The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-11-06
CONVICT AND SOLDIER.
"A Tragedy OF siberia Graphically Told by
= 81. Petersburg Correspondents

"A Tragedy OF siberia Graphically Told Dy
81. Petersburg Correspondents
There comes from ylaliyostok q story 70
markable for its pathoa and tragedy even
among the dark tales that make mp rho
record OF Siberian life, says q 1T. Petors-
burg correspondent Of the New York Tfib-
une. At that city. ns has already been an
%hionnoed. the construction Of tho trans.sl-
berian railroad was begun some months
ago. The work was formally entered upon
with imposing formalities1 at the time OF
the visit Of the c%zarswitoh. Tor this nnr-
pose a number of convict8 were YAK en-
ihither, ms lnborers, under. n strong military
guard. Among these oonviots. was one
white.hairad old mar, OF patriarehal aspect.
He was i native Of Koorok, and had always
been q law-abiding subject. Bnt on one
occasion the governments surveyors were
measuring off a slice of his ground which they
proposed to seize. Lie protested, and IN Ills
earnostneas CHANGED to step upon the sur
~veyor's chain, AZ IL lny on the gronnd be-
fore him. Now, the surveyor, was the rep
resontative Of the czar, and. his chain, Tor
the time being, represented the imperial
sceptre. Tho old PEASANTS misstep. there
fore, was an act not only OF gross dlsre.
speot to the little father. but high treason
itself, The culprit was instantly arrested,
but IN irons and locked in q cell. On being
brought to trial. however, he succecded IN
convincing his judges that his fault WAS ac-
cidental and not Intentional, and accordingly
the utmost l~enioncy Of the tribunal WAS OK
tended to him.
He was moi sentenced to death, but WAS
aent to toll in a Siberian chain gang for the
remainder of his life.
Working on the railroad at V'ladiyostok,
this poor old man one day noticed the sol,
der who, with loaded rife, acted as guard
over him and his companions. Tho soldier
looked wonderfully familiar to him, and
the old man gazed at him 80 steadily as to
neglect his work and to bring npon himself
from the overseer 4 reprimnnd and II threat
OF the knout. After a time, the workman
edged his way so close to tho guard that ne
could speak to him, and he asked him VINO
he was and whence he came. The soldier,
Of course, made no reply, and did not even
notice who was addressing him. The mill
tary law absolutely forbids . soldier to
speak to a convict or to notice him IN any
way, unless to shoot him II he try TO escape.
But those OF his comrades who stood near
saw the soldier turn deathly pale, and then
brace himself up with more than ordinary
rightly.
But the old man persevered. Needless OF
the threats of the overseer, he threw down
his tools, left his work and staggered up to
the guard, who remained sllent and mo-
t~ionless. Their eyes met, the old man
streaming with tears, the soldiers dry ano
fixed as those Of the dead.
"Alexis, my son, is it thou2 Is it thou?'
cried the hoary-heaued convict.
Still military discipline kept the guard as
silent and motionless as a statue. His face
was a picture of mortal torment. Then
despite his efforts to control himself, his
lip quivered, his knees trembled. Ht
swayed to and fro. Ho grasped his rite
convulsively and drew himself up as It or
!, fell at his sides, his rifle dropped to the
ground, and without a word. or even {
oroan. he fell at his fathers feet, appar-
emily q corpse.
, The convict threw himself upon his sons
. body, covering it with kisses and utterlnl
! wild cries of endearment and OF grlet. IN.
} o~verseer and the other guards, seeing what
! had happened, but not understanding 1t,
rushed to the spot. They supposed thai
! the old convict had attacked the soldier
. perhaps killed him. It was their business
. to suppose that, anyway. 80 they raised
8 tho butts of their rifles and IN q momen
would have knocked out the old man
brains. But one suggested that they shou!'
. first drag the convict from the soldier.
Q body, lest some Of their blows should fal
: upon the latter. This they struggled J.
0 vain to do. Though half q dozen tugged q
p bodies. and the old man never noticed ther
h even, but kept on kissing his unconsoiou
!. son and %uttering his wild, inarticulate erie!
@ A cart was then bought, and the two boo
!, les, inseparably clasped together, were lal
n in it and taken, under a strong guard, +
the hospital, where tho surgeon woul
quickly cut off the old mans arms an
thus part the two. But when the surgeo
saw them the truth dawned upon him. II
g told the soldiers, and they, who had bee
; eager to toss the old man on their bayonet
marched off with tears flowing down the
cheeks. Presently the doctors got the o.
man to loosen his hold upon the soldier
body, and, dreadful to relate, he was II
stantly taken back to the railroad an
IL forced, under the lash, to resume his worl
10 Then they turned their attention to the so
der. Under their efforts he soon regaine
consciousness, but not reason. He was j,
curably mad. They took him that niRl
to an asylum. The next morning the o
D man was marched out to work again.
in But, my son!' he cried. How is n
= son this morning? Is he living or dead?"
H. Then one of the soldiers for the first tin
r broke military discipline and incurred IL
q risk of heavy punishment.
..Your son." he said, "lives; but he
" hopelessly insane
At the word the old man stared, bur
lg into a peal Of fearful laughter, and fell to
le ward in convulsions. They carried hi
10 away to the hospital, and from there to Il
asylum, where they put him into the C
next to his sons. There were then tv
g. hopeless maniaos in that madhouse.
lR
le "%#" #5 Specimen Cases. Ill.,
= s. Fl. Clifford, New Casael, Wis. VI
IL 4roul,Iod with nauraloin and rh0u matier