Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-03-10
on rHE WAY To srnER1A.

sumo time after INV arrest for alleged DO
litical ofYeuses, | was transferred % the third
floor Of the forwarding prison at ST. Peters
burg
had the pleasure OF meeting about sixty
five prisoners They were IA mixed assembly,
comprising professors, teachers, students,
officers Of the army and literary men. to-
gether with number OF Catholic priests
and monks. We were all located on the
same floor, tho gate at the landing being
always locked. OF course in such gather
ing u was not unusual 60 indulge In argu-
ment and interchange OF ideas, aud many
were the sad aud varied experiences related.
But altogether, under the circumstances, the
time passed quite A. pleasantly as our pecu-
liar position would permit Of As for the
discussions which arose, they only served to
enliven the situation. Our floor was com
paratively free from the vigilance OF tie
gendarmes who patroled the prison corridors
These guardians OF our safety were stationed
only az the exit from the second floor aud
the floors below, and but few OF them ven
tured into the long corridor leading To our
quarters
This relaxed vigilance ON the part OF the
prison officials was a great boon To us, for we
could converse without fear OF Interruption
Among the most noted OF the polticals in the
party was Narushevitch, a noted Polish wri-
ter, who had been imprisoned in Warsaw for
four years; ut the expiration OF that time,
without having any charges proven against
him, he was exiled TO Nevchivsk, In Siberia,
by administrative process His long incar-
ceration In prison had completely shattered
his health. He was tall and slender, and his
long beard was white rs snow His coun-
tenance was Indicative Of great intelligence,
and his expressive dark eyes were full OF a
sadness born OF long suffering and injustice
He was patriarch among the other politi-
Gals, by whom he was treated with the great
est respect. Narushovitch was accompanied
by his only daughter, Anna, a beautiful girl
about is years old. She voluntarily shared
her beloved fathers fate and did all ia her
power TO cheer his sad life
IL seemed sad 70 see this bright young girl.
Of her own free will and volition, give up all
the joys Of life and willingly bury herself in
the wilds Of Siberia, Her cheeks we're round
and rosy, her eyes bright and her whole man
nor extremely animated and chesrful. She
was a refined, highly educated girl, beloved
by all those with whom she came into con
tact; even the old governor OF the prison re-
laxed many OF its iron bound rules in her
favor, and In many ways showed her much
kindness By special permission she was per-
United daily to visit her father. IL was in
this way we saw 80 much OF her She was
like her father in figure, with the same dark
eyes, but the sadness was not In them. In
the years 10 come they would tell their own
sad story. Then all was sunshine Ia her heart
Another sad case was that Of an artillery
officer, Ivan MaslofY He was n young man,
perhaps 80 years Of age, tall and handsome, a
graduate OF the highest artillery college in
the empire, and had carried OFF the first prize.
Hs was arrested Ia Petersburg on suspicion Of
being connected with some movement for the
future amelioration OF the Russian people, de-
posed from his position without any cause
whatever and exiled TO Tobolsk By admins
trative process. His case was doubly sad from
the fact that he was the sole support OF his
mother and three young sisters, who without
his aid were left In very destitute circumstan-
ces.
The colonel Of his regiment became inter
ested In his case and tried In every way 10
secure his release by presenting n certificate
OF bis good conduct to the minister OF war.
His efforts were OF no avail; and the poor
fellow was ordered into exile, leaving al his