The Central Nevadan. [volume] (Battle Mountain, Nev.) 1885-1907, 1905-08-10
Peril of a
Russian Workman

pcrintendent In q steel works, l was
offered n large salary to take charge
of a factory In Russia. Three years
we're all I could endure In that mis-
governed country, and after the cars
J troops slaughtered the workmen who
. marched TO the palace to present their
petition l made up my mind to quit
the country.
Just as the train on which l left
pulled out of the station a man came
running from the outside, jumped on
TIE %footboard and was helped by the
guard Into one Of the compartments.
Opposite me sat a man, evidently in
a humble walk of life, who watched
eagerly the one who boarded the train,
leaned out CT the window when he
was helped into the compartment, then
fell back on the cushion white as q
sheet.
Dangerous attempt" l remarked.
.sThe fellow might have been killed."
My vis-a-yis made no reply for soine
time. Then he said eagerly:
This train makes no stop for over
an hour, | believer
You are right"
'sThen it will be dark"
fright again."
Another silence followed. during
which the man sat revolving ON
question in his mind. Finally, looking
me straight in the eyes, he said:
You do not recognize me. superin-
tendentg'
Il do not"
"I am one of the workmcn in the
factory"
"So.'
Eyes, | am Ivan S~viazhski."
lone of the men who got up the re-
zen petition to the cZar?"
Eyes. They are after me. That man
who boarded the train is II Of the
police. AS soon as the train stops he
will arrest ne. Then there remain for
me the horrors of Siberia"
He had known that l sympathized
with the Russian workmeD-indeed.
that sympathy was M of the reasons
for my leaving Russia-and had con-
nded In me for this reason. ! wished
| could help him. but saw no way.
would have given him my passport,
but he told me he was known to the
police and could not pass rs another
nan. His plan was to risk death by
Jumping from the train as soon as It
was dark. did NOT think there was
: chance in n hundred for hin in
this eoarsc and told him so. but failed
TO move him.
AZ soon as X was dark he climbed
ont of the window and. standing on
the footboard, babe me goodby and
walked away from the window. |
looked after him till he disappeared In
the darkness, then. drawing In my
head, sat and thought about him till
tie train made the first stop.
There It was surrounded by the po-
lice, who had doubtless been telegraph
cd, ard every passenger was examined
critically. The man they looked for
was rot to be found. The. police. con
Guiding that lie had jumped from The
train. gave up the search. permitted Us
Il proceed. and | suppose went back
over the road TO discover the result.
l knew that there was no time that
the train had not speeded so fast that
the Elan must have been killed, and OH
the way kept thinking Of his mangled
body lying by the track. | could not
sleep and was glad when morning
came and we reached the border.
At the station there l was going into
q dining room to get breakfast when
| wa stopped by q railroad hand whom
| tool, for Il locomotive fireman.
Are you the American s~uperintend-
ent:s lie asked.
Il suppose So" l replied. puzzled.
Come with nc"
III n twlnkiing it occurred to me that
lie might have news OF the mai | WAS
iItere ted in, and | followed him, lie
keeping some distance ahead OF me. lie
took he n few hundred yards UP the
road, where stood a locomotive. The eli
g..neer was cleaning his engine. and one
or two idier9 were gaping ut the ma
chine. The man | had followed glanced
at them moaningly, and | knew we
nust wait fos them to go away. When
the last ont had gone the freman-for
such he was-got up into the tender
and whispered something to some one.
I could not tell whom, for there was
nothing there SO far as I could see but
coal. Then he beckoned me to climb
up and. removing q lump of coal, Elk.
posed a man'g face. the face OF Ivan
Sviazhski.
1t was plain TO mi that S~yiaZhski
had walked along the footboard to the
tender. climbed over 1t and. finding
sympathetic laborers in the engineer
and fireman, they had concealed him
under the coal. He had sem for me
hoping that | would furnish him with
means to 20 to America and find en-
ploy;nent for him when he arrived
there. l placed some money in the
hands Of tie engineer for him and APP
pointed a place Of meeting provided
he could get safely out of Russian
= "a Nh. ~