Note 43 — Chapter XI · THE VISIT OF THE MINISTER—I AM TURNED INTO A CONVICT—THE PRISON AT KIËV

The story of this escape has been told by Professor Thun, in his history of the Russian revolutionary movement (Geschichte der revolutionären Bewegung in Russland), and also by Stepniak (Underground Russia: Two Escapes), who had it from Bohanòvsky; but the readers of the present volume may like to have it repeated with more detail than our author has thought fit to give.

When Stefanòvitch, Deutsch, and Bohanòvsky were imprisoned at Kiëv, Frolènko contrived to obtain work in the prison as a sort of odd man under the name of Michael. He gradually rose to be warder, first in the criminal and then in the “political” department, where, in spite of a feigned protest made by his three friends (who did not wish to appear on good terms with him), he was appointed to their corridor. They lost no time in fixing a night for their escape together; and having obtained two suits of private clothes and a warder’s dress for the prisoners to put on, he let them out of their cells at midnight. As they were creeping along the dark passages one of them stumbled against something, at which he grasped to save himself from falling. Instantly a deafening noise woke the echoes, he had clutched the rope of the alarm bell! “Michael” hastened off to explain to the staff that he had accidentally caught at the rope, and luckily this sufficed to satisfy everyone. As soon as all was quiet again he collected his companions from the corners where they had hidden, and all proceeded safely to the entrance, where the key was handed to “Michael” without a question. They stepped out of the prison almost into the arms of an officer; but he proved to be their comrade Ossìnsky, who had been organising the affair, and who now conducted them to the river, where a boat with provisions was ready for them. They travelled up the Dnieper for a week, concealing themselves in the long rushes of the bank if a steamer came in sight; and they finally reached Kremutshy, where Ossìnsky furnished them with passports and money. “Michael” was for long supposed by the Kiëv prison officials to have been made away with by the escaping prisoners.—Trans.