TEN YEARS IN A SIBERIAN MINE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 2926, 16 April 1891, Page 4

TEN YEARS IN A SIBERIAN MINE.

Captain Joseph "W. Mourns has returned to hi" home in lioston after an absence of three years, and tells a startling story with regard to an outrage committed uj>on American sailors in Russia. Captain Morris was in command of the .schooner Helen, a .seal poacher in tho Russian section of the Behriug Sea, and three years ago when she started out for liussian territory it was her second poaching expedition. The schooner had a crew of four Americans and 22 Japanese. F. C. Crocker and John Foljer, Americans, were mates und J. C. Goldor, sliipkeeper. She was very successful and had secured a full cargo of sealskius, and was heading for Yokohama when she was overhauled by a Kussinn warship, theKasabonach, The Helen tried to escape, but the Russian vessel was too fast for the schouner und slie was captured.

Before boarding her tho Russians killed seven of the Japanese on board, but none of tho Americans lost their lives. Tho liasabonach took the schooner to Vladivostock, where, in spite of the cold, the captain and crew were obliged to sleep out of doors from early in September to October 27, when they were tried for violating the fish laws. None of the testimony was was read over to the prisoners, but the evidenco against them was sufficiently clear, and they were convicted. Shortly afterwards they were driven afoot and bound lull miles to Nicolaski near tho Gulf of Ponjinsk, where the unfortunate men were informed that, they were condemned to three years in the Siberian mines.

Captain Morris describes the work in tho mines a.s terrible. Each man was obliged to send up five carloads of coal every day betGio ho could receive an order for rations, and all were to remaiu below liming the term of punish - menfc. Oaptiiiu Morris was chained to a l'oliih prisoner by a waist ring. At the end of three mouths the Pole died, and for four days Morris worked with the body attached to him, so that he could get tho doublo rations—thoso of tho dead man as well as his own. But in order to do this he wan obliged to sond up ten loads daily. At the end of four days Captain Morris could stand the corpse no longer, and, as he could not break the waist ring, he cut tho body in two and sent up tho halves with the coal. The only notice taken of this was the Sending down of it hammer and chisel, So that Captain Morris could release the chain by which he had been bound to the Pole.

At tho end of tho first year the captain's task was reduced to three loads daily, mud be thus had more time to think, hut this, ho says only increased his misery,

Finally, at the expiration of three years, a man descended into the mine, being tho first human being he had seen sincr. the death of the Polish prisoner. He showed him a paper, and motioned to him to ont'.T the cat. Morris refused as he feared ho was going to be shot, this being tho fate of most of the prisoners who ascended with their loads The officer .vent to the top, but came, back with an interpreter, who explained that Captain Morris' term was ended and he was released. Crccker, the mate, was released at the sarue time, and they say that Goldcr had also survived, but there are no tidings of the others, and they are supposed to have died in the mines.