Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1891-07-31
STORY OF A RUSSIAN.
IF IT IS TRUE HE HAS HAD HIS
FULL SHARE OF ADVENTURE.

Has Escaped from the Mines of Siberia.
How He Made His Way to America.
His Fall from a Balloon and Escape.
Recently there came to Boston man
whose history was probably never equaled
by anybody, and probably will never be.
The man was Ivan Orloff, Russian,
who was born in st. Petersburg about
thirty-eight years ago. One of the most
important things in the history of his
wonderful career is the fact that he is
one of few who have escaped from the
coal mines of Siberia.
Orloff arrived in this city from New
| York. One of the hottest days of the
year he was overcome by the heat at the
north end. Some passersby who noticed
his condition came TO his aid and gave
him some whisky, while another stole
from him new electric battery, which
he had bought recently
On regaining consciousness he inquired
his way to the nearest police station, and
was directed to station /. Upon his ar
rival there he asked Captain Cain if he
could not lie down and rest for while.
The good natured officer of course said
yes, and the man. soon after sitting down
in the guardroom, began to doze. The
captain, noticing his condition, sent for
DR.. Elliott.
The stranger was then taken to the
surgery room and examined by the doc
tor and his assistant, DR.. Dunn, who APP
piled the Usual restoratives The doctors
told him to keep quiet and that he would
soon be all right, but he appeared to be
so nervous that he excited the suspicious
of not only the doctors, but the police.
In his pockets Captain Cain found a lot
of instruments. Upon being questioned
he informed the people in the room that
they were musical instruments.
"Can you play?" asked Captain Cain.
"Well, a little" was Orloffs reply.
ESCAPE FROM sIBERIA's MINES.
He was then invited to go to the parlor
of the house, where he was shown the
piano. The first piece he played was a Sc
| lection from Mendelssohn, and never be-
fore, and probably never again, was such
music heard inside the walls of the sta
ton. After he had played numerous fine
selections the officers and doctors became
greatly interested in him, and began
questioning him. AS result he told a
story, which was as follows:
| He was born in st. Petersburg, Russia,
and was student in a medical college
in that place. One day the rooms of the
students were raided and lot of infiam-
matory documents and seditious papers
were found in his room. However, he
would not admit that they belonged to
him. He was arrested and sentenced to
Siberia, where he was put at work in the
coal mines, from which he managed to
escape.
Assuming the role Of an Englishman,
this he being able to do as he speaks
English very fuently as well as the other
languages, he was easily enabled to work
his way through the country without
being detected, as he was penniless.
After good deal of travelling and suffer
ing he managed to reach western China.
Arriving there he was arrested on the
charge of stealing food.
1.-The residents of this portion of China
are exceedingly barbarous, and without
trial was sentenced to have my head
chopped off. However, luck was again
with me, and by some hook or crook an
English official heard of my predicament.
After great deal of hard work he man
aged to secure my release.
Il started across China again, all the
time being afraid l would be arrested
and sent back to the awful mines. How
ever, l finally managed to get a job
aboard vessel and shipped to America,
landing at San Francisco.
A MIRACULOUS ESCAPE.
During the Franco-Prussian war |
was in the French army commanded by
Mcmahon, but l was directly under
Marshal Bazaine."
He then branched from his own his
tory and told of the surrender of Metz TO
the Germans and the escape of Bazaine
to England.
Continuing his story, he said:
During the war, while the Germans
were besieging the city, two companions
and myself were sent up in a captive
balloon lone which had long rope tied
to the ground) to ascertainsthe number
of the opposing army. When in midair
the balloon was struck by shell, caus-
ing the airship to explode.
my companions and myself fell to
the ground, my companions being in
stantly killed, while / was knocked sense
less and the bones of my arms, feet and
hands being broken in several places.
My skull was also fractured.
Il was in the hospital at Metz for
over year. After leaving Metz tray
eled considerably and was in Alexandria
ut the time of the siege by the British
early in the eighties"
Here the man, who must bear charmed
life, showed the doctors and the police
his body, which, to say the least, was a
"sight." His arms, hands, legs and feet
plainly showed that they had been
broken. Upon examining his skull the
physicians found inserted in his head a
piece of platinum Of silver, where his
scalp was missing.