New-York tribune., 1896-11-01
GETTING OUT OF RUSSIA.
EMIGRANTS AND THE sMr,ccy,v~
AGENCIES ON THE FRONTIER

THE sMrGGLERs VARY THEIR TRADE Ry Nm,
DERING THE POOR wRETcHEs WHO TRUST
THEMSELVES IN THEIR BOATS.
At least 80 per cent Of the hordes Of emIar.,,.
who leave Russia for the New World do So ,,,s
out the permission OF their Government Ev.r.
subject Of the Car is under strict legal obligatior
obtain passport before being allowed to ou,, 49,
country. and this is Invariably declined by the ar
thorities In where the emigrants are s,,h..
youths In their teens under the ao. a
forty who have no, completed their term OF com
pulsory military service. Consequently vhsn
family in Russia decides upon abandoning ~.
native land for the purpose OF bettering Its for,
unes in the Western hemisphere 1t has to cboos.
between leaving the father and brothers bch,rd
and smuggling them out Of the Empire without
Government permission.
The western frontier of Russia Is a exceedin,,,
long one. extending about 800 miles considers
BILE portion Of it being formed by rivers of yarvn.
size. some Of them being mere brooks, while thu
others have channels Of such breadth that It r..
quires nearly an hour to get ferried across
The boundary line is watched on the wester,
side by Austrian lancers and dragons IN tho
south. and by German cavalry Of the same el,,.
In the north while on the east or Muscovte sid.
of the line 1t is the Cossaoks who are intrusta6
with the duty of patrolling the entire stretch ths
watch there kept being Of far closer and more,
not only to prevent the ingress OF srnugglers And
unauthorized strangers but also to prevent tia
egress from the Empire Of all subjects OF the Gar
who are not furnished with oficial permits IA
travel abroad.
The result Of this state OF affairs has been thu
creation OF an extensive enterprise for smuggling
emgrants OFT Of the country. The business is for
the most part In the hands OF ow-class LIQUOR
dealers and saloonkcepers on the Russian side OF
is
at those points where broad rivers constitute the
boundary since the watch kept there is less strict
than where 1t consists Of mere rvulets or mile.
stones. The affair Is managed by ferrying the
fugtives across the river from the Russian 10 the
German shore. and inasmuch as the banks Of tho
Drewenz and Of the Prosna, we'll as OF the
Szeszuppc low and lined with long reeds low
trees and marsh. the matter is not after all 10
difficult on dark and moonless night. especially
when the Cossack guard happens to have been
piled with larger amount Of vodka than usual
The smuggIers are men OF the most lawless cass
who. before they undertook the smuggling OF their
countrymen out OF the country, engaged in
smuggling dutiabe goods into Russia: and tie
charge which they make for assisting a wouldbs
| cmigrant TO escape is heavy enough to make the
business one OF great profit 10 them. The
rates vary from 10 TO so and even 100 rubles
| head. In fact, the fugitive is squeezed
| 10 the limit, the only check upon the extorton
Delrg the Keen competition Wnlcn prevails among
| the smugglers to secure the trade. Were II not
| for this rivalry the emgrant would he entirely
at their mercy. seeing that he finds himself as
| stranger In the border provinces, with no power
| assistance OF these rascas. who reap small re.
ward from the Government in the event Of their
without permission and without having fulhIled
| his military obligations. Capture for the un.
long term Of penal seryitude and subsequent mil.
itary service in the wilds Of Siberia
relatively large sums OF money. 1t Is only natural
| that before leaving their homes In Russia they
sons. so as to enable them TO make good start in
'he New World; L., Some OF them have H.NS or
naturally excited the cupdity Of the smugglers en-.
gagged In helping fugitves out OF the country. and
the result has been that 80 or 20 cent of those
who trusted the smuggers TO ferry them across
| from the Russian 10 the German shore have never
reached tho latter alive II Is difficult to say with
| any degree OF certainty how long this trade Of
wholesale murder the from Ter has been In prog
ress: hut according to the revelations OF three
| smuggIers who have recently been lodged in the
| Jail of Iomzha. not merely hundreds. but thou.
sands OF emgrants have been done away with
while crossing the river A blow on the head with
punt pole or stab in the back was sufhcien a,
| rule. to render the unfortunate emigrant power
less and then the 6oatman after rihns his pockets
his feet and pitch him into the river or else sink
him In the swamps with which the stream is lined
on either side There little risk or danger Of
discovery. since. owing 70 the secrecy with which
the police do everything in Russia the relatives Of
tne murdered man cOuIu never DE sure tnat tneir
missing kinsman had not been arrested by the au'
thorties and consigned 10 penal servitude for at
! tempting to leave the country without permit
The police itself. OF course. had no hiea OF the
| murders that were being committed. owing 10 the
secrecy with which the smuggling Of the enigrant
out OF the country was planned and devised. while
there naturally an infinitely bigger profit In
securing the fugiive's entire stock Of cash instead
| OF the fee for ferriage across the river
H. only through drunken quarrel in which
the three smugglers now imprisoned took promi-
nent part that this wholesale trade of slaughter
was brought TO light. and there are doubtless many
| Russian families in the United States who
may perhaps be relieved 10 learn that their missing
fathers and brothers are lying peacefully at the
bottom OF the rivers constituting the frontier OF
| Russia. instead OF suffering tortures worse than
| death in tho horrible pententaries of Russia IN
| Europe. in the most dismal and desoate dis
tricts OF Siberia.