Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1890-03-02

Some time after my arrest for alleged DO
litical effenses, | was transferred to the tn rd
floor OF the forwarding prison at st. Peters
burg.
had the pleasure Of meeting about sixty
five prisoners They were & mixed assembly,
comprising professors, teachers, students,
officers of the army and literary men, to-
gether with a number of Catholic priests
and monks. We were all located on the
same floor, the gate at the landing being
always locked. OF course in such gather
Ing it was not unusual to indulge i'll argu-
ment and interchange Of ideas, and many
were the sad and varied experiences related.
But altogether, under the circumstances the
time passed quite as 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 the
gendarneS who patrolied the prison corridors
These guardians of our safety were stationed
pnly at the exit from the second floor and
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 great boon to u.s. for we
could converse without fear of interruption.
Among the most noted of the politicals in the
party was Narushevitch, a noted Polish VIII
ter, who had been imprisoned in Warsaw for
four years; at 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 as white as snow. His coun-
I'D Of ipta
and bis 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. Narushevitch was accompanied
by his only daughter, Anna, beautiful girl
about IS years old. She voluntarily shared
her beloved fathers fate and did all IN her
power TO cheer his sad life.
It seemed sad TO see this bright young girl,
Of her own free viii and voition, give up all
the joys of life and willingly bury herself in
che wilds of Siberia. Her cheeks were round
aud rosy, her eyes bright and her whole man
ner extremely animated ami cheerful. She
was Il refined highly educated girl, beloved
by all those with whom she came into con-
tact; even the old governor Of the prison re-
Taxed many of lis iron bound rules in her
favor, and In many ways showed her much
kindness. By special permission she was per
mitted daily to visit her father. 1t was in
this way We saw 30 much Of her. She was
like her father in figure. with the same dark
eyes, Acut the sadness was not in them. In
the wears 10 come they would tell their own
sad story Thenall was sunshine in her heart
Another sad case was that of an artillery
officer, Ivan Maslof He was a young man,
perhaps so years OF age, tail and handsome, a
graduate of the highest artillery college in
the empire, AMI had carried OF the first prize.
He was arrested in Petersburg on suspicion of
being connected with some movement for the
future amelioration of tue Russian people, de
posed from his position without any cause
whatever and exiled 20 Tobolsk by admins
trative process. His case was doCbly sad from
tho 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 TO
secure his release by presenting a ceruhcate
OF his good conduct to the minister of war.
His efforts were If no avail; and the poor
fellow was ordered into exile, leaving ali his