A SWIM FOR FREEDOM.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8558, 18 October 1907, Page 3

A SWIM FOR FREEDOM.

A bold bid for freedom has been made by two young Russians. Rather than face the prospect of returning to their own country for military service they jumped from the Russian steamer Aleicone into the English Channel, and tried to swim for ihe coast some eight miles away. Both had taken life-belts, and after being some three hours in the water they were picked up by a Greek-steamer oil" Stavt Point, and landed at Cardiff. The Aleicone is a Russian steamer, and it is alleged that the two young men, whose names are Kirpohe and Kripah, stowed themselves away at Libau. The captain, when they were discovered, told them he would hand them over to the Russian authorities. This threat so terrified them that when they saw land in the distance they leaped overboard and made for it, preferring to take the chance of drowning rather than face a Russian prison and punishment. Interviewed at Cardiff the young men ;?ave a graphic account of their daring attempt. "On Saturday morning about three o'clock," they said, "we sighted land about eight miles off. Though we did not know what lard it was, wc thought it must be England, and Mie impulse to make a plunge for it v/as too strong, and we each appropriated a ship's lifebelt and leapt over. In about an hour a large vessel passed along some distance away, which, however, our shouts and arm-wavings failed to stop. "We must have been tossing about for at least three hours it seemed more like three weeks—when another vessel came up to us, and with a frantic effort we shouted and waved our arms. Then a boat was lowered with three men in it. We were too exhausted to help ourselves, and had to bPriauled into the boat." For'the time the men are detained under the Aliens Act, on the ground that they are penniless; but there are other grounds on which the Customs authorities can detain them until the Cardiff Russian Consul can investigate their story.