Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-04-03

was intended for thirty prisoners, but
usually contained from sixty to eighty.
half Of whom had consumption or
rheumatism. We convicts had a secret
organization which we called the col
1ective.' The occupants of the different
dormitori communicated by means
Of tapping and other systems of sig
mailing. Although we also had means
OF communicating with the outside
ton Until the morning of our release.
At that time two terrorists and half a
dozen criminal convicts were being
logged without apparent cause. The
provincial state attorney suddenly ap-
peared and announced. to our amaze
ment: Russia is a republic and you
are free
After our release we learned that
the assistant governor. on getting the
news of the revolution. declared that
he would give a farewell logging. in
order to prepare my jailbirds for sweet
liberty"
Among the political prisoners from
Tobolsk Is Alexander Popoff. who was
sentenced to death for an alleged plot
against the emperor. a charge which he
declares was a fabrication by the
police. Popoff. who is highly intelli-
gent artisan. was chained by the wrists
and ankles for four years. In describ-
ing his release. he said:
"A most remarkable feature of am
nesty day in Tobolsk was the sudden
demand for blacksmiths. The prison
blacksmith. fearing the vengeance of
the convicts. fled and private black
smiths. in the general orgy of revolu-
tionaryQ triumph. could not be found.
In the meantime, sixty chained men
waited for their liberation. The newly
formed committee of public safety,
unable to find blacksmiths, drove the
still chained convicts to the dismissed
been prepared and we had our first free
meal. Above the din of speeches and
cheers for the Russian republic could
be heard the jangling OF our shackles.
Mutineers Also Released.
From Tobolsk prison there were also
released fifty soldiers. sentenced to life
for mutiny during the revolution fof
1905; leaders in the Livonian peasants
riots, and others who were sentenced
for agrarian offenses. Another liberat-
ed exile was Sophia Lijnaitzky, pretty
girl of nineteen. from Vitebsk, who was
arrested a year ago on suspicion of
being engaged in political propaganda,
and was spirited away to the remote
Siberian village of Kiutun. She was al
lowed 50 month by the government
for her living expenses. and managed
to exist by teaching adult peasants to
read and write. Relating her expert
ences she said:
I'm my village the police. themselves
wearing red badges, were the first to
announce the revolution. Immediately
there was frantic competition among
the eXiles to get home. The first two
girls who started We're without proper
equipment, and were overtaken by
blizzard near Vrekolensk, and it is said
were frozen to DEATH
Another girl who had been exiled to
place near the shores of Lake Baikai
said that the news of the revolution
was first given ont by the vi''"~o priest
in church. At once fifty exiles, who
were in the congregation, rasned ouL
determined on vengeance on the local
captain, who was a Wanton tyrant.
They were met by the policeman's ten
year-old daughter, who stood before
her father and exclaimed:
Kill me first" The child's action
saved the captains life.
These Escape Tortures.
In Tyumen are convictS and admins
trative exiles who were on their way
to prison and exile when the revolution
occurred. These Immediately started
to return to Europe. Among them was
found Basil Muravin. sentenced to
death in 1907 for belonging to the mill
tant organization of the social revolu