The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-06-05
A BRAVE RUSSIAN GIRL.
Ho w She Saved Herself from Horrible
Death by Ruse.


From the Russian, in San Francisco Call.
The correspondent of the Novosta Dna daily
News) writes that, near the village of Kogoshua
a terrible murder was lately committed. A
Russian peasant, who had been to the village to
sell pair of oxen was returning home with his
daughter, girl of fourteen years, when on his
way he stopped at a kobach Ia drinking house)
three miles from town. In the place were several
suspicious looking persons. who noticed the
peasants money when he paid for his drink. The
unsuspecting man left the house and went on his
way. Soon after, under cover of the darkness,
he was assaulted and killed. After rifng the
corpse, the murderers threw the body of their
unfortunate victim into well. The girl, who
had been witness of her fathers murder, re-
turned to the house where her father had
stopped, and informed the owner of what had
occurred. He told the girl to keep quiet, and
persuaded her to stay at his place during the
night, and he would see what could be done i'll
the morning. Hardly had he and his wife had
time to put the girl to bed with his own daugh-
ter, girl of the same age, before the murderers
returned
The kobachnk saloon keeper) acquainted
them of the girls return whereupon they
avowed their intention of completing their
bloody work by cutting the throat of the inno
cent child. The kobachnik objected to this
mode of dspatching the girl, as the body might
be discovered, and be an easy means of identify
ing him as an accessory to the murder OF her and
her father. He proposed to burn her alive in the
bread oven.
To this the others consented and accordingly
he ordered his wife to prepare for the burning of
the girl When the oven was ready he directed
his accomplish to take the girl, who was lying on
the outside of the bed, with a yellow handkerchief
bound around her head and throw her into the
oven. At the same time he cautioned them to
be quick in their work in order to prevent her
making an cutlery. The GIRL nervous and agi
tated by the dreadful work of the night, had not
gone to sleep She breathlessly listened to the
preparations of the villains for her own murder.
Quietly rising from the bed she looked about for
means OF escape, but saw none except win
dow, which was fastened with a large nail. the
only other means of exit being the door through
which she had been brought and which led d.
Iectly to the room the murd6rers were in.
The terror stricken girl looked about in hopes
of finding some weapon of defense to use as
last resort. There was nothing in the place but
a cup filled with water. Involuntarily she
grasped it, then laid it down. Suddenly an idea
seemed to seize her Turning toward the bed
she united the yellow handkerchief about her
head and tied it on that of her sleeping compan
ion, taking care to draw it we'll down on her
face so as to conceal the features. Then grasp
ing the sleeping girl by the shoulder, she rolled
her over till she rested on the front of the bed
Then the desperate girl crawled over to the in
side and waited. The murders, acting on the
description given by the kobachnik, seized the
girl with the yellow handkerchief over her face
and threw her into the oven. After completing
their terrible work they went to sleep, thus Civ
ing the other girl chance to escape. She imme-
diately made her way to town, and gave infor-
nation to the police. No time was lost, and a
posse of officers, under the guidance of the GIRL
soon had the murderers in custody.