Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1893-12-01
CHAPTER VII.

ncW ~idIrr:
An extraordinary case Il atten. p,,l sH;-
eide ca.Hc before the poor man f..'..V
yesterday an! Is rcpurtc! ia or &C., us.
Tie prisoner, a respectfully ,.rc~>,I Young
wou..'. not uu.utcg,- 49,, IN al .rIr,'.ce
set I...I..,.Y, Wa, >rcH l. w.lA deliberately
into the river of greenwich marsha, and
WAS rescued ":.!y j'.-t IL t.iac FIR lie to he
restored. she has iri-~tD.t!y released to
open / r liz "a T.; IS tnquc>tiui-. and The
OILY ,.,w iy Wish Size may in--ih.y he
identified T., Il mysterious fIn- which mas
foui.: " IN ui a piece Of ribbon a5oU; her
mech It. inG2i rii.- made Of wrvu-,ht
iron with the GrN.>,- "a Russian char .cjers
running AROUND u. ~ life Is thin.
H. fuGnd 'Ar rti.,.: under the l. al Of
Police Intelligence
THANLs IoiIcE Ga RIA yOC;g "o..4..r,
whose naiI.". axe. &C., were nl"fE''i I'M
known" un I'll" a.. arg sheet, was :, uciit up
for having attempted - cor MT sgiciGr. In
spcctor L.W-on e.. IL med That lie hal been
unable 10 fill ~ ,''e charge sheet. as prisoner
lad Z" .....,,.y refused to answer questions,
and indeed had NOT spoAen one word since she
lad been in CUSTODY. He could not say wheIh-
er Lcr silence was the result Of porycrsIty or
inability 10 speak or To understand. The Only
Indication Of her nationality was a mans ?. ..,;
made Of wrought iron, which had been found
on a strip Of braid tied round her neck, and
which had an inscription running rou:.d it in
foreign characters which he believed were
GIruA. On the ring being handed up 10 the
magistrate he said the device WIS in Russian
and meant My life is thine" Addressing, the
prisoner in this language the magistrate put
several questions without effect, prisoner
maintaining perfect silence, though showing
tbs utmost anxiety TO recover the ring. and
seizing it with savage delight when the magis-
tTate had 1t passed over To her.
Inspector Lcwson said that the prisoner was
seen from the Warspite police hulk stationed
off Greenwich marshes to walk deliberately
into the river. a rescue crew was sent Off al
once, but prisoner was unconscious when
picked up. He had been unable to gather any
particulars respecting her, excepting that she
had been seen i'll High street, Greenwich, early
that morning, with no covering but a light
wrap, and completely drenched with exposure
to the heavy rain.
The magistrate again addressed the prisoner
with his customary kindness and sympathy,
but failing TO obtain the slightest response re-
manded her. at the same time expressing a
hope that the reporters would give publicity to
the case in order that the prisoners friends
II she had any-might come TO her assistance.
The following is a description of the young
woman: Height, 8 feet inches: probable age,
q; hair dark chestnut, eyebrows and lashes Of
deeper shade; eyes dark brown, features
ened by privation; fingers long; dressed in gray
stuff dress. plain but well made. but obviously
too lsrge for her slight figure: high heeled but
ton boots, also too large; ears unpierced, and
no ornament whatever except the above men,
toned ring.
Taras came to me-with what dispatch ]
can imagine. knowing his unhalting swift
ness to relieve distress. l was brooding in
the police cell, seated on my bed with my
chin resting in my hands, when heard
the grating in the door moved. had been
visited already, questioned and lectured
enough, and sat there motionless under
this last inspection in sullen determination
to let nothing move me. But at the words,
"That is She" l started to my feet. in an
instant recognizing the voice of Tar"S, and
waited while the door was being opened
for himpo enter with such trembling fear
as l had not felt before the magistrate who
might send me to a prison or a madhouse
Did he, too, regard it as a crime to try to
end ones miseryt Had he come to re;,roach
me with my sins' hung my head, fearing
to read my condemnation in his face
my little friend" he said.
The true ring of sympathy in his voice,
the look of tender compassion l found in
his eyes as lifted mine, told me that he
forgave me, and with an involuntary cry of
Joy / caught the two hands that he held
out to me-
He spoke to the warder, who after a lit
tie hesitation withdrew, leaving us alone.
Then l whispered to Taras:
you've heered all about it."
"As much as want to know" he replied
And you don't mind"
II mind SO much as this-that If | can
make life endurable to you l will"
) II won't do it again if you tell me not to.
I'll bear anything-Pve made my mind up
to it. Will you come and see me AGAIN."
"See you againi Why, you don't think
mean to leave you herei"
II didn't know. Do you think you can
get me Off"
There's very little difficulty about that. I"
Hes lef' the door ajar, and if l oncet
gets in the street, stopped, for smile
on his face told me that he did not intend
to get me Off in this way.
There's no need 70 run the gantleG,
said he. "The magistrate is a good and
reasonable man. l will tell him all know
about you" Then he stopped, seeing my
dismay at this proposal
Don't you want me to tell HIM" be
asked.
II don't mind-not much. Do what you
like. Iwon't complain. Only he won't let
me off-he can't. Preaps as you're a for
eigner you don't know that in this country
what I've done is g hangin job"
"Whatp he exclaimed, with another
Emile, hang girl for trying to kill her
selff"
saw that we were playing at cross pur-
poses, and after a minutes silence said.
II thought you knew all. but you don't
thought 1t 'ud "a been in all the newspa-
pers and every one a-talkin about it. l
was a-goin to tell you at first, but / turned
1t off when l see you look at me so terrible
But I'll tell you now, cause can't bear to
think amt actin square with you-you re
80 kindlike to me- Only you won't be too
angry with me, will you? And you'll come
and see me again one of these days fore it's
oil up wi me, heyi"
Tell me what you mean, little friend.
Tor heavens sake!" he said earnestly
Il done for 'em, not like made out, but
real done for 'em. Ismashed the foreigner
with stone and shet 'em both down in
the hole and set the cellar all afre-true
as heving did" And then narrated in
detail what took place after had let him
down by the chain and before I rejoined
him on the stairs.
He listened in mute amazement, with set
features, but with such gentleness melting
In his eyes that, having finished my story,
found courage to touch his arm and say,
You amt a-goin to shrink from me for
doin what didn't know you wouldn't like,
are your"
GOD forbid" he said, pressing my hand
IF you did this thing, l am responsible
not you-and If punishment is to follow l
will take my full share"
Holding my hand, as if to assure me of
the bond Of fellowship, he stood for some
moments silent in thought. Then, after
putting few rapid questions to me, his
face frightened and he said:
Il am hopeful, little friend. That Mon
golian head is too hard to be smashed by the
slight fall of that stone. The lamp upset
on the earthen floor of brick cellar would
not hold sufficient benzine to set fire to the
floor above. If the house had been burned
down, the bodies of those two rascals would
have been unearthed, and the tragedy could
not have escaped the notice of my friends
in the Minories. will go and find out the
truth. If the men are killed, will come
back and give myself up to the police for
my share in the murder. If they are not,
you shall leave this cell before noon. In
any case will see you again quite soon"
The cab that brought him stood outside
the station. He sprang in, telling the
driver to go to Sweet Apple lane As he
neared Ferrytoat stairs his first hope was
realized The Mariners Joy still stood
The shutters were down. He stopped the
cab, and minute after stood on the spot
where he had been thrown down and over
powered few nights before. There his
second hope was partly gratifed. Putty
stood behind the bar with one arm in a
sling, patch over his eye and otherwise
looking rather the worse for recent events,
but still alive. At the sight of Taras stand