Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-01-05
A DESPERATE FIGHT.

In the year of 1916, SecinsIli, Bogdaszew.
ski and |. with three Russian soldiers who
guarded us, occupied a small shed near the
great distilleres of Ekaterininslsi-Zovod, In
northern Siberia.
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 1901.
Siecinski and Bogdaszewsi preceded me to
Siberia, and there, alasi left them.
I 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 a dwelling apart mad been granted to
my two friends and myself as q 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 so,
while we talked together of our beloved
country and the irrevocable past
or one subject, and that the one probably
most constantly i'll our minds, we never
spoke at all. No ono of us whispered the word
escape and do not yet know whether my
two friends have succeeded in doing so or
not But this l know, that II still in cap
tivity they ponder through all the hours of
how to escapel Alas how many die without
solving It'll From the moment OF my arrest
had resolved upon flight, and a knowledge
of the terrible punishments inflicted by tie
Russian government, not only upon fugi-
tiyes, but upon all who aid fugitive, had
induced me to determine TO take no one into
my confidence.
My occupation during the last four years
Of my imprisonment had been that of cor
responding clerk in the Bureau of the Distil-
leries, 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 its inhabitants
In the latter part of the year 1915 l had
made three attempts TO escape, which, for
tunately for me, remained undiscovered and
unsupported
These failures were, however, of use to me,
since in consequence of them 1 was induced
20 try the route which proved the way to
freedom. The choice of a route is of the
greatest consequence 10 n fugitive when be-
ginning his perilous Journey The high road
from Siberia to the center of Russia is the one
oftenest taken, because the most direct and
the easiest. But for this very reason it is in
comparably the most dangerous The sur
VIGILANCE there exercised by the government
Is one OF unceasing vigilance, and it is ably
seconded by che inhabitants, whose zeal anil
rapacity are continually on the alert. The
Tartars have saying with regard to the fu-
gitives from Siberia, "If you kill a squirrel
you have but his single skin, but if you kill
'carnak' Ia Term of contempt applied to
prisoneTsl, ''you have three-his clothes, his
shirt and himself" the reward for giving up
the man to JUSTICE. Five other roads re-
manned, all less dangerous than the one above
alluded To, but far more difficult and weafi-
some. decided TO 60 northward. across the
Oural mountains and the steppes of Petchara
and Archangel TO Archangel, a route which
was not only the least used, but had also the
immense advantage of being the shortest,
for, once at Archangel hoped to be able to
escape in one of the many foreign ships al
ways TO be found in that port
had for many months been accommodating
one by one, with great secrecy and no small
difficulty, The articles Indispensable to my
flight.
First among these was passport. The ST.
berian 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 gov
sEnmsr-sta@Yy-
/ succeeded in fabricating the one and the
other. | also procured a Siberian wig, that
Is TO say, tine hood called wig worn by all
peasants in Siberia. 1t is made of sleeps
hide, the wool turned inward and covers the
forehead down To the eyes, and comes well
forward over the cheeks, malling-for any
one not in the habit of wearing tia disguise
almost as complete as mask and domino.
had also succeeded in procuring speasants
costume, and had accumulated the sum of
l.lx,1 -
such a long journey, and destined to be
diminished still further by fatal accident
On the night of the 9Th of February, 1916,
I crept out of the hut while my companions
were sleeping My enterprise was a desper-
ate one at any time, and l had selected this
month because of the great yearly fair at
Irbit, which attracted vast crowd of people
from all parts of Siberia, among whom |
hoped to pass unperceived / wore three
shirts; the outer one hung over my heavy
pantaloons of Russian cloth, and my PEASANTS
waistcoat and "armiak" "a short burnoose of
sheepskin soaked in tallow) were bound
round my waist with n red, black and white
wooden sash. Long boots of tarred rawhide
met the edge of the 'armiak, ;" and on nv
wig wore the round cap of red velvet, Dor
tered with fur, which every Siberian peasant
sports on fete days. An enormous furred
and tied round my neck with a handkerchief.
furred gloves aud heavy stick completed
my accouterment. In the leg of my right
boot had n poniard, my money was in my
waistcoat, and carried bag containing q
pair of pantaloons of blue linen, q shirt and
pair of boots as well as some bread and
dried fish
! slipped noiselessly out Of the hut and
crept round a crossway in order not to gain
the high road Immediately.
1t was freezing hard and bitter cold: the
bright moonlight glittered on the snow 1
soon crossed the frozen Irtisch, and walked
at rapid pace along the high road, reflect
ing that the nights in Siberia were long and
calculating how far l could go before day
light, when my flight must inevitably be dis
covered. Suddenly heard far behind me the
noise of q sledge advancing at full speed. /
shuddered, but nevertheless resolved to hail
1t when it passed In. j was saved that
trouble.
"Where are you goingl" said tho peasant
who drove the sledge, coming TO dead halt
beside me,
"To Tara"
Sand where do you come FRONT"
"From the village Of Zalininia"
"Give me 60 kopells" 90 cents, ''and will
take you to Tara, where l am going myself"
"No, it is too dear; fifty kopeks" Is oentS,
'if you like"
VERY well; get in, quickr'
did so and the horses set off at a tearing
galiop. The road was smooth as n polished
floor, the cold stinging in half an hour we
were at Tara. The peasant left me in the
street and drove off. approached the win
dow of the inn, and shouted in loud voice,
after the Russian fashion:
Are there horsesr'
wv hnr 70 Ill. IL