The Six Escapes - Finding Lost Civilizations

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us. While looking we inadvertently crossedthe border, where we asked the police tobe allowed to return. My learned, kindinmate thought it to be a good idea, andsaid, "The judge may buy it, andyou will be free." My inmate was a politeman; every time he would sit down on thelatrine he covered his face with a towel.When I asked him, "Why do you do that?"he said, “I don't want you to see myembarrassing face." We had our own newsreports on daily bases whatever was goingon in the prison: by gently knocking on thewall. Every knock meant a letter, forexample one knock was letter A, threeknocks letter C, followed by a pause, etc. Isoon learned all of the alphabet'scorresponding numbers by heart. One day Ilearned one of my village friends was alsoserving time for his attempted escape toAustria. Soon, to my surprise, he wasserving me food, escorted by a guard. Thenext day, he placed a note under my plate,and told me that my brother was free andworking now. After a while he no longershowed up serving food. I later saw him inthe courtyard with shaven, shiny head.Apparently he tried to escape, and that wasthe usual punishment for it.In mid-September I was finally slated fortrial, and since I was still 17 and under age,they gave me a defense lawyer after aconsultation. He skeptically accepted myversion, but said, “Your brother and yourfather will be at your trial as well." Thatworried me a bit, since my brother didn'tknow of my new version of our story. I washoping that I would be the first to testify. As
for father, he knew nothing about the case,so no problem here.It was a small courtroom with a middleagedjudge accompanied on either side bya lady and a stenographer. There was myfather and brother; I was seated beside mylawyer. The judge asked me to explain mystory. Then my brother was asked ifeverything I had said was true. My brothercorroborated, but on cross-examinationsome discrepancies were noted, at whichtime I was allowed to reprove the errors.Then the judge asked me, "Who did all thework at home, and the farming?" I said, "I,my brothers, and sisters." Then he askedme how many sets of clothing and shoesdid I have?" I said, "Only what I have onme, and a set of work clothes, which is athome." "And how many pairs of shoes?”the judge asked. I said, "Only the ones Ihave on." I added, "We worked at home, aswell as in the fields barefoot unless therewas snow on the ground.” The judge wasinterrupted by my father, who said. “Thereason he and other children are leavinghome or escaping is that they are lazy anddon't want to work.” Then the judge askedhim, “Who does the work now?" Fathersaid the two youngest sons. "And how oldare they?" the judge asked. "One is ten,and the other six.” That somewhatinfuriated the judge, who said, ”I will fromnow on, hear no criticism or any morecomments from you.” The judge thenconferred quietly with both ladies.After few minutes the judge asked me,"If you were free today, where would yougo?" I said, “To my aunt, and start looking
Page 1: The Six EscapesFederal People’s R
Page 4 and 5: The Six EscapesByRafael AugustinAll
Page 6 and 7: IntroductionYugoslavia was a former
Page 8 and 9: police or the border guards when se
Page 10 and 11: Western countries? Who else is tryi
Page 12 and 13: of foreign country. Then the man as
Page 14 and 15: water and food. At the beginning of
Page 16 and 17: we kept running, and the policeman
Page 18 and 19: eturned with water and some sandwic
Page 21 and 22: head for Germany. I asked him,” W
Page 23 and 24: On the tenth day I was set free and
Page 25 and 26: Third EscapeThrough my Aunt Angela,
Page 27 and 28: my brother to hide in the bushes. H
Page 29 and 30: hallway. But as we came out, hell,
Page 31 and 32: We were all political prisoners, an
Page 33 and 34: under moderation, and cards were pl
Page 35: e dead by the time they return. Wem
Page 39 and 40: which I was glad to help with after
Page 41 and 42: Fourth EscapeI told my brother of m
Page 43 and 44: all very disappointed. I had believ
Page 45 and 46: us. She said, “No." We felt semi-
Page 47 and 48: ead foreign mail, especially with m
Page 49 and 50: As I left, few blocks down the road
Page 51 and 52: thought the two bridges in Maribor
Page 53 and 54: said, "No, they never mentioned it
Page 55 and 56: puzzled. As I entered the house's h
Page 57 and 58: money, and my friend’s bicycle, w
Page 59 and 60: Sixth Escape - FreedomI went to the
Page 61 and 62: for about an hour, where I sat down
Page 63 and 64: movement northward to Germany. In a
Page 65 and 66: under my pillow for safety.When I w
Page 67 and 68: was off again, energized and in goo
Page 69 and 70: continued to France, also a veryacc
Page 71 and 72: This photo was taken in 1942, villa
Page 73 and 74: Freedom is the last, best hope of e

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