The Washington times., 1912-07-13
us. TO TAKE HAND
IN CASE OF EK|LED.
AMERICAN CITIZEN
Taft Tells Berger He Will
Order Inquiry Into Rus
sia's Action.

President Taft today promised Victor
Rerger, the Socialist Congressman,
that he would order the State DEPART
fnent at once to investigate the case
Of Stefan Dabrowyki, a naturalized
American. who has been exiled for life
to Siberia by Russia.
In a letter to Berger, which Dabrow-
ski had mailed from Austria. the
exile claims to be a socialist and n
Nibilist, but said that he was exiled
for his political opinions.
He charges that Consul Thomas i.
Heenan. at Warsaw, abandoned his
case, though he knew that Dabrowski
was a naturalized citizen OF the Inl-
ted States.
The letter, verbatim, is as follows:
Crime That of Socialism.
"wydrinsk, Siberia,
May 2s. 1912.
"Comrade:
MY name Is Stefan Dabrowski. I am
naturalized citizen Of the United
States, and I was convicted to a depor-
tation for life to Siberia by the Warsa "
Chamber Of Justice on November "a.
1910.
MY crime was that of being a men,
ber of the Polish Socialist Party Az
ter my arrest / had to await the trial
during about twenty months (April 3,
1909, to November "a. 1910, and even
after being convicted to deportation, ]
had to spend about seven months In
Jail.
The United States consul at Warsaw.
Mr.. Thomas e. Heenan. visited me sew
eral times In prison and promised me
ai q N ynf ~ a., n,
considered that he is not obliged to
keep his word, as four days before the
trial he notified my lawyer that he shall
withdraw from the affair and abandon
my case.
II arrived here on July /, 1911. I am
forced to live in a little village oveI
100 miles from the nearest railway sta.
ton, postoffice and physician. It IL
almost impossible to earn ones liWng
here only during four months one car
obtain some manual work, Ill paid and
| scarce at that; severe Siberian winter
lasts eight months.
Hunting Is Barred.
II tried to write to some Polish news
papers. my manuscripts are looked
through by the authorities. l am no
allowed to leave the village, nor ever
to have a hunting gun, although tn,
forests all around are full Of game. ant
one could earn living by hunting.
I'm such conditions 1t is natural tina
one thinks of an escape, lately, however
the surveillance upon the deported 4
closer than ever, and when a fuRitiy,
Is captured he has to serve from thre
to four years at hard labor and then h,
Is deported again.
Can you do anything for me? d,
not ask for financial aid, as / am abl
to work and support myself.
AT the same time, l think that tn,
Government has no right to keep
free American citizen in exile for life
especially as my crime was that o
belonging to an organization which, b!
peaceful, legal means. tries to chang
tn present terrible conditions of life II
the Russian empire. and to replace tn
the people, by the people. and for tn
people 1t repudiates all terroristi
acts.
Practically a Prisoner.
lover three years elapsed since I wa
arrested. yet l am as far from bein
free as ever.
The United States consul at War
saw. after promising me his aid durin
over a year and a half, has unworthil
abandoned my case. l have no dSub
that you, the first Socialist Representa-
tive in the United States Congress-. shaI
do all in your power to help a fellow
citizen and a Socialist.
The well-known case of an Englis
subject, Miss Kate Malecka, Is a proc
that there Is at least one governmen
which really protects its citizen
against the so-called Justice of tn
Russian courts, shall not my America
citizenship entitle me to an equal pro
lection?
, Nearer information concerning m
case can be obtained from Socialis
deputies to the Austrian parliament
Ignace Daszynski or Sgmond Mare
(Cracow. Austrian Poland), or fror
Comrade NJ. A. Bielecki, Chicago, Ill
care Dziennik Ludowy (the Polish Sc
, cialist daily.
This letter shall be mailed a
| Cracow, Austria.
please register your letter.
II remain. very truly yours,
IA