The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1888-12-20

anu tAcA09-0uo u uEU q 8OlOeu LOCK
Wrapped up in tissue paper.
Our boys are wiser now.
twas very quaint, twas very strange,
Extremely strange, you must allow.
Dear me: how modes and customs change
It could not happen now.
e. Langbridge, IN Good Words.
A DESPERATE FLIGHT,
Terrible Exp eriences OF Political
Exile In Russia
In the year 1916, Siecinski. Bogdaszewski,
snd !, with the three Russian soldiers who
guarded us, occupied a small shed near the
great distilleries of Ekaterinin ski Zovod, in
Northern Siberia.
1t was poor little dwelling. The wind
whistled and the snow dritted through tho
cracks in the boarding, but it had the in
sstimable advantage of separating in some
1egree 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 Ekarerininski-Zovod
we're prisoners (and as a matter of course
also exiles), and by far the greater proper
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,
snd had each passed separately the trial and
imprisonment in irons which had followed
our participation in the conspiracy of 1901.
Siecinski and Bogdaszewski preceded me to
Siberia, and there, alas l left them.
Ipass over the first five years of my exile,
with its tolls and trials, and will merely OBJ
serve that the permission to build and &C.
:upy dwelling apart had been granted to
ny two friends and myself as reward for
diligence and good conduct.
Our three guards never left US by day or
night, but they drew apart during the long
evenings, and either slept or feigned to do
%, while we talked together of our beloved
ountry and the irrevocable past.
OF one subject, and that the one probably
most constantly in our minds, we never
poke at all. No one of US whispered the
word "escape," and do not yet know wheth
or my two friends have succeeded in doing
% or not. But this know, that il still In
n captivity they ponder through all the
ours of every day the exile's problem,
hen and how to escape. Alas! how many
lie without solving it! From the moment
my arrest had resolved upon flight, and
knowledge of the terrible punishments in
'icted by the Russian government, not only
pom fugitives, but upon all who aid fugi-
i've, had induced me to determine to take
o one into my confidence.
Ny occupation during the last four years
fmy imprisonment had been that of cor
responding clerk in the Bureau Of the Dis
illeries, and had in that way been brought
,:Al>
rom all parts Of Siberia, and had acquired
:. very thorough knowledge of the geography
If the country, of its customs and its inhab-
'tants. In the latter part of the year 1S45
lad made three attempts to escape, which,
fortunately for me, remained undiscovered
and unsupported.
These failures were, however, Of use to
ne. since in consequence of them was in
1uced to try the route which proved the
way to freedom. The choice Of route is
If the greatest consequence to fugitive
when beginning his perilous journey. The
nigh road from Siberia to the center of Rus
ia is the one oftenest taken, because the
most direct and the easiest. But for this
very reason 1t is incomparably the most
dangerous. The surveillance there exer-
cised by the government is one of unceasing
vigilance, and it is ably seconded by the in
.abitants, whose zeal and rapacity are con-
tinually Oh the alert. The Tartars have q
saying with regard to the fugitives from
Siberia: III you kill squirrel you have
but his single skin, but If you kill car
nak' " "a term of contempt applied to pris-
soners), "you have three-his clothes, his
,hirt and himself'' (the reward for giving
up the man to iustice). Five other roads re-
NAMED, all less dangerous than the one
above alluded to, but far more difficult and
wear1some. decided to go northward,
cross the Oural Mountains and the steppes
Of Petchara and Archangel to Archangel, a
route which was not only the least used,
1ut had also the immense advantage OF be-
ing the shortest, for, once at Archangel, /
hoped to be able to escape In one Of tho
many foreign ships always to be found in
that port.
I had for many months been accumulat-
ing one by one with great secresy and no
small difficulty, the articles indispensable
TO my fight.
First among these was q passport. The
Siberian peasant is fond of travelling, and
The law requires him to be provided with
two passports. one for small distances that
Is, from village to village, and another,
sealed with the imperial arms, and bearing
The government stamp.
lsucceeded 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. It is made of sleeps
aide, the wool turned inward, and covers the
forehead down to the eyes, and comes we'll
forward over the cheeks, making-for one
not in the habit of wearing it-a disguise al
most as complete as a mask or domino.
had also succeeded in procuring q peasants
costume, and had accumulated the sum OF
$50 rubles (about 200 francs)-a small sum
for such long journey, and destined to be
diminished still further by fatal accident.
On the night of the 9Th of February, 1916,
crept 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
ut Irbit, which attracted a great crowd of
people from all parts of Siberia, among
whom hoped to pass unperceived. wore
three shirts; the outer one hung over ny
heavy pantaloons Of Russian cloth, and my
peasants waistcoat and ''armiak" "a short
burnoOse OF sheep-slkin soaked in tallow)
were bound round my waist with red, black
and white wooden sash. Long boots OF
tarred rawhlde met the edge Of the
''armiak." and on my wig wore the round
cap of red velvet bordtred with fur which
every Siberian peasant sports on fete-days
An enormous furred pelisse, the collar OF
which was turned up and tied round my
neck with . handkerchief, furred gloves
and heavy stick completed my accoutre
mont. In tbs leg Of my right boot had 9
poniard, my money was in my waistooat
and carried q bag containing pair Of
pantaloons of blue linen, shirt, and > pal,
OF boots, - well as some bread and dried
dsh,
lslipped noiselessiy out OF the hut, aud
oEopt round orosswAy IN order NOT 10 gaiI
The A!gb Eead Immediately.