AN UNHEARD OF ESCAPE.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XV, Issue 4727, 23 July 1890, Page 4

AN UNHEARD OF ESCAPE.

(New York Herald.) The recant outrage by the Siberian ctlioials ia iloaging two wrmen brings to mind an episode of the daring e3C3pe of n Siberian exile at Moscow, as told me by au Englishmen, apropas of hiß residence in that city for some two yparj. "The exile," aitd he, " wns the leader of a band of Nihilists noted for their dsring. He bad many aliases, bot wai generally known as Patrovaki. Physically he was oris of the mo3t perfect men I ever saw. He wbs of dark complexion, atnod over six feet high and was built in proportion. I: eeenn that he and part of his band had been captured in connection with some pint the anthoritii.3 had unearthed and bad been sentencsrt to life servitude in the mints of Kira. Knowing only too well what thh meant, the men had become as dejperato as C3ged lions by the time they roched Mnscow, and were willing to take \ any chances to eff-:c: their escape. | " If I remember correcly thore were about a thotnand prisoners in this cival- | cade, and they were guarded by a regi- ! ment of St. Petersburg eoldiers. Unlike the other prisoners Pe'.rovski and his party were handcuffed to eich other. They were under a double guard, a3 it was known that they would make an attf rapt to escape ahould the opparluaity offer. No chance cllered, however, until the day of starting for the mines arrived. The soldiers who were guarding the party appeared to be nnder the influence of liquor, and wero not so vigilant as usual. I stood on the stepß cf a small inn within 10ft of Petrovaki, aud from the expression of his face I knew something was in the wind. The officer who had chirge of this par* of the prisoners, wbo was noted for his brutality, bad mounted his horao and stood near the party. The guirda had walked off some distance and wero conversing together. I saw Petrovskl working at his handcuff, and then I saw him draw a common dinner knife from his jickit. "Tho movement did not attract attention, and he then turned slightly so that his back was towards the officer. Then I saw that he wa3 going to attempt one of tho most desperate escapes ever heard of. The man was certainly amputating his! thumb with the table knife, so as to allow the handcuff to slip '-ver his hand. Ho worked at it, never tliochiog, uutil tuo l thumb dropped at his feet. The blood was flowing from the wband in a stream, but! he tied it np with a rag after drawing tho akin over the wound, and bad slipped the handcuff off. His companion was aware of his movements, bat stood like a statue. Tho suppressed excitement 1 was suffering from, together with the daring bravery that I was witnessing, almost made me faint. I saw that the dare-devil was as pale 03 a sheet, bat without the slightest sign of fear. "He stood for a movement irresolute, and then began a slow aids movement toward the mounted officer. When within a few feet he turned with the fury of a tiger and, seizing the officer, dragged him frow the horse. " Before the guards could recover their senses he had mounted the boras and «tnted off at a run duwu tho a'reel. A

ftuilade cf shots followed him bat he escaped them all. Hia friends aided him, and he eventually made his way to Paris, where he still lives, with hie wife and family, bat miDus bis right thumb."