The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-01-21
ESCAPING FROM SIBERIA.
HapIess Conviois Are Secretly Helped BY Kind
Villagers.

Those subjects of the Car who are
sent TO Siberian prisons for real or
fancied offence against the social laws
or the political decrees of the power that
is, know that they will be treated
harshly: but i'm no part of the dreary
country is Imprisonment os cruel as in
the Kara prison. where the convicts
work i'm the mines, says Pearson's
Weekly
Attempts 10 escape are common oc-
currence all over the country. but the
number of convicts who make dash
for liberty from the Kara mines Is far
greater than from any other prison.
The miserable creatures who en-
deavor to elude the iron grasp OF the
Cars officials prefer the spring Tor
their attempt. There Is more chance
of reaching the outer world, OF cross
ing the many miles OF desolate terri
tory that separate 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 rigors of night tramp
| ling i'm the coolest season to the mis-
cries OF the prison.
How do these men find their way!
| How do they live?
They know the direction In which
| safety lies, and they tramp onward un-
| til they reach some spot Wnere they are
| safe That spot-may be far away from
| the town at which they imagined they
| would arrive, but what OF thatY They
are free, that is the all-important mat
! ter.
| Yet there is some guide for them
| along the first hundred miles or so;
| for i'm the night when all is still and
| the peasants in the scattered villages
| are sleeping. the refugees heart Is
! gladdened in his dark and solitary
| Journey by the friendly gleam OF lamps
| i'm the cottage. windows. From the
| depths of Asia to the borders of Eu-
| rope. almost at least one window in ev-
cry village H. Illuminated by lamp,
! placed there for the benefit OF those
| who must not be seen.'
For the moujiks have pity on them
and help them. The escaped convicts
cannot travel by day. lest they be de-
| nounced TO the guards VINO are search
ing for them. They have TO find sus-
tenance where they may; money Is
useless to them, as they dare not open
IN enter "A tavern or. indeed, any other
| place i'm order to buy food or To beg
| for It, even. The peasants dare moi
| openly receive on help them, and IN,
| chance of success would be very Smal
| but Tor the device of the moutik
III YOU enter the house of a peasant
/ i'm the vicinity, say. of IrNutSk. and
| partake of "A meal YOU viii notice N
| the window a little table on which
stands a lamp. plate and tug. Wher
| the meal commences one OF the tamil,
| places a portion of the food on tn
plate; quite choice morsel is select
cd and you fancy that another anC
more important guest is expected. :
piece of everything II set out on th'
plate and the jug is filled with kvas
| You begin TO feel rather small. Whei
YOU entered YOU were treated like
nobeman. hut evidently you are no
the chief guest.
However. the guest does not come
and more mystched than ever, YOU seel
| an opportunity of asking the meaning
; | of the strange preparations.
who is IL all for2' YOU ask
For the brodiaji for those VIII
must not be seem" Is the reply.
Yes. those dclcacies are for the con
yictg. When they stealthily creep int
a village at night and sec that ligh
. they know that pn the same table q
: the lamp Is fOOd AMI drink They hav
2 only to push the window and " "igrn'
' so that they may take the plate an
iug and refresh exhausted nature.
The mouilk does not wish to 81
thcm: ia is better not. When he see
4. the empty plate and iug in the mort
f. ING he ~ pleased for he knows that \
haa helped some rOnr creature IN nj
a ! effort to escape from cruelty aud
= living death ana get back 90 hfc an
!: | human sympathics.