The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-27
FROM A RUSSIAN PRISON
STORY OF THE THRILLING ESCAPE
OF PRINCE KROPOTKIN.
The Great Anarchist and Former
Chambe rIain of the Russian EN-
press Now in America.
IIenry Haynie, in Boston Herald.


Henry Haynie, in Boston Herald.
Thirteen or fourteen years ago the CORE
spondent in Paris of d Russian newspaper
the Nov;sti of St. Petersburg-invited a
number of his confreres to meet IL young
countrywoman of his who had come TO the
French capital TO take singing lessons At
that time she was studying for grand opera,
and her contralto voice was really tine, but
her family persuaded her to give up the
stage, so she went in for the medical pro-
fession, and is now a successful doctor in
her native province Among those present
that evening in November were Albert
Wolff, Hughes lie Roux, Henri Bauer, Vic
toriAn Joncieres, Nine. Scverine, ETC., of the
Paris press and Campbell Clarke, of the
London Telegraph, Berardi of the indie
pendence Beige Theodore Child, of the Man
chester Guardian, Blasco, of the Madrid
Epoca, myself, of the Boston Herald, ETC..
in all about thirty persons, including Man
ager Carvalho, of the Opera Comique, and
Sbriglia, the famous teacher She was a
handsome girl, fair-haired, good figure and
very intelligent, ard her hit that night
was as GIuika in the air from the life of
the Gar where the young peasant prays
God to give her strength to reach the EN-
perOf SO as w, WdLil IlIjl VI .
Poles: MY heart dies within me my
legs will no longer walk $ cold and
terror overwhelm me the enemy is
near he will kill Romanon
no. no, I will never permit it.
We were thrilled by her dramatic IRE and
much pleased with her voice. Then, when
the applause had ceased, our host said to
those of us near him: 'That was the air
which helped Prince Kropotkin TO escape
from Russia. ="
None of us knew the details of that es-
cane. and we begged him to relate them,
which he did. They seemed like chapter
from a novel by Wilkie Collins or Mrs
Southworth, and the souvenir of that even
ing is recalled by the fact that Prince hro-
potkin is now the guest of the Rev. Robert
T.. Ely at Cambridgeport. The story OF
Kropotkin's escape is related at length III
Stepniaks "Underground Russia, put mr. e
it is told us that night by the R 1is1;l;t
Journalist After the distinguished Nlhlilst
had been imprisoned in the fortress calleu
S. Peter and Faui. his health nalurdny
feeble because. so poor tnat tne Pii! ta
insisted he should be transferred 70 tne
Nicholas Hospital: but, as the lhNdlu wac
ordered to exercise every day, he was, along
about noon time, brought thao 'i,e sin oinns
was always accompanied by a soldler car
rying a loaded musket.
came if possible and he began his prepara-
tion by observing closely the regular move
nents of the sentinel and by studying ms
surroundings. The yard was large, the gaze
nearly ALWAYS closed was now open. be-
cause they were getting in fuel ana PROV
sions for the coming winter. ahu az tnis
work would take only about week no
extra guard was stationed a [ the gate. Inc
one who watched over the prince was tne
only armed person in sight with whom ne
had to deal
PLOTTING HIS ESCAPE.
The prisoner was at liberty to walk wher-
ever he liked in this courtyard and he did
SO with a calculated sowness that made
his march very fatguing for a soldier to
follow. so in order to rest his limbs by more
active movement the sentinel resorted to an
exnedient He marched a line parallel to the
one taken by his prisoner but five or SIX
PAGES further from the gate; by doing this,
as the ward was. triangular shaped he could
make a promenade of ten or a dozen steps
longer than that Of Kropotkn's. But the
prince who is ~ Gne geometrician. figured
IL ont that If he made a dash for liberty the
guard would instinctively rush on the pris-
oner instead of running to the open door as
fast as his legs gould carry nm III n,, tnls
way said the prince 10 nimsell, my euat9
will have TO pass over the two SIDES OF
q triangle, whereas shall have TO sct over
the third only. tuo -.
Ii was quite an advantage, lpl HulpoSlhS
that the soldier could run no quicker imam
the prisoner, the latter would be sure TO
reach the gate first. Having thus studied
il out he managed to send a letter secretly
10 some other Nihilists in which he begged
them to have q cart and two FAST horses AT
the door of the hospital on a certain DAY.
But as the street in front 81 tne l1lsti pro
is very narrow, it was reared PRICE
Kropotkin might attempt this evasion lust
when wagons loaded with wood We're In TINS
lane. so his friends h1red room IN d
neigbEoring house. and there they placed
a fellow conSpirstor. Nlollnlst, VINO prayed
on his instrument every day whle, me pris-
oner was in the courtyard. whenever
Krorotkin heard the music 1t told him the
street was empty, but when the vlohmst
stopped PLAYING that signaleo the entrance
The day fixed for his escape arrived;
and hardly had Prince kropotkln entered
the courtyard when he heard the Viollh.
The music continued during several mill
utes but the prisoner did not dare TO proht
bv it too suddenly. us he felt sure the
while Then the violinist ceased playing;
presently i wagon entered at the gate ana
again the violin was heard. rms, une tne
prince looked closely AT the Suatfu' ne was
walking his beat as usual. ana WITHIN
six or seven PAGES of the prisoner me
musket was resting on MS rlght snot n1'
the question was. would the soldier shoot?
Probably not. for the distance between
them was SO short that he would rather
reeapture his man than kill him. There
was; more to be feared from the bayonet
than from the bullet. especially II the pfis-
oners forces failed him in this trying mo-
ment.
Prince Kropotkin realized, however, thaA
he would die if he remained in the hos
pital 80 he made rush for life and lib
erty and as he had anticipated. the guard
retraced his steps to follow the fugitive.
Afterward the Violnist. who could look into
the courtyard from his window. declared
that the sentinel was once so close to
Kropotkin that he expected to see the bay
onet pierce his body. However the prince
reached the gate first, he saw a carriage
standing there, but for a moment doubted
il was for him. There was policeman in
the street, and not until he turned did the
prince recognize in him friend With one
the whip sent the horses off on a run.
Amidst an indescribable tumult, Prince
Kropotkin left the hospital far behind, and
soon afteTward he was safely outside OF st.
Petersburg. Then his friends got him out
of Russia, and he has never returned to his
own country since.
A MEMORABLE SONG.
1T was the very air that you heard her
sing just now which the violinist played
that day" said the Novesti correspondent
in conclusion. We all surrounded the tai
ented girl, told her what we had Just
learned and asked her to sing it once more.
Seating herself at the piano a second time,
her face radiant with beauty and delight,
she sang with deep passion and in pure
vioce:
MY heart dies within me My
legs will no longer walk Cold and
terror overwhelm me The enemy
is near He will kill Romanoff
No. no, / will never permit IT,"
nr1lx fff,lr sa1FAr w CTnn