Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-08

Tried Eight Times to Escape.
over five miles wide. But the natives have
their villages in the forests the military
warn them at at once when a convict has
made a break for liberty; they skilled
in woodcraft, aHd thrice lucky, indeed, is
that fugitive who manages to elude 5000
pairs of Watchful eyes for the two weeks
or more that a hunted man must spend in
making his way to a secluded spot on the
eastern coast where he can fashion a log
raft or "dug-out' for the journey across
the straits to the mainland.
But Few Escape
Some few convicts have actually escaped
in this manner; another handful have been
captured while out at sea, the outloolSs in
the military posts scattered along the coast
sighting and overhauling them. But the
big majority of the fugitives who take to
the forest never leave it alive. If they es-
cape the head hunting natives they are al
most certainly doomed to starvation after
they have passed the fringe of clearings
made by eXiled peasants, who can be de-
pended on to help their fleeing fellow crimi-
mails. But the peasants have not conquered
many miles of the forest, and the real trials
of the fugitive begin after he has left the
sheltering roof of the peasant who has
pressed farthest into the forest. All roads
and even forest tracks give out after two
days journey on foot from Alexandrovsk
About twenty-five convicts try to escape
IN the course of year. Scarcely half of
s
the rest are captured before they have en-
Joyed freedom day, and each man is
straightway given a hundred lashes with
the knout. This treatment either cures the
convict OF any further desire for freedom
or Kills him; but once in a while a man ts
found who persists in making a break for
liberty as often as the opportunity offers
such a man was one Somoff, murderer
from Little Russia. He ran away eight
times; each time he received 100 Iashes He
is an old man now; he lives quietly in his
little hut in Alexandrovsk, and is at peace
with all the world. But his BODY is one
mass of scars, reminders of the days Of
MS terrible punishmentS; and because he
survived his eight ordeals he is known from
one end OF Saghalien to the other and his
lame even extends over to the mainland
Murders and Robberies.
Excepting the secret aid they extend to
the brodyogas ESCAPED conyicts) the neas-
ants are recognized as being the most law
ABIDING class on the island. True murders
are committed among them but not in such
NUMBERS as IN the towns Alexandrovsk,
with population of 1000. has about fifty
murders year and many robberies every
day. Still, the town is an exceedingly safe
place for any one to live in except a re-
leased convict I spent many weeks there
and was not disturbed or threatened in any
way; and in all that time knew of no one
other than convict being robbed or killed
When convict is released and becomes a
peasant or an artisan or what not rations
are given him regularly by the govern
ment, just as the American governnoen+
supplies the Indians with food Not CON
tent with his share, many a convict at
tempts to rob his fellows Quite frequently
ne ne succeeds; and not infrequently he either
Kills In the bargain or is killed instead
where rations result in one murder
vodka causes half dozen. The stuff is
forbidden to be placed on sale anywhere
a nd nr,1 i-
tanned at the government stores only IN
cases of dire necessity. But there is more
than one way to kill a cat, and vodka is
continually finding its way into the hands
or the populace. Let a murderer get filled
with vodka, and he will probably repeat his
crime; and let his fellows know that he has
Dottle OF the liquor in his hut and they
will kill him, if need be, to possess it. Men
who have had good records for years have
committed murder for a taste of vodka
Saghalien Is the only portion of the entire
RUSSIAN empire where murder is a. capital
offense Many men are hanged yearly. but
murders are, nevertheless, committed with
startling regularity.
Honest Murderers.
While trading in the island had to come
in contact with many criminals, some with
exceedingly brutal and repulsive crimes
back of them. My escort from trading post
to trading post was a man who had killed
another in a quarrel over a woman Most
of the employees in my stores were muir
derers, and 1 bartered almost exclusively
with murderers and perpetrators of other
foul crimes. Yet I never had one man
threaten me; l found them honest in
trade, and / would have trusted myself in
the depths of the forest with my escort
Even the Saghalien murderers are human.
Treat them as men, as one of your kind
and they appreciate 1t and will reciproeate
your kindness. All the traders on the
island go on this principle, and as a result
1t is safe for them to go about with a good
deal of freedom. They go armed, and Sc
cure an escort from the government merely
to be able to cope with the exception that
may come along some day to prove the
rule. / am acquainted with the commercial
history of the island for fifteen years back
and 1 know of only half dozen traders
having been murdered In that time; and
they were Japs and Chinese, who were ar
rogant in their bartering with the exiles
I am going back to Saghalien when the
war is over. Perhaps, in spite of the crimi-
nal atmosphere of the place, am becom-
ing attached to 1t. Attached to Saghalien!
More than one convict has refused to leave
the island for the Amur country when the
authorities informed him that he was at
liberty to do SO; and they have invariably
given as a reason that they have learned
to love the place where they have spent
years at hard labor and frequently been
knouted to boot.