The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-06-14
A TALE OF RUSSIAN JUSTICE.
After Forty Years Reformed Con-
Wet Is Hurried to Siberia.

From the London Telegraph.
Thirty-eight years ago, in peaceful
little Russian village, a peasant lad, who
had taken more vodka than was good for
him at a wedding, lost his mental equili-
brium, and while in this irresponsible
state entered the church. After having
prayed at the images for while, he put
the wax candles in his pockets, and left.
He vas arrested shortly after leaving the
church, and, without saperiuous formali-
ties, condemned to penal survitude in the
mines of Siberia. After fatiguing
march of several months Rykof deer
mined to try his luck, and made
a dash for liberty and life. During
the first week of his escape he nearly
persisted of hunger in the Siberian taiga,
or Jungle; several times he was on the
point of falling into the hands of the
polieeTand more than once he was tempted
10 give himself up. After many ups and
downs, however, he finally obtained work
from compassionate farmer, Scraped
together little money, and betook him
self to the city of Tomsk. where he settled
down for good, living with a passport
which belonged to a deceased workman,
whose name he assumed. After this his
life was that of an ideal citizen; and, if
we can trust the official reports, honesty,
industry and kindliness were his charac-
teristics.
Rykoft rose little by little in the social
scale OF TOmsk, married in n very re-
spectacle family, and gave his children a
sound education. Quite recently, at a
little festive gathering of his relations, at
which the anniversary of his wedding
day was being quietly celebrated, Rykoff,
overwhelmed by feeling OF his gratitude
for his happiness, narrated the interest
ing story of his adventure and escape, or
the second act of his life's drama, as he
termed It, TO his wife and children. The
third. ne added, which is bound to be
short, will terminate in the churchyard.
The story moved his hearers to tears. 1t
was NEEDN'T only for his near relations, and
no strangers were present. But in Russia
thewalls have ears and the doors have
eyes .s
One morning early, as Rykoff was still
in bed. a gendarme entered his room, and
told him that he might consider himself
arrested on a charge OF running away
from ,the mines of Siberia. The gray
haired man turned pale or nearing the
patbetic story that had so lately drawn
tears from his eyes repeated by unsym-
pathetic lips which changed its every in
cidcnt into a crime "Is it true or false ~
asked the representative of the law. 1t
Is true enough God be praised" replied
the trem bling old man. VERY well, then,
YOU are my prisoner. Let US go at once. ="
And Rykoff dressed himself and went. Q
From prison, by the advice OF his law
yer. he forwarded a petition praying to
be released. His pleas produced an i'm
preston on the officials, and Rykof was
set at liberty. But only for few days.
ON further consideration il was decided
to bring him to trial. In court he related
the story of his life fully aud frankly,
hiding nothing and throwing himself on
the mercy Of his judges. Justice, however,
was inexorable, and the law was allowed
10 have It's course. RYkon was condemned
the mines Of SiDeria. and kept in penal
servitude there for a longer time than
that fixed by the court that had tried him
for the offense when be was a Ooy. be