Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-07-20
AN ESCAPE FROM
A RUSSIAN JAIL
Prince Kropotkin's Thrilling De
livery Recalled by Incident
in News of the
Day

|
Of the two men who escaped was evil
IDENTIFY versed in the traditions of noted
fugitives. Chief among these is this:
After escape, do not hide in cellar
or an attic or in any other obvious hiding
rlace. for the police look there first. But
enter restaurant In the centre of the
city, take your time, and then stroll about
like any other citizen till you have
chance to leave the country"
This was what one of the Camden
fugitlves did, and It was what Prince
Kropotkln did after he had escaped from
| prison In Petrograd The only differences
was that In the case of Kropotkin It
worked and in the case of the Camden
man II didn't. The famous Russian
geographer, sociologist and revolutionist
had been placed in the prison hospital
and was allowed to exercise every dap
for an hour in the yard.
when 1 was taken out" he writes In
his memoirs, II saw before me a yard
full 900 PAGES long and more than 200
PAGES wide, all covered with grass. The
gete was open, and through It could
see the street and the people who passed
by. AT one end of the yard stood the
prison, at each end of which was a
sentry box. The two sentries paced up
and down, so that was never more than
10 or Is PAGES from the one or the
other. The open gate fascinated me. I
must not stare at IT, said to myself;
and yet looked at 1t all the time. As
soon as 1 was taken back to my cell
/ wrote TO my friends: Through the un-
guarded gate I will run out; my sentries
will not catch me. A lady is to come In
an open carriage She is to alight and
the carriage to wait for her in the street.
When I am taken out at 4, shall walk
for while with my hat in my hand, and
somebody who passes by the gate will
take II as the signal that all is right. In
the street shall spring into the carriage
and we shall galop away
"At last the day of the escape was
settled. They had let me know that in
reply to my signal they would signal All
right outside by sending up a red toy
balloon. Then the carriage would como
and a song would be sung to let me
know when the street was open. I went
out on the 29th, took off my hat (tha
signaD and waited for the balloon. But
nothing of the kind was to be seen. With
q broken heart returned to my room.
The impossible had happened that day.
Hundreds of children's balloons are al
ways on sale near the Gostinoi Dvor.
That morning there were none. One was
discovered at last In the possession Of
a child. but 1t was old and would not fly.
My friends rushed to an opticians shop,
bought an apparatus for making hydro
ln1 tl,a I,oII ,,,iNI, 10. h,,t
would not fly any better. Time pressed.
Then a lady attached the balloon to her
umbrella, and, holding 1t high over her
head, walked up and down the street
along the high wall. But saw nothing
of It, the wall being too high and the lady
too short. AS 1t turned out, nothing
could have been better than that acci-
dent The street was blocked with carts
and we should have been caught
THE attempt was then arranged for
the next day. Further postponement
would have been dangerous. The carriage
had been taken notice of and heard the
patrol officer ask the sentry who stood
opposite my window, Where are your
ball cartridges?' I came out at as usual
and gave my signal. heard next the
Cwhose playing in a nearby house was
now to be the outside signaD began a
wildly exciting mazurka from Kontsky,
as If to say, Straight on now; this 10
your timer l moved slowly to the nearer
end of the footpath. turned round. The
sentry had stopped five or six PAGES be-
hind me; he was looking the other way.
Now or never! I flung off my green
flannel dressing gown and began to run.
began to run rather slowly, TO econo-
mize my strength. But peasants who
were piling wood shouted, He runsl Stop
himp Then flew for my life.
"The sentry was so near he felt sure
of catching me. Several times he flung
his rifle forward. trying to give me
blow in the back with the bayonet. He
was so convinced that he could stop
me that he did not fire. But I kept
my distance and he had TO give up at
the gate. Safe out of the gate, I per-
ceived TO my terror that the carriage was
occupied by civilian who wore a military
cap. He sat without turning his head to
me- However. as I got nearer to the
carriage noticed that the man In it had
sandy whiskers-those of a warm friend
OI IllllGs IldppCu iioliuob "LiiiS StAAA
running TO attract his attention. Jump
in. quick, quickg he shouted in terrible
voice, calling me and the coachman all
sorts OF names, a revolver in his hand and
ready to shoot. Gallop! gallop! I win
kill your he cried to the coachman. The
horse, a beautiful racing trotter which
had been bought on purpose, started at
full gallop. Scores OF voices yelling,
Hold them! Get themP resounded behind
us, my friend meanwhile helping me to
put on an elegant overcoat and an opera
hat. But the real danger was a soldier
who was posted at the gate, about oppo-
site to the spotSwhere the carriage had to
wait. A friend was commissioned to
divert this soldier by talking. He did
this most successfully. We entered the
Nevsky Prospekt turned into side street
and alighted at door. l ran up stair
case and at its top fell into the arms OF
Y,,,, siStarin.lau, I nut IN anOthar at1ft