Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1885-07-03
A BRAVE GIRL.
Who Saved Herself from Horrible
Death in Russia.

From Russla, by the san Francisco CALL
The correspondent of the Novostcy
Dna (Daily News) writes that, near
the village of kagoshua Il terrible
murder was lately committed. A
Russian peasant, who had been to the
village to sell pair of oxen, was re-
turning home with his daughter, Il
girl of If years, when on his way he
stopped at kobach "a drinking house)
three miles from town. In the place
were suspiCious-looking persons, who
noticed the peasants money when he
paid for his drink. The unsuspecting
man left the house aud went on his
way. Soon after, under cover of the
darkness, he was assaulted and killed.
After ritling the corpse the murderers
threw the body of their unfortunate
victim into well. The girl, who had
been a witness of her fathers murder,
returned to the house where her
father had stopped, and informed the
owner of what had occurred. lie
told the girl TO keep quiet, and per-
suadcd her to stay at his place during
the night, and he would see what
could be done in the morning. Hardly
had he and his wife had time to put
the girl to bed with his own daughter,
a girl of the same age, before the
murdertrs returned. The kobachnik
(saloon kcepcr) acquainted them with
the girls return, where upon they
avowed their intention of completing
their work by cutting the throat OF
the innocent child. The kobachnik
objected to this mode of despatching
the girl, as the body might be dis
covered, and be an easy means oI
identifying him as an accessory to
the murder of her and her father. IIt
proposed TO burn her alive in the
bread oven. 10 this the others con.
sented, and accordingly he ordered
his wife to prepare for the burning Of
the girl. When the oven was ready ht
directed his accomplice to take the
girl, who was lying on the outside Of
the bed, with a yellow hankerchie
bound around her head, and throw
her into the oven. At the same time
he cautioned them to be quiet in theil
work in order to prevent her from
making an outcry. The girl, nervous
and agitated by the dreadful work Of
the night, had not gone to sleep. She
breathlessly listened to the prepara
tions of the villains for her owl
murder. Quietly rising from the BED
she locked about for means of es
cape, but saw none except window
which was fastened with a large nail
the only other means of exit being
the door through which she had beel
brought, and which led directly tC
the room the murderers were in
The terror-stricken girl looked abou
in hopes of finding some weapon Of
defense to use as last resort. There
was nothing in the place but cul
filled with water. Involuntarily sht
grasped it, then laid it down. Sud
denly an idea seemed to seize her
Turning toward the bed she untieC
the yellow handkerchief about hel
head, and tied it on that Of her sleep
ing companion, taking care TO draw i
well down on her face so as to concea
her features. Then grasping thu
sleeping girl by the shoulder, sh,
rolled her over until she rested OF
the foot of the bed. Then the des
perate girl crawled over to the insid,
and waited. The murderers, actins
on the description given by til,
kobachnik, seized the girl with tn,
yellow handkerchief over her face ant
threw her into the oven. After com
pleting their terrible work they wen
to sleep thus giving the other girl
chance to escape. She immediatel.
made her way back to town and CAV
information to the police. No tim
was lost, and posse of officers, unde
the guidance of the girl, soon ha'
the murderers in custody.