The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-05-14
DRIVEN TO SIBERIA
Mr.. and Mrs. Samuel Left, of To-
peka, Refugees.
Thrilling Escape From Torture
Land of the Gar.
WORKEDIN GOLD MINE
Slipped Away and Evaded the
officers at Stations.
Forged Passports and Friends
Avenues of Escape.

Like a novel by Tolstoy, the portrayer
Of Russian oppression and Siberian SUI
fer-ing is the story of Mr.. and Mrs.
Samuel Left of 300 East Second street.
The romance of their lives began in
Russia, their birthplace, where Mrs.
Left, in 1906, then a girl of II, fell in
love with her present husband and
MADE a daring, but unsuccessful at
tempt to liberate him from Jail. He
had been imprisoned for spreading
what the government said was treason
able literature among the soldiers.
The arrest of the girl and trial OF
both followed Then came their mar
riagc and eight months of exile In
Siberia. From here they escaped with
thrilling adventures. Mr. Len came 10
New York alone, where several weeks
later he was Joined by his wife. FROM
New York they went to st. Joe ana
then came to Topeka. Here Mr.. Ler
is a machinist in the Santa Fe shops.
Mr.. Left was born in Stardubt, pro-
vince of Sheringoff, Russia, some 70
years ago. After a common school ed
Ecation, his father, Nathan Left, man
of the upper classes, seEt him to the
university at SartOv to study civil en-
cheering.
While at this school the condition of
the Russian soldiers came to his atten-
ton. l. seems that they were paid
only As cents american money! every
two months, and had to buy their own
boots with the exception of pair q.
year furnished by the government.
And the government compelled military
service from every Russian between
certain ages. The worst feature Whlch
aroused young Left was that The SOL
diers in quelling rioters were often COM
PEELED 20 shoot down peasants and rel
atfves in their own native villages.
Wit ha Young Girls Aid.
Gradually the young man began to
talk against such things. His views
he spread among the soldiers them
tracts. In all of this work he was as
sisted by a Mary Ettlinger. She was
a beautiful 16-year- old daughter of d
prominent lawyer of KieV. She had
graduated from the high school but was
too young to be enrolled in the uni
versity as a regular student, but was
attending lectures in the university
town and thus met Left. She was d
brillian- musician and otherwise accom-
plished.
Their tracts were found by spies in
the possession of the soldiers. BY tor
ture, including confinement in a dark
cell without food, and other punish
ment, and threats of death the govern
ment officials compelled the soldiers to
betray Left. He was arrested in his
room, November 8, 1906, and thrown
into jail.
Cupid in Prison.
Here cane Mary Ettinger in the guise
o. an administering angel, bringing
better food to the prisoners than the
government provided. Skillfully yelling
her intense interest in Left and his
ideas, she led the jailers to believe that
her kindness was but the impulses of
Inexperienced girlhood. And perhaps
there is no sympathy so intense, as that
of a young girl-when she is sympa-
thetic
Thus the young woman become popu-
lar with the jailers and prisoners. One
Of the latter was Simon Malotchik,