The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-26
FLED FROM DEATH IN RUsxA
And Likely 10 ne Sent Back by Russian
boat That Brought Them.

DVas Aust hEvNBHp AhGhns
The East sido. and particularly che Sos
Galist party'shave been considerably stirred
UP over tho case OF eight Russians who on
November 20 as they left the Russian
steamship Grodno were taken into custody
by tho immigration officials. They were
arrested for violating the immigration laws,
but Socialists on tho East Side said yester-
day hat the Russian Governments wanted
them badly and that they were men con-
demned TO death by q drumhead court
martial for revolutionary activities.
Morris Hillquit, the Socialist leader OF the
East Side, told the story Of h eight men
yesterday as it had ooms to him. He repre-
sented them in the hearing before the immi-
grafton bureaus board Of special inquiry
until Louis Miller, who owns Die Wdhrhea,
was employed by friends Of the accused men
70 oct as their attorney.
The detained men are Elias Siskowitz,
Robert Galavin, Karl Kerlin, Johann Wen
del, Robert Freeman, Peter Rosa, Johann
Shapiro and Leonard Pelowsky. They
lived in the Baltic city Libau, Mr.. Hillquit
said yesterday, and we're Social Democrats,
not anarchists. as Russians here have at
tempted to make them out. he said. During
tDo TeNOIuLADEdIy NIOdoAC5 us Aeo6rA@ WY
spoke their minds freely, but according to
Mr.. Hipquit they did no fighting. About
two months ago their James which were on
a suspected list in the possession OF the
Russian Governor OF the province OF Gun
land, were taken up and a court-martial was
held. Bribedlwitnesses testified, according
10 the story told on the East Side. that they
had taken an active part against the Gov
eminent. and five of them were condemned
TO be shot, the others TO imprisonment.
A hint travelled in some way to the eight
and they fed the same night, leaving their
possessions behind. They slowed away
on the Grodno which sailed from Libau
on November 3, and they managed to escape
detection until the steamer got to Ham;
burg, living on a few loaves Of bread and
raw vegetables they had taken on board
with them. They were routed out at Ham,
burg but a purse was made up for them by
sympathtzers n they bought tickets for
New York on the same steamer.
They were so frightened and so afraid
Of the authorities here" said Mr.. Hillquit,
that when the Grodno got here last Mon
day they managed to hide below some
where over night, so that they weren't
taken of at Ellis Island. The next norm
ing they tried to walk down the gangplank,
but were stopped by an Inspector and
turned over 70 a Hoboken policeman.
Recorder Stanton. before whom they
we're taken. turned them over 20 the Immi-
grafton Bureau. A board of special inquiry
gave the men a hearing, and I was asked
by Socialists here to represent them as
counsel The men were plainly worthy
and respectable and every man carried a
card Of the Socialist Democrat party.
The board Of special inquiry made a
finding which said. | believe, that while
the men landed here un~lawfully, they were
not guilty of unlawful intent. Then some
OF the friends Of the men in this city en-
ployed Louis Miller to act for them. ]
didn't like that all at and promptly got out
of the case. The findings were sent to
Washington for the action of the Depart
ment of Commerce and Labor. So far az l
know the Department hasn't acted yet"
The men are still held by the Immigration
Bureau here, and 1t was said at the Office
at Ellis Island last night that no word had
come from Washington. The opinion was
that while the men were innocent Of inten-
tional wrong they would have to be de-
ported because the law was clearly violated.
Mr.. Hillquit said he did not know whether
he Russian Government had made repre-
sensations to Washington, but that he
had heard hat the Russian Consul here had
interested himself.