Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-06-14

the Japs had a craze for foreign buildings
and foreign railroads and foreign clothes, so
I had good deal to do. built pretty
house in Toxic and took my wife and chill
dren there. One day got letter in a big
square envelope with a heavy seal and q
coat of arms. 1t was an offer flOm the Com
mandant of the Russian military station at
Vladvostok to come over and help them to
plan some public buildings they wanted to
put up. Well, sir, [ did go after bit, and
took with me a kit of clothes and besides
some cash in gold about $4,000 in United
States bonds, that 1 thought could turn a
ready penny on in rising Government
town. So bid goodby to my little wife
and children. We came down, hand in
hand, the broad walk that ran to the gate in
the fence all covered over with trailing
vines and sweet smelling flowers.
'.Goodby,' she said, 'goodby, Ben,' and
threw back her long hair all tumbled over
her teary face as usual, write us often and
I'll bring the boys down to meet the steamer
that brings you back
$50 1 kissed her and lost sight of her and
her yellow hair in a turn of the road.
Building Convict Prison.
''Well, sir, about ten versts back from the
coast, on the road to Irkutsk from the con-
vict military settlement of Vladvostok, I
settled down, and under the supervision of
a Russian Commissioner began the plans
and watched the construction of a convict
prison At the head of this commission was
an officer of the Russian Secret Police by
the name of Protoplovski, major in rank
and kind and companionable man. In the
two or three years that followed we became
great friends and he knew all my ideas as
well as knew them myself. Many time
we had gone over my drawings together and
wound up at the shanty we called headquar-
tiers with social glass of vodka and a
good dinner. Of course 1 missed the wife
and little children, and never tired of tell
ing the major about them; so that with my
talk of them and the rising prison we did
not mind the increasing SHOWS or the gloomy
days of approaching storms.
lone early morning, it was near mid
winter, / went out alone on my usual tour
of inspection; that finished, was hurrying
back to be in time tor my breakfast with the
Major, when there passed me the usual post
'drousky,' with its running horses, high
collars and jangling bells. 1 had stepped to
one side of the road to let it pass on the way
to Vladvostok, and had lifted my cap to
the driver, when L noticed for the first time
that three strangers, closely wrapped in
long gray military coats, were seated hud-
died together in the bottom of the vehicle
The Message of the Strangers.
"It swept by ME little way and then
suddenly came to a halt, and the three
strangers alighted and advanced toward me
over the snow. The leader of them, for so
adiudged him to be by height and bearing,
addressed me in Russian: Are you Mr..
Simpson, the architect of the new convict
prison of Vladvostok?'
81 bowed yes, and the three whispered
together q moment over a paper that the
leadeI held in his hand. Then he added:
we Veg that you will conduct us to that
prison and allow the 'drousky' to go and
bring over Major Protoplovski to Join us.
We are prison officials from Irkutsk with
instructions to confer with you as to the
progress of the building and the possibility
OF directing from Irkutsk train of political
exiles to Eastern Siberia
81 walked back with the officers and in
troduced them to the head governor of the
prison who had arrived but a few days
pri r to this date with a small prison garri-
son. I took particular pride in the under
ground dungeons and was very minute in
my descriptions of them, L well remember.
Protoplovski Did Not Come.
'Upon my return we all went to the
Governors room to await the arrival of
Protoplovskl. But he did not come as the
winter night settled down and I became
somewhat uneasy, as well as the others ap-
parently, for one after another they went
to the only little window and looked out
upon the advancing night and down the
long, bleak, snowy road. As the gloom
wrapped the bare room in darkness, they
left me, one by one, till 1 sat alone and
waited. An hour after this the door opened
and a man came in with a lantern
and stood in front of me. 1 heard the
sound Of grounding arms in the stone cor
ridor outside and the murmur of sudden
voices. This one struck me roughly on my
shoulder and said, Follow me, sir
Where" 1 asked, and by whose Or
der7'
BY order of the Governor General Of
the military district of Irkutsk.'
"Well, sir, that was the warrant, and
that was all of it. For nine long, inter-
minable years I lay in one of the most in
underground dungeons that my
own ingenuity had planned and executed,
solitary prisoner, fastened by an iron collar
and chain to the wall waiting death 1
lever but twice had visitor in all that
Wretched life.
Only Two Short Visits.
''The first came but few DAYS after my
the door of my cell was opened
gently, and four men stood at its entrance.
They were all dressed alike-in the long,
lowing gray coat and round-top heavy cap
Of the Russian official One held with one
hand a torch above his head, and resting the |
other on the shoulder of companion,
pointed at me in my chains. Yes said |