imperial arms, and bearing
the government stamp.
Isucceeded In fabricating the one and the
other. also procured Siberian wig, that
is to say, the hood called wig worn by all
peasants in Siberia. 1t 10 made of sleeps
hide. the wool turned inward, and covers the
forehead down to the eyes, and comes well
forward over the checks, makng-for one
not In the habit of wearing it-a disguise al.
most as complete us mask or domino.
had also succeeded in procuring peasants
costume, and had accumulated the sum OF
$50 rubcs (about 200 francs)-a small sun
for such long Journey, and destined 10 be
diminished still further by fatal accident
On the night of tho Sth Of February, 1915
crcpt out OF the hut while my companions
were sleeping. Ny enterprise was des
perate one at any time, and had selected
this month because Of the great yearly fair
mt Irbit, which attracted great crowd oi
people from all parts OF Siberia, among
whom hoped TO pass unperceiyed. wore
three shirts; tho outer one hung over my
heavy pantaloons OF Russian cloth. anu my
.peasant's waistcont and "armiak" IA shor'
Fburnoose of shecp-skln soaked In tallow.