The morning call., 1894-05-04
iEARD ON THE WATER FRONT
An American Seaman's Thrilling
Experience.
GENES IN sAdHALIEN PRISON.
How Hearted Physician
Saved the Life of Convict-A
Narrow Escape.

Eternal vigilance was not the price OF
the liberty of Franz Seillch. able seaman,
for though he was looking sharp tnat ne
might not be caught mapping by any OF the
Cars soldiers he was captured and taken
TO Saghalien prison, where he languisned
for eight months, unable to communicate
with any of his friends in free America.
Seiiich claims to be a citizen Of the
United States. He says that he came to
this country in 1882 aud at the time OF his
departure from Russian territory he was
a nigh private in the rear rank of one oil
the Cars dragoon regiments.
RIgfdly enforced discipline did not agree
with Seilich, nor did he grow fat on mil
itary diet of dried meat and black bread.
The steppes of Russia did not suit his fan
cies. and the big, broad, well-tilled fields
of America looked as tempting TO him in
the picture books as might glimpse OF
paradise to a soul languishing in Dante's
Inferno.
A wild ride to the frontier. few copecks
invested with fishing-boats captain and
finally a Journey in the steerage OF an
Atlantic liner from Hamburg to New
York landed the ex-soldier. now Citizen
Seilich. in the land of promise.
1t was in San Francisco that the man
learned TO bend sail, slush down a mast
AMI holystone a deck. First he shipped
on a coasting schooner before the mast
then he took passage in Tahitian brig
and finally he was tempted 10 join seaer.
Joining a sealer was the beginning OF
Selich's msfortunes on this side OF the
world.
When the vessel was several days out
the skipper commenced to abuse bis men
and continued to do so while the voyage
TO Hakodate lasted.
At that port Seilich and number OF his
shipmates deserted. AS the sailor ex-
pressed it when he spoke of his adventures
Yesterday at Folsom-street wharf: Il was
trying to avoid getting anywhere near
Russian territory, but somehow fate was
against me-"
After the sealer had sailed away from
Hakodate the owner of small hshlng
schooner offered the sailor JOB. Seilich
accepted and for several weeks cruised
about in the Japan Sea and later returned
through the Straits of Sangar and went
north toward Saghalien Island.
During gale the little craft was driven
ashore near the dreaded prison, and. to his
horror, Seilich was recognized as Pole by
several Russian soldiers, held pending an
Investigation of the Governor of Sag
halien aud finally taken to the prison and
thrown into cell.
Seilich protested that he was an Ameri-
can citizen, but as he was identified as a
deserter the authorities refused to listen
to his pleadings.
I acfh hnr lu
said he. "[ was specially detached to care
for an officers headquarters. and the fell
low, who was a tall. muscular looking
man with cruel gray eye, subjected me
to ali manner OF indlgnitles.
''Once during drunken spell he struck
me over the head with a bottle. and when
I protested he ordered me into dark cell
for three days.
81 was afterward taken out of this mans
clutches, however, and assigned to duty in
the hospital quarters. where, l must con-
fess, l met with considerate treatment by
the heads of the department.
zone of the surgeons was really kind
hearted man. and Pll tell you what led
me TO think so.
There was a Pole named Armand
Krilichof, who was serving twenty-year
sentence for forgery. The fellow was
rather sickly, and when he was assigned
to work on the rOtonga or black forest OF
the island he gradually weakened under
exposure and hard work.
lone evening be fell exhausted by the
roadside, and when spurred to rise by the
foot and point of saber held in the hand
of guard, he arose on his elbow. cursed
the man roundly for his brutality and i'm
plored him to run the shining blade
through his heart.
For this act Of folly he was reported to
the prison Governor. Three score of
lashes upon the bare back were ordered to
be given to him. 1t was a terrible SEN
tence, and all knew that he would never
survive under the strokes.
"The evening came. The black shadows
of the rotonga crept out from the edge of
the forest. The lonely howl of the wolf,
that seemed to be aware that a human
victim would soon be given over to him,
filed the air.
1.-TWO lines of soldiers were drawn up.
and In the spacs between them stood the
condemned man. His eyes were turned
toward the ground. His face was liyid
white
'The swish of the knout. followed by
piercing shrek, broke the temporary still
ness; then, with measured cadence, the
blows descended upon the now passive
form of rhe prisoner.
"'Stopv Some one spoke ecommandingly,
and all eyes rested upon the speaker 1t
was the kind surgeon l have men entoned.
He felt the PROSTATE mans pulse, and de-
clared that continuance of tbs punish
ment would mean the prisoners death.
1.-THE Governor grew wroth. but the in
trepid physician said that no subject of
the Car. whether he be felon or soldier,
should be murdered while he had power
and authority TO prevent the outrage.
1.-THE Pole escaped with his life, and
suffered no further abuses beyond i'm
prisonment in a solitary cell.
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