The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-09-07
THE EVENING STOR


having received an 60ucaI1On IN prdc-
teal chemistry and served as superin-
tendent in steel works, 1 was offered
a large salary to take charge of a fac
tory in Russia. Three years were all
l could endure in that misgoyerned
country, and after the cars troops
slaughtered the workmen who marched
to the palace to present their petition
made up my mind to quit the country.
Just as the train on which left pull
ed out of the station a. man came run
ming from the outside, jumped on the
footboard and was helped by the guard
into one of the compartments. OPP
posite me sat man. evidently in
humble walk of life, who watched eag-
erly the one who boarded the train,
leaned out of the window when he was
helped into the compartment, then fell
back on the cushion white as sheet.
Dangerous attempt" / remarked.
THE fellow might have been killed"
My Vis-a-vis made no reply for
some time. Then he said eagerly:
This train makes no stop for over
an hour, I believer
You are right
Then it will be dark
Right again.
Another silence followed, during
which the man sat revolving some
question in his mind. Finally, looking
me straight in the eyes. he said:
You do not recognize me. superin-
tendent?"
II am one of the workmen in the fac
tory"
"So?"
Yes, am Ivan Sviazhski."
Zone of the men who got up the re-
cent petition to the czar?''
Yes. They are after me. That man
who boarded the train is one of the po-
lice. AS soon as the train stops ne Will
arrest me- Then there remain for me
the horrors of Siberia"
He had known that sympathized
with the Russian workmen-indeed, that
sympathy was one OF the reasons Ior
my leaving Russia--and had conflded IN
me for this reason. I wished could
have given him my passport, but he toiQ
me he was known to the police ana
could not pass as another man. HIS
plan was to risk death by jumping from
the train as soon as it was dark. DID
not think there was one chance IN a
hundred for him in this course and tolo
him so, but failed to move him.
AS soon as it was dark he climbed out
of the window and, standing on the
footboard, bade me goodby and Walkso
away from the window. looked after
him till he disappeared in the darkness,
then, drawing in my head sat anu
thought about him till the train maoe
the first stop.
lice who had doubtless been telegraph
ed, and every passenger was examined
critically. The man they looked for was
not to be found. The police, concluding
that he had jumped from the tram.
gave up the search, permitted US to
proceed and suppose went back over
the road to discover the result
knew that there was no time that
the train had not speeded so fast tnal
the man must have been killed, ana on
the way kept thinking OF his managed
| body lying by the track. 1 could no'
sleep and was glad when morning
came and we reached the border.
At the station there was going into
| a dining room to get DreakIast Wnen
I was stopped by railroad nano whom
took for a locomotive fireman
Are YOU the American superintend-
ent?'' he asked. - E
II suppose So replied. puzzled. {
Come with me-"
In a twinkling it occurred to me tnat
he might have news of the man was
interested in, and I followed him, ne
keeping some distance ahead of me. he
took me a few hundred yards up the
road where stood a locomotive. Inc en-
gineer was cleaning his engine, and one
or two idlers were gaping at the ma
chine. The man had followed glanced
at them meaningly, and l knew we
must wait for them to go away. Wnen
the last one had gone the freman-ior
such he Was-got up into the tender ano
whispered something to some one,
could not tell whom, for there was
nothing there so far as / could see put
coal Then he beckoned me 10 chihp
up and, removing a lump OF coal, ex-
posed a mans face, the face OF ivan
Sviazhski
1t was plain to me that Sviazhski had
walked along the footboard to the ten
der climbed over it and, finding sym
nathetic laborers in the engineer ano
fireman they had concealed him undei
the coal. He had sent for me hopins
that would furnish him with means tc
go to America and find employment Ioi
him when he arrived there. placed
some money in the hands OF the ensl,
neer for him and appointed place OF
,oeetinp nrovided he could get safely out
of Russian territory. / LETT MIN sun IL
an uncomfortable position under the
coal-for the time had not come When
he could he released without too great
a risk. .a ,s
he did not appear I feared that arteI
oil he had been captured. l made Ut
nv mind to write what 1 knew about
him TO his family and proceed on my
wav when 1 was told that there was
an old man at the door OF the hotel
Who wished to see me. | went out
thinl.ing that he might be my man dis-
g11ised hut on seeing him could see MOI
fbe slightest resemblance. He fooled me
for several minutes peIore eeiiins Aie
that he was Sviazhsk1
T brought him home with me, secured
work for him. and in the next steamer
he exnects his family to join him:
Aie ca r. EUGENE DRAPER.
GLOBE SIGHTS