The herald., 1894-10-02
ESCAPED FROM RUSSIAN EXILE
Los Angeles People Thrown
Into Dungeons.
They Went to Teach and Evangelize
the Peasants.
A Young Russian Couple Go From Thi,
City to Russia and Are Brutality
Insuited and Horribly
Persecuted.

Within q very few days at the most
there will arrive in Los Angeles a young
Russian named Nj colas Feedroff, who
for nearly a year past has been an in
mate of Russian prisons and who escaped
from Siberian exile in most miracu-
lous manner. This man. who was living
in this city with his wife, an American
lady, less than two years ago, has in that
epace of time undergone as terrible an
experience as it is possible to imagine,
being confined in loathsome dungeons.
beaten and carried about in irons, and
seeing his beloved wife torn from him
and himself cast into prison. All this
because he had in America taken the
oath of allegiance to a foreign power
and espoused religion not tolerated in
the land of his nativity.
The complete story OF this horrible
affair might, with ease. be made to'fll
book. 1t was years ago when young
Nicolas came to America. He had never
intended to return to Russia. His spirit
rebelled against the outrages and perse-
cutions of politics and religion of his ma
tive land, and he sought in the new
world an asylum where he might be free
to think and to do as his conscience die.
tsted.
The young Russian soon Joined the
Baptist church, having become q con-
vert to that faith. In few years he be-
came a citizen of the United States and
fell ia love and married an American
lady, worker in the Baptist missionary
service. The couple moved to San Fran
cisco about two years ago. They were
active in the Baptist societies OF that
CITY.
In one of the meetings of Baptists in
San Francisco young Faedroff arose and
asked for prayers for the prosecuted
Baptists of Russia. There happened to
be in the city at the time Russian no.
bleman, Alexen Rabhander, who had
occupied an official position at the Chi
cago fair. A few days after Faedroff
and his wife moved to Los Angeles.
They contemplated settling permanently
in this city. and Faedrof was casting
about for occupation. The nobleman,
Rabhander followed the couple here,
and in course of time laid q proposition
before the Faedroffs to 90 to Russia and
settle on his estates, and while Faedrof
should ostensibly be engaged in running
q eawmll, he should secretly teach and
evangelize among the tenants.
The Faedroffs sailed for Russia little
more than one year ago. They went TO
Kusk, about 800 miles from Moscow,
where they were to settle.
The gend'armes of the czar discov-
cred Faedroff's mission and seized both
him and his wife. They were brutally
treated, and once when Mrs. Faedroff
asked for glass of water great brute
struck her full insthe face, knocking her
down. They were separated and placed
in cells alive with vermin and filthy be.
yond mention.
Mrs. Faedrof fell sick and then an
American, the owner of circus,
CHANGED to learn of her case, succeed
ed in alarming the authorities on the
ground that the lady was an American.
When she was very eick the prisoners
sent for Russian doctor, and this in
human brute basely insulted her as
che lay sick and at his mercy.
The Russian authorities told Mrs
Faedroff that she was not legally the
wife of Faedroff. That he had no right
to marry an alien. They released her
and she secured her husband's release
on bonds, but the authorities had episs
to watch them and on come pretense
Faedrotf was arrested last May second
ii ne and he was kept in Jail until July
4th. Then al midnight he was taken
with other prisoners and placed in q
cage on board train and taken to ST.
Petersburg. He was sentenced to exile
in Siberia. He escaped from the mill
tary fortress in St. Petersburg by crawl.
ing out OF his cell while the walls were
being repaired and donning the clothes
OF guard, he made his way to the
river. In stolen boat he foatsd down
the stream and rowed out to an English
vessel in the channel. Thus he reached
London.
In the meantime his wife had re-
turned to San Francisco. She knew
nothing of his escape and supposed him
in exile.
1t was only last Wednesday that she
went before meeting OF the society OF
Baptiets, W here her hus band had prayed
and asked for prayers, and told the as
sembed Baptists of her troubles.
Then telegram was handed her by
Rev. j. @. A. Henry, who will be re-
embered well in this city. The teie.
gram was from her husband, who bad
reached Philadelphia. The couple will
be reunited now within a few hours at
most, and Mrs. Faedroff has said that
they would come back to Los Angeles
again, and this time settle down for