A Siberian Exile's Desperate Deed.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 15 July 1890, Page 2

A Siberian Exile's Desperate Deed.

(American Paper). Tm* recont oufxaero by the Siberian officials in florins: two women brings to miiul an episode of th^ d-mug oscapo, of a Siboviar fixil" at Moscov, „s toW mo by «n Englishmen, aprono* of his rosuli>no* in that city for somo two yn-M-s. ' The exilo,' s-ud 1,0, ' %v is the leader of a band of Ni Uil'ists noted for their daring. He },al many a'iasfifl. but was genora'ly known a«» Petvovski. Phys ; cally he w.is o oof the most perfect men j ] pvor a.w Ho was of dark c mi. ploxlnn. s''-o(l over six foot high, and was l-ui t ii proportion. It seems | that ho awl part of his hand had been cnptmol, in connection with I soine plot the authorities had un-

earthed, and had been sentenced to life servitude in the niiues of Kara. Knowing only too well what this IJiertnt,- the men had become as desperate as caged lions by the time they reached Moscow, and were willing to t-Jce any chance to effect their e^'iy '• If I roivipifi-j r i orrectly there were about a thousand, prisoners in the cavalcade, and. they were guarded by a regiment of St Petersburg!* soktiers. Unlike other prisoners, Petrovski and his party were handcuffed to each other. They were ufltta' a- double guard, as it was known that they would make an attempt at eacape should the opportunity offer. No chance offered however, until the day of starting ar - *ived< The soldiers who were guarding party appeared to be rather under the influence of liquor, and were not so vigilant as usual. I stood on the step of a small inn witliinten feet of .Petroviski, and from the expression ott his face I knew that something was in the wind. The offiesr who had charge of this part of the prisoners, who was noted for his brutality, had mounted his horse and stood near the party. The guards had wa ked off some distance, and were conversing' t0 * gether. I saw Petrovski working at his handcuff and then I saw hiO l draw a common dinner knife from his jacket. The movement did not attract attention, and he th«n shifted, so that his back was turned toward the. officer. Then I saw that he was got ing to attempt one of the most des* perate escapes ever heard of. The man was certainly amputating his thumb with the table knife so as to allow the handcuff to slip over his hand ! He worked at it, never -aching, until the thumb dropped at his feet ne blood waa flowing from the wouna . m a stream, but he tied it up with a rag £*'« drawing the skin over the sickening wound and bad slipped the handcuff oft*. His companion was aware of his movements, but stood like a statuteThe suppressed excitement I was suffering from, together with the daring bravery that I was witnessing almost made me faint. I saw that the dare-devil was as p»le as a sheet but without the slightest sign of fear. He stood for a moment irresolute and then began a slow side move' ment towards the mounted officer. When within a few feet he turned with the fury of a tiger and seizing" the officer dragged him from his horse. Before the guards could recover their sen-«s he had mounted the horse and started off at a run down the street. A fusilade of shots fol lowed, but he escaped them all, His friends aided him, and he eventually made his way to Paris where^ he still lives, with his wife and family, but minus his right thumb.