The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-05-22
An lmprovised
Weapon
By EVERETT P. CLARKE

at the medical school at Moscow when
the revolution came from which Rus
STA suffered 50 much and gained so lit
tie. | was heart and soul for the cause
of freedom and became active in try
ing to force the government to grant
the people constitution.
1t was not long before | was arrest
ed and sent to Siberia. Shall | ever
forget that long, dreary march?
And yet this long march TO me was
preferable TO work in the mines at
Kara, for in the former case we were
in the open. while in the latter we
were in the bowels of the earth. For
FIVE years l toiled with the others;
then a change came.
Our condition was SO miserable that
many of US wore constantly Ill, but
there was a period when our food was
so bad and our quarters so poorly kept
that an epidemic of disease broke out
among us. Unfortunately for the gen.
eral good. but fortunately for me, sew
eral of the physicians on duty at the
station were taken i'll. My name was
down on the prison register as a ply
sician, and one day | was conducted to
the office of the governor, who, after
few questions as to my fitness, direct
ed me to go to work among the sick.
Naturally while on this duty | medi-
tated upon whatever chance for escape
there might be in it. | was young, and
4 lrn toll NF
impaired therefore considered plans
which would require me to fight rather
than TO resort to subterfuge. But | had
no weapon. and ! knew that every
precaution would be taken to prevent
my obtaining one. However, having
access to the medical store, was able
to appropriate an arm that not every
one would have thought of as such.
This was a syringe.
So much for a weapon. must next
lay my plan. But this l found impos-
sible. At least l could not carry out
any specially arranged plan. l could
only take advantage of any happening
that gave promise Of success. My OPP
portunity came one night when all but
those who were on duty as keepers
were in bed. | was called upon to
visit a prisoner who required my at
: tention. To get what medical imple-
ments l needed for him | entered the
/ supply room and, among other things
took a syringe and quart bottle OF
aqua fortls. Fortunately l found a
spatula, which appropriated also.
Having done my duty by the patient
left him, ostensibly to go to my room
for 50 long as l was ON duty as physi
clan l was permitted to occupy room
in the surgeons quarters. But instead
Of going there l walked out of the
building and made straight for tn,
inner gateway. There stood a sentr,
who blocked my egress. l had filed m,
syringe with the deadly liquid and, sud
denly drawing 1t, gave him charge Ii
both eyes. AS had expected, he sen
forth a cry that would arouse tn
guard, but before they could respond
was at the outer gate, a quarter of
: mile away.
j Here the guard, having heard tn
, signals and coming on the run, lev
eled his piece at me and called on IN
In stentorian tones to halt. | knock
ed his musket aside, and before b
: could recover his aim | had put Al
; ounce of aqua FORTS in his eyes
: Had either of these sentries beeI
J pierced by bullet he might possib
have been instrumental in my capture
t But, besides the excruciating pain the
suffered, they We're blinded. Indeed, s
: intent were they on themselves that 1
: is quite likely some time elapsed befor
those who Joined them could lear
from them what had happened. A
3 any rate. l was well out on fields G
snow before heard any one comm
G in pursuit.
There seemed to be but one chanc
for me. That was to leave the roaG
? penetrate the forest which lined it an
4 hide In the snow till the search for m
5 should be given up. So long as l keI
J the road | would leave no visibl
D tracks, for the snow had been beate
E hard, but there was danger when
struck the loose snow. ran like th
e wind, taking my chances on stun
bling, till 1 heard shouts behind MI
. then, choosing point where the roa
] was much higher than the ground b,
8 side 1t, ran swiftly to the embanl
: ment, jumped as far as could an
landed in a sncwdrift
e Scattering the snow about me, dar
ed to the forest, a few hundred yard
away. There l hid in a drift till til
!, following night, when, not hearing an
further sounds of those In pursuit,
, continued my way westward, guide
: by the north star, which l kept ov'
: my right shoulder.
had no provisions. Indeed, the on
article had provided myself with.
: sides my gun and ammunition, was
= box of matches. Being attacked by
: single wolf, l gave him charge (
aqua fortis in the eyes and braine
q him with a billet of wood. | the
skinned him with my spatula and CT
from him sufficient meat to keep II
alive for some time. Though his SIX
was untanned, 1t served to keep II
+ from freezing to death on several o
e casions during my journey for FIRE
: dom. l was obliged to travel alor
a the southern shore of Kara bay. Or
d day, coming to a rowboat, | appropl
1t ated 1t and pulled till | saw sh
near enough for me to attract the q
e tention Of its crew. They took n
t. aboard and carried me to Sweden.
n am now a practicing physician
the United States.