RUSSIAN GENERAL'S ESCAPE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 10526, 2 December 1916, Page 10

RUSSIAN GENERAL'S ESCAPE.

FLIGHT TO ROUMANIA. The Petrograd correspondent of the London Daily Telegr&ph states that General Kornlioft',' comma-rider of the Forty-eighth Division, who. in April, of last year, sacnced his freedom in an heroic rearguard action to cover the retreat of his unit from the Dukla Pass, *in the Carpathians, has I reached Kiel!' from Roumania, whither he !iiad succeeded in escaping from Austrian imprisonment. Many ot the incidents of his romantic flight from the enemy's hands ■ must naturally be kept secret, as the pubI lication of them might prejudice the chancas Jof other prison-breakers, but several inte.rI esting details of the adventure have been j made known. I Soon after he was captured, the general | began to turn over in his mind projects J of escape, but fifteen months elapsed before jl he could put them into execution. Last spring, when he was quartered at Esterhazy Castle, in the Hungarian town of Laopka, he had all in readiness for a dash for freedom, when his preparations were noticed, and strjeted surveillance imposed. A month before his escape, he secured a transfer to a lazaret at Kessek, where he managed to redress in ranker's uniform and get clear I awav. I He and a Czech soldier were being sent [out with a working party. They took advantage of the momentary inattention of the guard and slipped away, boarded a train, ! and travelled without impediment to the (station at Karashevesh. Here the fugitives {obtained civilian clothes, in which they ; continued their journey on foot. They were I much helped en their way by the perfect j knowledge of the German language. .About this time the general's flight was advertised by tins enemy, with an offer of a large reward for his re-capture. It became Too dangerous for them to travel except by night, and till the evenings they hid in woods- They suffered much from hunger and for days together had nothing to cat but berries. At last the soldier'ventured into the village for food, but he was surrounded b\ gendarmes and shot, J.he general was rapidly approaching the pom of complete exhaustion", but he continued on his way alone, and on :.be twenty-second day of hia escape came acro>3 a party ot Roumanian shepherds, who treated him very kindly and guided him across the frontier. , , - General Kowriloff will have to retire to his bed for some time to get over the cop- j sequences of his privations and exertions., There is much rejoicing over his escape, as he has the reputation of being one of the most fearless men in the Russian army, and hie. exploit with 'he Forty-eighth Division was only the culmination of a career ot gallant deeds.