Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1902-08-13
RUSSIAN EXILE.
AFTER MANY WANDERINGS WILL
LOCATE IN BOTTINEAU AND
PRACTICE MEDICINE. 81

Pioneer Press: DR.. Michael Kras-
moi, who for more than six years has
been a fugitive from the Siberian
prison officials, left st. Paul yesterday,
going to Bottineau, N. D., where he
will live among the immigrants from
hiss native land and ether escaped ex-.
lies. In his attempt to rid himself of
the yoke of Russian tyranny and the
hardships of Siberian imprisonment,
DR.. Krasnoi has almost circumnavi-
gated the globe. He sailed in a tramp
ship from Seoul. Korea, to New Or
leans and made the trip. from the
mouth of the Mississippi river to st.
Louis on a river steamer. He arrived
in St. Paul Monday.
DR.. Krasnoi, who is 81 years of age.
was educated at the Berlin university,
where he received the degree of doctor
of medicine. He speaks English flu
emily, as well as. French, German and
his native tongue.
Eyes, l am an escaped Siberian ex-
ile,' he said yesterday, "and 1 have
been for six years a fugitive. How
ever, I am now far out of their reach,
and no longer fear their cruelties. I
am bound for Bottineau, N. D.. where
I intend to practice medicine among
my countrymen.
"sTell you about my exile and escape?
It is "a long story, but it may interest
you. l suppose you" remember the
Moscow student riots in 1893; well, I
was in the thick of the fight, and as a
leader of the students was singled out
by the Russian authorities. l had
just come from Berlin, where l was
educated, and returned to Russia i'm
bued with the spirit of German liberal
ism. There were other young men in
Moscow who had also attended school
abroad, and we, about, twenty in num-
Der, formed the Russian Independent
Society," Our object was to force the
government to certain reforms in the
educational institutions, if such you
can call the semi-barbaric school sys-
tenn now in vogue in that country.
We wanted the schools thrown open to
every one, and not only to the sons of
the ~aristocracy.
Zone might, while holding a meeting
in my Office, we were surrounded by
the Russian guards. l was president
of the club. and when the officer in
charge of the soldiers smashed into the
room | vas addressing the other STU
dents. All of III were placed under
arrest and without trial or hearing we
were exiled to far Siberia. No two
of us We're sent to the same place.
Some were, exiled to the mines in west
ern Siberia and others to the eastern
and northern parts of the empire. I
was detailed to work as a section hand
on the new Trans-Siberian railroad
neal Neitchinsk, in the province of the
Trans-Blakal
~ L will IoC u"Sll o1 LILY JUL Icy ~
the village which was designated by
the Russian officials to be my life
prison. 1t was the same as that of
thousands of other unfortunates who
are exiled yearly to that barren land.
1t was a journey of hunger and thirst,
cold and exposure. Herded together
in dilapidated box cars, we were trans
ported to our destination without even
the comforts usually given to animals.
From the moment I landed at Nett
chinsk l began to plan an escape. First,
/ gained the confidence of the guards,
but it was a tedious task. My effort
was rewarded. however. and after two
years Of exile I was placed in charge
of a crew working a few miles from
Neitchinsk. We returned to the
prison nightly, but as I was trusted no
guards ever accompanied us.
after several years of work and
planning, four of the other prisoners
and myself decided to make a break
for liberty. We felt at the time that
it was sure death, but we We're willing
and anxious to meet and and all hard
ships, if we could but free ourselves
from the misery of slavery. Death
itself was preferable to life at Nett
chinsk. Since | reached the United
States, I have read George Remnants
accounts of Russian cruelty. Those
who say he exaggerates knew little of
conditions In Siberia. In fact he does
not tell half OF the truth.
For the three years / was in exile, I
was starved, and although trusted I
was beaten by barbarous officials. The
officers in the Trans-Blakal region.
really exiles themselves, feel that their
positions are due to the poor political
unfortunates, and they hate the sight
of a government exile so much that
whenever we ran across their path,
it was to be dubbed and kicked.
ss"Tshe life was more than could