New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-04-04
100000 ExiIes of Siberia Race
To Freedom on $4,000 Sledges
! ;,,,tod Men and Women Including Noted lerorists
DEFY Cold to Regain Russian Fiomes-Niahy 4"
Chains Others ILL., Tell of Crueltes IN PRISONS

,Idnap tour hundred railroad silihrIS
and send ,hcm TO Siberia.
Aruikbiu. who introduced himself 10
the correspondeut as "a released IAN
bird" is a gigantic. broad shouldered:
elderly man with gray lmperi"I ana
an excited manner of speech lie ara,
after one year IN European coLVlc'
prisons / spent ten years lA me HitN
audrov.k prison. NIFTY miles RON VI
kut-k This is thc biggest coHNlci !""
mn Russia ard contained l-.OUo ORDINARY
criminals and bout 800 poll''s'
oDcr, mostly sentenced to life 'ka-
t,oga.' the >cvcrc.t form OF kuSsiA'
punishment hort OF death
Chained TO Barrow
"l .pcnt the hrst five years IN TIC
.o-lolIrd irCbaiou class. with HANDS
and foot maracled and chained TO a
vheolbarrow. which had to take
cverywhc.c. IN addition ! Va repeat
odl< forrcd by order of the governor.
although we had means Of com
munication with the outside world.
We .rew nothing Of the revolution until
the morning Of ouI release. At That
limo two Terrorists and hau dozen
criminal CouvlctS were being logged,
without apparent cause. The pUncip"l
tate attorney suddenly appeared and
announced 20 our amaLement: Russia
j. 4 republic and you are free.
After orr release we learned ina
thc assistant governor. on getting the
rcv.q Of tho revolution. declared that he
would give farewell Jogging. in or
der to prepare my jailb.rds for sweet
liberty.
Shacklcd Nen at Feast
Among the political prisoners from
Tobolsk Is Alexander Popof, VINO was
sentenced TO death for an alleged plot
against the Emperor. charge which ne
declares was a fabrication by the po-
hce. Popoh. who is n mighty intelligent
artisan. was chained by the wrists ana
ankles for four years. In describing MS
/ release he said:
"A most remarkable feature of am
uesty day in Toholsk was the sudden
/ demand for backsmlths. The prison
/ blacksmith. fearing the vengeance or
I the convicts, fed, and private black
( smiths. IN the general orgy OF reVolu-
/ tonary triumph, could not be found. IN
the meantime sixty chained men waited
| for their liberation.
"The newly formed Committee ol
Public Safety. unable TO find black
4 =.
TO the dismissed Governors palace,
where a banquet had been prepared, and
We had our first free meal. Above Tue
/ din Of speeches and cheers Tor the
Russian republic could be heard the
/ ifEgling Of our shackles.
Girl Exile Freed
Another liberated exile was Sophia
I Iiinajtzkv. a pretty girl of nineteen,
I bel ~
/ ego on suspicion Of being engaged IN
/ POLITICAL propaganda. and was spirited
| sway TO the remote Siberian village Of
/ sign" - I'm
| Another girl, who had been eXlled TO
! place near the shores OF Lake BaIkal.
said that the news Of the revolution
was first given out by the village priest
! in church.
/ At once fifty eXilos who were in the
congregation rushed out, determined on
vengeance on the local police captain,
who was wanton tyrant. They were
met by the policemans ten-year-old
daughter. who stood before her father
/ and exclaimed: Kill me first The
/ childs action saved the captains life.
/ In Tvumen are convcts and admin
| istratiye cxiles who were on their way
/ to prison and exile when the revolu-
| ton occurred. These Immediately
! started to return TO Europe. Among
( them was found Basil Muravin, sem
I fenced to death in 1907 for belonging
/ to the Militant Organization of the
! Social Revolutionary Party"
Rife Shots Signal Freedom
! Muravin gave the following account
Of his liberation:
when the revolution occurred ! was