RUSSIAN PRISON HORRORS

NZ Truth, Issue 72, 8 December 1906, Page 6

RUSSIAN PRISON HORRORS

DARING ESCAPE OF A REVOLUTIONARY. Soldier's Plucky Rescue. ' Six weeks ago the papers published the news of an important escapethat of Mr G-. Savinkov, from the military prison m the fortress of Sebastopol. Nothing but the 'bare fact was then known. We have now been enabled, says the "Daily Chronical," to obtain from an authentic souroe the full details, none of which are as yet made public. Mr Savinkov was arrested m Sebastopol on the charge of complicity m the attempt to assassinate General Nepluev. As a matter of fact he had nothing to do with it. and his presence m the town was purely accidental. But as he was an important member of the Social Revolutionary party, and the Government had long and diligently been hunting for him j to settle old scores, once his identity j was disclosed there was no doubt j that he would be condemned to death and shot. The proceedings, however, were so manifestly illegal, that the , council for defence (two of the three men wore appointed by the court itself)' succeeded m obtaining a postponement of the trial. When one of these men canie to see Savinkov, he was very frank on the subject. "The court has appointed me," be said with a pleasant smile— he had, by the way, a large red face, and a very bald head, which he wiped continually 1 with his handkerchief— the weather, was warm— "the court has appointed me. but, of course, you understand there is nothing to be done. A courtmartial can end but one way— in fact, the executioner is ready." IN A FILTHY CELL. Savinkov was all this tini'e kept m such revolting conditions— his cell was frightfully dirty and verminous— that he sent a protest to. General Nepluev. The 'General .listened, and said- "Let -him get used to' it." That was early m the week— he knew thai the prisoner had only till Friday to live. Savinkov 's cell was situated at the end of a long corridor on one side, and on the other, opposite him, was another cell, where a soldier was imprisoned for some criminal act. Across the corridor ran a grille, , which was always kept locked. On the other side of this on one side stood a washstand, on the other two doors, the first opening into a room, where a gendarme officer was always on duty ; the next into a dark storeroom. Beyond, the corridor itself led into a vestibule. Here a door on the right opened into the officer's room, and another straight' out into th" yard. Three sentries were stationed between the cells and the grille, one outside the cells one at the grating, and the third m the middle, on the left. Between the grating and the guard-room there was one more. The guard-room was always full of soldiers under the command of a non-commissioned officer. The last room was occupied by two officers, one of whom had always to be on the watch. At the outer door, stood another sentry. To get from the cell to the yard, therefore, one had to pass five sentries, about twenty soldiers, and four officers. And yet, with all this elaborate protective machines this impressive staff of guards, the escape was effected with a simplicity that mipht be termed almost ridiculous. Indeed, it was this very simnlicitv and obviousness, torother with sunreme coolness and pood fortune, that enabled it to be effected. A SECRET CIRCULAR. At the top of Savinkoy's cell-door was a square opening .which should have . been glazed, but was not. Through this one day the last sentry passed him a note, which told him (with a watchword, of course) that the man could be absolutely trusted. This soldier is what is called a volunteer— i.e., entered the army to serve his time at once voluntarily, instead of waiting to be called out by lot. This may be done only by men who .have reached a certain degree of education. As such,- and as he had a record of good arid intelli- , gent service, he was frequently given ! more or less responsible posts. The two then began to plan an escape, but this was possible to effect only when' this soldier was made "dnevalny," or "rasvodiashchy." i.e., had the duty for the day of opening the cells j when necessary, or the duty of ohanginn- the watch. Three times ! they arranged it, and something prevented it— the last time by the officer m command, who, coming into the corridor and learnine thai this soldier was "dnevalnv," gave orders that another man should take his place. As it afterwards transpired, this was because the officers had received a secret circular from the authorities not to trust "volunteers" m general. A DARING BID FOR FREEDOM. As soon after this as he was able, the young man then went to the General m command of the corps and bitterly complained to him of this evident want of confidence m him. He was aware, he said, that there was a 'general prejudice against volunteers, but that his loyalty was well known both to the General and to his immediate superiors, and he bege^ed that he might not be subjected to such unjust humiliation. His record was indeed so good that the General reassured him and spoke to his superior officers. When, therefore, it became known that he was m a measure a favored person, responsible work was given him more often, and the same officer who had removed him before smoked and chatted with him familiarly m the officers' room. Indeed, he succeeded m getting on such good terms with this officer that the latter, at his suggestion, removed the middle sentry from the further end of tiie corridor, m order to give the men more" rest. This was, of j course, against rules. That \ r ery i night, about 3 o'clock, being rasvo- ; diashchv. the revolutionary soldier , made his round, and found the sentries at their posts, but tire ■ wndar- ; me officer m his room, the officer m | .tlis guard-room, and the officer off \ dut.v m the last, asleep. The rasvodiashchv bad already got Ih.fi keys, so ■!»> unlocked the gratinp. went down <hn con-iiflnr. pikl owned Pn.vin-l-nv'c rnM. "On): mi n ,id (lvf»«:p." I'f> r -><'! n'mifi * 0 \]^n't f] 1P c-ppfr- o ,,|_ 1 side could hear. Savir.kov began to

dress slowly.: "I have no boots,"- he j said at last. IN THE FACE OF THE SENTRY. The soldier then unlocked the opposite cell, took the other prisoner's boots, and gave them to Savinkov. The sentry watched all this unusual proceeding with the utmost passivity. The Russsian soldier is taught "not to deliberate, but to obey." and seeing his superior m command doing something incomprehensible. with matter-of-fact coolness, he d^d not "deliberate." "Now you are going to wash," said the soldier. The prisoner took his towel, and together they went down tile corridor. "Open the grille," ordered the rasvbdashchy, and the sentry obediently held it open for them to pass. They went on past the room where the gendarme officer was asleep, till they came to the wasnstand, where Savinkov m view of the .next sentry began to wash. When he had finished his companion took him into the storeroom, still under the sentry's eye. There the prisoner changed his shirt for a regimental one, put on a soldier's cap, and rapidly cut oft his moustache with a clipping machine. Then "they 'passed out together, and through into the tfuard-room. The soldier watched them, but whether he lost his 'head, or whether he dared not interfere, he still made no sign. The corridor was not well lighted but Savinbov was doubly conspicuous as, owing to the darkness m the. store-room, he had left a tuft of bis moustache still on. BACK TO LIFE. They passed into the guard-room. There the under officer and some of the . soldiers were asleep, and the others gathered round the lamp listening to one who was reading aloud. One or two turned their heads, hut seeing the rasvodiashchy with another soldier, paid no further attention. Both the revolutionaries were" armed, and were prepared if necessary, to fight, though had the alarm be-en given, of course, they stood no chanoe against so many. In the vestibule once more chance, favored them for the officer on duty, instead of walking up and down, as was his custom, was m the room reading a newspaper, and "-aye them scarcely a dance. With a word to the sentry at the door, they passed out into the j yard before lie had time to see who +hey were. In five minutes the alarm was given, but they had already got to a place of safety.