The evening world., 1894-09-26
RUSSIAN JUSTICE HIS RUIN.
Eber Sent to Siberian Mines fol
Murder Done by Another.
Released After Five Years, He Is
Penniless in This City.

Broken down In health and spirits
aged, utterly destitute and without
friends, Mendel Morschovitch Eber. OF
"a Chrystie street, tells a sad story OF
penal servitude in Siberia.
on Christmas Eve, In 1873, Benjamin
| Yudman. a member OF the Russian Sc
cret service--the dread Third Section OF
the Imperial Chancellor-was found
murdered In front OF Eber's house. in
/ Polizei street, Grodno. Russia.
| Three weeks later Eber was arrested
and cast into a dungeon In the local
fortress. where he remained for seven
weeks, ignorant OF what crime he was
charged with. At last he was arraigned
in the Grodno Court OF Criminal and
Civil Jurisdiction.
Then, for the first time. he learned
| that he was accused of being an accom-
pice In the murder OF the detective,
/ udman. The others who were charged
with the same crime were Israel Buk.
steski and Chain Loeb Elkes. Against
Buksteski and Eber the evidence was
so slender and 50 entirely suppostitious
and less than ciIcumstantlal that the
three judges before whom they were
tried conlented themselves with SEN
fencing them to hard labor Tor fifteen
| years
| The case against Elkes was entirely
different. 1t was shown that he had
| several years before escaped from
Siberia. whittier he had been sent for
another murder. The evidence adduced
Al the trial proved that Eikes mad after
his escape lived In foreign countries and
mad returned TO Grodno several days
| before iudman's murder.
| Although Fixes had taken every pre-
caution to avoid detection, Yudman
| discovered his presence. and was au.
| thorized to arrest him. Fixes learned
that Yudman was after him with a
| q and tho nilrsmRd law In walt
| for the pursuer.
Just as Yudman passed Eber's house
| Fixes emerged from dark recess, and
coming up behind the detective, threw a
strap,I IN moose form. around his head and
| strangled him. The murder was done SC
quickly and so deity that Yudman hat
not even a chance to utter a cry, ane
inasmuch as 1t was considered improba'
BILE that one man should be able TO &C
complish such a deed. In such manner
| single-handed. EDer was picked out a!
front OF HIS house. What part Bukstesk
was supposed to have played in thu
tragedy. Eber. who tells this story, say
he does not know.
in the mines OF Siberia, but managed L
escape year after his transportation
and has not, so far as Eber knows
After my sentence" says Eber,, e
was sent to the prison mines In wilma
| / was the owner at that time OF wv
| houses ana Quiet property
My lawyer appealed my case, and. pend
ing the appeal. / was. after severa
months Imprisonment In wilma, hande
over to the Board of Exiles In Tumensh
with orders to be committed to the mine
"Tumensk is the entrepot for all 81
berian. convicts. over 1900 prisoner
are taken there every year, In order I
, have the final destination OF each on
decided by the Board of Exiles.
MY destination was designated a
l was taken sick. | was incarcerated |
the fortress hospital and languishe
there between life and death for nearl
four year, Ny Ny, youngest d. dau 4sn
my exile, was allowed to nurse an
comfort me.
When l was able to get up and wal
5 to St. Petersburg to inquire how m
I; came back by telegram that the Coy
ornamental Senate had over a year b,
. upon me by the Grodna Court, an
: that l was free man.
: II was only technically free, how
satisfied with a bare telegram and al
other whole year was spent in red-taI
3 oorresPondsnce before the prison gate
and the was Ave- ALLOWED Hs%rs to go free
prisonment all my property was cate
up In lawyers fees. and l was left al
solutely without any resources. PEI
ding and begging. alternately in Il
hospitals for sickness and in the eli
4 lockups for alleged violations OF eli
ordinances. / finally came to Americ
three years ago with my wife and m
: son, who Is now eight years old.
:, Here my lot Is scarcely any bett
X than II was in Russia. l am now ov,
g. seventy years old, have not a cent
y, my name. am not strong enough
- carry about the basket of cakes whlc
e peddled heretofore and earned Il
scantiest subsistence for my family.
J. II almost wish had been sent on
the Siberian mines. There. at least
e not have had to witness the suffering
10 Of my poor family"