Garšviai Book Smuggling Society
Led by Ūdra and Jurgis Bielinis, the society organized a network of trusted associates who would purchase the publications in East Prussia, smuggle them across the Prussia–Russia border, and distribute them in central Lithuania (mainly area around Panevėžys and Biržai).
In February and April 1894, the society suffered financial losses due to confiscated property but managed to avoid a wider police investigation.
The society unraveled when the police arrested Ūdra and found his notebook with names and addresses of his associates in June 1895.
The villagers of Garšviai learned about the illegal press around 1882 when they received some Lithuanian books through Jonas Venckavičius who then worked in Saint Petersburg.
[2] Ūdra headed Venckavičius' urging to help with the distribution of the illegal press and searched for contacts with existing book smugglers.
[4] The society had about nine true members (those who contributed to its capital) and many collaborators who in one way or other helped to smuggle, hide, and distribute the publications or shelter the smugglers.
[12] According to memoirs of Sakalauskas, he transported two carts worth of publications almost monthly, but there are not enough surviving records to determine at least an approximate number of trips taken to Prussia.
[13] The society accepted subscriptions for Lithuanian periodicals and smuggled them regularly without waiting for a larger transport.
[15] They covered an area in central Lithuania approximately between Žeimelis, Krakės, Kavarskas, Užpaliai, and Nemunėlio Radviliškis,[16] though some publications reached Kaunas, Mitau (Jelgava), Riga, Hrodna, Saint Petersburg, Moscow, even United States.
[19] Occasionally, the society also received financial donations or earned money from other activities (e.g. escorting emigrants to the Prussian boarder).
The society also purchased unsold calendars, ripped off pages with dates, and used the remaining text as a bonus or a thank-you gift.
Other texts, including all periodicals, were often deemed to be anti-Tsarit and could subject people to harsh prison sentences and exile.
Bielinis took the press to Gripkeliai [lt] where he published a single issue of his newspaper Baltasis erelis (The White Eagle).
A veteran of the Imperial Russian Army, Škutas disapproved anti-government publications and, despite various pleas and threats, turned in the bundles to the police.
[32] Six days after the bundles were turned in, the police intercepted a letter addressed to Ūdra in which he was asked to deliver eight issues of Varpas and Lithuanian books.
[33] The search turned up 54 issues of Vienybė lietuvninkų, 407 issues of Žemaičių ir Lietuvos apžvalga, two letters by Ūdra's brother from United States in which he discussed the book smuggling, an illegal lottery ticket for an alarm clock, and other miscellaneous items.
[34] The next day, the police questioned eleven men of the Garšviai village, but they defended Ūdra and claimed they knew nothing about any book smuggling ring.
[35] The case was transferred to the police district chief (ispravnic) in Panevėžys, but it (perhaps due to a bribe) lingered without further action for about a year.
[37] The case caught the attention of the Ministry of Justice as it was receiving alarming news about the increased number of anti-government texts being distributed in the Kovno Governorate and ordered to fully investigate and prosecute Bružas.
[41] Baron von Nolde, commander of the Russian border troops in Tauragė, asked Prussian police officer Witschel for help.
[42] Bielinis with the purchased books was transported to Plikiškė [lt] at the border, handed over to the Russian police, and detained in Tauragė.
[43] Tilsit publishers and traders became scandalized and sued Witschel for lost profits who served nine months in prison.
13 June] 1895, Ūdra traveled from Debeikiai via Anykščiai to Troškūnai to attend a parish festival of Anthony of Padua and meet other book smugglers.
The police combined the cases and launched an investigation against five men – Ūdra brothers, Ladukas, Kavoliūnas, and Kazanauskas.
[51] The police questioned 24 people and determined additional members of the Garšviai Society – Jurgis Bielinis, Antanas Bružas, Kazys Domarkas, and Jonas Trūsas.
[54] In general, the men did not cooperate with the investigation and tried to implicate only those who would not suffer police persecutions, e.g. Jurgis Dilkus who died a month earlier or Justinas Kulikauskas who had emigrated to the United States.
They faced additional sentences for the publications confiscated near Raseiniai in February 1894, but the police decided to drop the matter in October 1897.
[59] He first lived in Suwałki and then returned to his native Garšviai where he collaborated with Juozas Tumas-Vaižgantas, who at the time served as a priest in Vadaktėliai [lt] and Sidabravas and edited Tėvynės sargas.
Jurgis Bielinis successfully evaded capture and gained a reputation of a folk hero for his ability to outsmart the police.
