Pluck Extraordinary.

Bush Advocate, Issue 351, 9 August 1890, Page 2

Pluck Extraordinary.

The recent outrage by the Siberian officials in flogging two women brings to mind an espidode of the j daring escape ot 'fiT Siberian exile lat Moscow, as told rae by an Engl\a)iisktif.tipr<)pos 6t « his.re^i^pp jn i that city for some two years. '-' 'J?he < exile," said, he .;',.was the leader of a band of Nihilists 1 nWd'f o!r T their | daring. He had many aliases, but - was geneyaUj^npwji. j#sjpwki; I Physically he ; was; o.ne, $yhe ijom; 'perfect men-. 1, ever . s^w.^lj^b T ;tfjißs ;of dark' complexion, 'sw'dd 1 over &y. feet high, and was built in proportion. It seem's^Mfe he 1 , and part of. his t?aßyd ha^jbeencapturedrin cojor nectioa, wijjih some plbt tiie^tftonr ties had unearthed airi'cip Bad &eea sentenced to life servitude 1 M kfid. miners" of KaraJ 'KndwM£V&nly too well what this; meant, the men. iiad become, as desperate as, ' caged lions by the . time, they reached' Moscow, and were willing to take any chances to effect their escape. ",Ifl remember correctly there were about a thousand^pri^oneua "in this calvacade,^ and they were, guarded by : a regiment of §t. Petersburg; soMiors. Unlike the o'tner prisoners, tetrovski and his party* were handcuffed to each oth.'er.' 4 They were under a double guard, its it was known tjhat they -would make an a^teinpt'at escape should the opportunity offer. No chance offered, however, until the day of starting, f.or. tfto mines, arrived,. The soldiers, who' Vere " guarding 'tnt pavty appeared to be, rather under the influence of licjnor/ and -were- . not so vigilant as usual. I stoodi on the stoop of a. small ,inn wifchim ten fuot; of Petrovski, and fi-om tie> OXjtt^ession of his face I knew something was in the wind. The officer who had charge of this part of tiie^ prisoners, who was noted for lijst j brutality, had .mounted his horsa and stood near tho party. The guards had walked off some distance and were conversing together. I saw 'Petrovski working i at'^Kis handcuff, and then. l saw him, draw a common diim&r knife^ Jrom. ''his % jackot. The wwement did not attract attrition, and }\q then turned slightly so that his back, tvas toward the;offieer; Th,eiy ft flsmfhato he was going to attQßfcjbt one of themost desperate escapes, everieaydl of. The ma^Trascertainly amputating \ii t^jftfewifc^thQ^'tabie'toif^

so, as to, allow the handcuff tp^ .slip, over Ms' hand! ; Se'wdrlcedat it, never flinching, until the thumb dropped at hia feet. The... blood wwmwi'n^-fr^ni the I 'wtfund 'W-& stream, but he tied it up with a rag after drawing the skin over the wouAfyiaM; ha& &We<™S'Mdcuff off. His companion was aware o&temoveinente, i*biit atb^dd Ifli?e o § statue. The suppressed excitement ]>,was t Tivitneßßihg, '•almPst'-mad'e nic faint. I saw that the dare-devil WAS) as • JJale^aisi a 1 sheeib,( tbut^ withduf the slightest sign of fear. ,^"|Je/9t6od 'forlia riiptn^nt : irreso*-' lute, and then began a slow side mp,y#ment;ntoward > ithe^/imourite^ officer. When within a few 1 feet with, the fury > of a , tigtir andC seizing the officer, dragged MnjJfcom'jhisihppsev ] S ;? : -.n-^wH *' Before the guards could recpy,OTjij;hsir senses he hftd mpunttcidi the' horse and started off at a run down t £he street., snots followed him but ne escaped them ? all. .pis.irie^^^d^iiil,, aftd he eventually made nis way to Paris where he still liT^^^tjijMs^ wife and family, but' inmus Ms right thumb. " — Ne^ Jorfe. jje^jd.