New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-10-25
CONVICT AND SOLDIER
A TRAGEDY OF SIBERIA.
st. Petersburg. October

| st. Petersburg. October
| Thorn comes from VladivostoS story renrt
able for it's pathos and tragedy even among IL
darl, tales that make up the record Of Sikna,
life. At that city, as has already been announce.
tho construction OF the transSiberian railTesd ~
begun some months ago. The work was forrnlT
entered upon with imposing formalities at e
| time Of the visit of the Czarewitch. For this -
nose q number of cOnvicts were taken thther
laborers. under q strong military guard Ansh
these conyicts was one white-haired old man
patriarchal aspect. lie was native Of Koorf,
and had always been law.abiding subject BIZ
on one occasion the Government surveyors W.T.
measuring off slice Of his ground, which thI
proposed TO seize. lie protested, and IN Is
earnestness, CHANGED to step upon the survea,
chain, as it lay on the ground before HIN A',
| the surveyor vas the representative OF the cni
and his chain for the time being represented 1
immortal sceptre. The old PEASANTS misssi
therefore. was an IT not only of gross dlsresPd
n the Little Father. but high treason itself IL
culprit was instantly arrested, put IN irons N
locked in o CELL On being brought 10 trial, hos
ever he succeeded in convincing his judges Id
his fault was accidental and not intentional ~
accordingly the utmost leniency Of the trihnl
was extended to him.
He was not sentenced TO death, but was VI
TO toll in q Siberian chain gang for the rema,s
of his life
Working on the railroad at VladivostOk "a
Door old man one day noticed the soldier Wa
with loaded rife, acted As guard over him and hs
| companions The soldier looked wonderfully
familiar to him, and the old man gazed az bin 50
steadily as to neglect his work and to hing upon
himself from the overseer a reprmand and
threat of the knout After time. the Workman
edged his way so close to. the guard that he "'h
sneak to him. and he asked him who he wac an
whence he came The soldier, of course, MADE
reply. and did not even notice who was adde's
ing him. The military law absolutely fOrODs
soldier to speak to a convict or to notice HIN
any way, unless to shoot him if he try to esap
But those of his comrades who stood near Nv
the soldier turn deathly pale, and then brace DID
self up with more than ordinary rightly
| But the old man persevered IIeedes Of w
threats Of the overseer, he threw down bis "cA
left his work, and staggered up TO the guao, VIZ
remained silent and mOtiOnless. Their eyes HN
the old mans streaming with tears, the SInf''
dry and fixed as those Of the dead
Alexis, my son! Is it thou? Is II 'nO''
| cried the hOary-headed convict.
Still military discipline kept the guard as 'lea
and motionless as q statue. His face Wa
picture of mortal torment Then, despite his q
forts to control himself, his lips quivered' - -
knees trembled. He swayed TO and ITO
grasped his rife convulsively and drew hirseh v
as if on dress-parade. The next moment NE VIZ
fell to his sides, his rife dropped to the g"aD-
and without a word. or even groan, be fell
| his fathers feet, apparently corpse.
The convict threw himself upon bis sons O~''
| covering it with kisses and uttering WIZ az
! of endearme and of grief. The oyefseer AM '"
| other guards, seeing what had happened, Du' !"
understanding it, rushed to the spot. lhe' w
posed that the old convict had attacked ue y
der, perhaps killed him. 1t was their ousnrs
suppose that, anyway. So they raised tns w..
of their rifles and in moment would have XIV.
out the old mans brains. But one sugges'eu %
they should first drag the convict from us "a
| dier's body, lest some of their blows sDoO'i
upon the latter This they struggled III van
do. Though half dozen of them tugged |" =,
they could not separate the two bodies anu =
old man never noticed them even, but "Y "a
| kissing his unconscious son and uttering NE VIZ
inarticulate cries IL.
"A
nseparably clasped together, were lald ID ~,
taken, under strong guard, to the hospital -,
the surgeon would quickly cut of the olu =.
arms and thus part the two. But when y"
geon saw them, the truth dawned upon hi~
told the soldiers, and they, who had ~,n ~
TO toss the old man on their bayonels, M
| off with tears flowing down their cheehs,
emily the doctors got the old man to To-
| hold upon the soldiers body, and dreaui1 Id
! late he was instantly taken back 10 thS :. MO-
| and forced, under the lash, 10 resume Is sali,f
Then they turned their attention To tnssa,se>
| Under their efforts he soon regalned consc' NJ
| but not reason. lie was incutably maTrs, M
( took him that night 20 an asylum t wo6
morning the old man was marched out
/ again. 1, my ~
But, my SOM" he cried. How w.
this morning? is he living or dead LA hod
Then one of the soldiers for the nrst ui ~ heau
military discipline and incurred the FISK Vi
| punishment - l.. IL hoge
Your son." he said, "lves; but be w
| lessly insane" u, ,,rs, into .
Al the word the old man stared, ouIs' - cor
peal of fearful laughter, and fell forwaIh ospI,i.
yuIsions They carried him away to the NV NV pu'
and from there 10 the asylum, where . W. ven
! him into the cell next 10 his sons ine
| then two hopeless maniacs in that madho"S