Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1899-01-25
ESCAPING FROM SIBERIA.
Hap1css Convirts Arc Secretly Helped by
Kind Villagers.

hQplcSS OOhN1CtS ARC GeCIctiy aGipcu by
Kind Villagers.
Those subjects Of the car who are
sent to Siberian prisons for real or
fancied ofense against the social laws
or the political DEGREES of the power
that is, know that they will be treated
harshly; but in 40 part of the dreary
country is Imprisonment so cruel as
in the Kara prison, where the convicts
work in the mines.
Attempts to escape are common
occurrence all over the country, but
the number of convicts who make
dash for liberty from the Kara mines
is fur greater than from any ether
prison,
The miserable, ereatures who en-
dbayor to Glide the iron grasp of the
czar's officials prefer the spring for
their attempt. There is more chance
of reaching the outer world, of cross
ing the many miles of desolate terri
tory that separates them from place
of safety, in the early months of the
year, but they cannot always choose
their own time, and in the very depths
of the Siberian winter the desperate
men make the struggle for freedom,
preferring the rigcrs OF night tramp
ing in the celdest SEASON to the mis-
cries of the prison:
How do these men find their way9
How do they live?
They know the direction in which
safety lies, and they tramp onward
until they reach some spot where they
IRE safe. That spot may be far away
from tile town at which they imagined
they would arrive; but what of that?
They are free; that is the all-impor-
tant matter.
Yet there is some guide for them
along the first hundred miles or so;
for in the night time when all is still
and the peasants in the scattered vii
lagos are sleeping, the refugees heart
is gladdened in his dark and solitary
Journey by the friendly CLEAN Of lamps
in the cottage windows. From tbs
depths OF Asia to the BORDERS of Eu:
rope almost, at least one window iii
every village is illuminated by d lamp
placed there for the benefit Of "those
who must not be SEEM
For the moujiks have pity on them
and help them. The escaped cohvicts
cannot travel by day, lest they be do
nounccd to the guards who are search
ing for them. They have to find sus-
tenance where they may; money is
useless to them, as they dare not
openly enter tavern or indeed any
other place in order to buy food OF to
beg for it. even. The peasants dare
not openly receive or help them, and
the chances of success would be very
small but for the device OF the mou-
iiks.
If you enter the house of n peasant
in the vicinity, say, of Irllutsk, and
partakc of meal, you will notice in
the window little table OH which
stands h lamp, plate and d Jug,
When the meal commences one 5f the
family plhces d portion of the food on
the plate; quite choice morsel is Sc
lucted, and you fancy that another
and more important guest is expected.
A piece of every thing is set out on the
plate and the jug is filled with kvas.
You begin to feel rather small. When
you entered you were treated like a
nobleman, but evidently you are not
the chief guest.
However, the guest does not come,
and, more mystifed than ever you
seek an opportunity of asking the
strange preparations.
"Who is it all for?" you ask.
"For the brcdiaii; for those wh'
must not be seen, is the reply.
Yes; those delicacies are for the
conyicts. When they stealthily creep
into n yillage at night and see that
light they know that on the same
table as the lamp is food a. | drink.
They have only to, push the window
and it opens, SO that they may take
the plate and Jug md refresh ex-
hausted nature.
The moujik does not wish to see
them; it is better not. When he sees
the empty plate and jug in the morn
ing he is pleased, for LIE knows that
he has helped some poor creature IN
his effortto escape from cruelty and a
living death and get back to life and
human sympathy.