AN AGED CONVICT AND HIS SOLDIER SON.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume IX, Issue 7, 13 February 1892, Page 152

AN AGED CONVICT AND HIS SOLDIER SON.

Near the city of Vladirostoek, where the construction of the new Siberian railway was lately commenced in honour of the Tzarewitch’s visit, there are among the worKmen or helots, who«e guerdon is many strijes ami no pay, some thousands of the ’.east criminal convicts in the country. Arnone those who are -eing punished for acts which have absolutely nothing in common with moral crime was one hoary old man of venerable aspect, a native of Koorok, who trad ilelibeiately trodden on the chain of the Governmental surveyor as he wa- measuring the ground because be was suspected of an intention to transfer some of the peasants' land to the Crown. This imprudent act was labelled * violent resistance to the lawfully constituted authorities,' the old man » as found guilty. and as the rigours of Siberia were deemed inadequate to give this daring spirit his due he was deported to the more terrible island of Saghalien. When the scarcity of free workmen began to be felt, he was taken from there, conveyed to Siberia, ana sent to work along with one of the convict gangs. One day he ■vas struck by the familiar look of the soldier who, with loaded rifle, guarded his gang : and he male bold to ask him whence he came To this question the soldier, forbidden by the military rules to enter into conversation with the convicts, gave no reply. The old man, however, grew more •idgety, soon ceased work altogether, and fixed his dark, piercing eyes on the soldier. At last, unable to control himself any longer, he pronounced a Christian name softly, calling out. ■ My dear," dear son. The soldier quivered, grew pale, with an effort compressed his lips, convulsively clutched his gun and pulled himself together for a moment -but it was only one moment : the next his emotions had completely mastered bim, his hands dropped helplessly to his -ide-, bis rifle slipped with a dull thud tothe ground, and he himself fell heavily without a word or a moan, as if cut down by a scythe. The old father threw himself on bis body, called him tenderly by his pet name, and covered him with tears and kisses. The other guards and taskmasters, seeing, without understanding, w hat had happened, rushed to the spot, surrounded the convict, who, it was eviient to them, had felled his guard, and raising the bartends of their guns, prepared to dash out his brains. Some •i them next trie: to remove him by force, but he held the unconscious guard so tightly locked in his embrace, kissing him and muttering to himself. ‘ He knows me : yes. he knows me now. my dear boy,’ that they were powerless to separate then. At last thev were both removed on a dray

to the hospital, and the true sigmncance of the scene dawned on the infuriated soldiers, who were now deeply touched by what they had witnessed. *lt was.’ writes my correspondent, ‘ a most harrowing scene—one that I shall remember with a shudder to my dying day.’ The next morning the doctor declared that the soldier had lost his reason, and mast be removed to a mad bouse. The convict, on being informed of this, and ordered to begin work as u-ual, refused quietly at first, then roared ami raved like a maniac, and was at last put into a straight waistcoat and confined along with the other madmen.