ESCAPE OF A POLITICAL PRISONER IN RUSSIA.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2480, 2 March 1881, Page 3

ESCAPE OF A POLITICAL PRISONER IN RUSSIA.

A Sfc. Petersburg correspondent writes:—“ The following account of the escape of a political prisoner is eminently typical of the proceedings of the revolutionary party and of Russian life and manners, especially illustrating the role played by women in the revolutionary party, in which they take' such an active and resolute share. The prisoner in question was being taken by rail from Kieff to Odessa, escorted by two gendarmes. In the adjoining carriage two women were travelling, who expressed their desire to travel in the same carriage with the prisoner and the gendarmes. This request was complied with, and an animated conversation took place, the women sparing neither trouble nor expense to make the time pass agreeably. All eat, drank and smoked together, and at one of the stations tea was procured and partaken of. Night came on, and when approaching the station of Vinnitz, the conductor came to collect the tickets. On the seat which should have been occupied by the prisoner was found a heap of clothes arranged to resemble the figure of a man, but the prisoner was gone. The gendarmes were aroused with great difficulty. At length one of them awoke and explained that after drinking the tea he was seized with an irresistible desire to sleep. His comrade, who, when pushed, fell on the floor, after* w" ■"‘is explained that he had experienced t. -o symptoms. The women had m ao 011. The prisoner, it need scarcely be stated, did not drink any.ot

the tea provided evidently with a special infusion foi the gendarmes. There is no report of his capture or that of his lady friends. It m-y be mentioned that political prisoners who have not been sentenced by the Courts are always escorted by two gendarmes, are not manacled. This absence of manacles of course made the escape easier in the above case.”