The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-09-26
Brave and Beautiful Sol
dier's Daughter, Mar
ried on the Eve of
Her Husbands
Execution.

Mrs. Josephine Rial. who Is n iris
country obtaining arms and ammunition
for shipment 70 the rebels Of the Philip
pine Islands, has well earned the titis
Joan % ARC % the Philippine" Al
though scarcely out % her girihco6. she
has already q history replete with roman
tic and tragic episodes The following
sketch % her person ana career Is taken
from a HoHEk0ng letter 70 tie Chlcago
Times Herald:
HO%GEONG. Jelly s-Josephiue Rial.
the young widow who was leader In the
Philippine rebellion and tire execution %
whose husband vas one cause % the as
sassination Of Premier Canovas by Anglo
lIllo. Is on her way 70 America The rebels
call her the spanish Joan OF Arc and few
women have had more eventful career.
She arrived n this colony q few days
since. after spending nearly six moneas
with the rebeIs IN Cavlts province.
Mrs. Rial. whose marriage TO Or. Rial
an hour before he was shot was unQues-
tlorahly the most thrilling or ar least dra-
matte incident OF the instruction, VIII
come into public view again She viii soon
leave for England. where she hopes to get
some sort OF cooperation upon the part ot
the British government IN the effort which
she proposes 10 make 10 establish 20 the
satisfaction OF the world that her husband
Philippine rebellion. She will ask this CO.
operation as a Subject Of Great Britain.
Her sudden and unexpected appearance
in Hongkong was very much OF Il sur
prise II was well known here that Mrs.
Rial was among the rebels doing what
she could 70 encourage them IN the pres
ence OF succession OF reyerses. but IL was
not thought she could leave Luzon island
(the island OF the Philippine group that
xii QsH teal >. - Sch ~
without being detected by the Spaniards.
and then perhaps severely dealt with. An
other surprise was experienced when II
was learned the young woman. after con-
sorting with the rebels for months, max
ing speeches. singing songs and actually
participating IN engagements between the
coateading forces, had displayed unlimited
courage and nerve by not only leaving the
principal camp Of the rebels, but by boldly
and defiantly going 10 Manila and going 10
the home OF the aged mother Of DR.. Rial
"A home that is necessarily watched by
the Spaniards.
Into the Lions Mouth.
This marvellous display Of nerve was not
sufficient. When the captain general and
later the governor general commanded the
presence of the trouble making young
widow. she promptly repaired to their re-
spective palaces-palaces from which had
emanated. only a few months ago. the
thrilling edict that the young doctor
should die-and there behaved as one for
whom the supposedly merctless Spanish
officials seemed 20 have no terror The
womau's remarkable conduct seems 10
have nonplussed these Spaniards. There
Is hardly any other explanation for their
failure 70 DO the regulation Spanish thing
and incarcsrate her.
AS Mrs Rial Is situated today having
the confidence Of the rebels, rank and
file" she can undoubtedly do more TO
strengthen the rebellion than her husband
could do were he alive.
Thrilling Career of Mrs. Rial.
Mrs. Rial IS indeed an interesting char
acter. She has not vet reached her TWEEN
ty-first milestone. Her young life Is fun
OF interesting and dramatic events. That
she should be standing like a warrior
bold" armed with revolver. dagger and
rifle. behind rebel breastworl<s. and trying
to pick out" q Spanish officer. as she did
in Cavite province IS perhaps only IN &C
cord with the conditions surrounding her
when she first saw the Fight OF day
She was once known as the daughter oe
the regiment" n fine British regiment:
now she IS the aeing figure IN the Philip
pine war. Mrs. Rial was the daughter Of
James Brackin, sergeant and schooimaster
IN British regiment stationed at Hong
kong in 1876 Brackin and HIS wife we're
natives Of Ireland-honest. bright, highly
respected people. The now Mrs. Rial
was born IN Victoria barracks Hong
kong. and the little one was talked about
as the Daughter OF the Regiment" 4
month or so after the childs birth Mrs.
Brackin died. The infant. then so miser-
able as 10 make It's survival matter Of
doubt. was adopted by air. and Mrs.
George TRuffar.
Mrs RizI married her husban. while he
aaz- - 10
long been "a love with each other, al
though Rial was a sedate scholar and
man OF books. while Josephine was a
young girl 10 her teens When he was
sentenced 20 Death. he asked her TO marry
him and she consented. Early on the
morning Of the execution they were made
man and wife IN small chapel connected
with the prison. After the ceremony was
performed they were allowed & few mo-
ments Of private conversation. The newly
welded wife wanted TO see her husband
10 the end. ana she was permitted 70 W.T.
ness the execution. A party % seven
was picked out 10 do the firing. Rial was
made 70 face a stone wall The soldiers
arei and Re dropped dead
Oath to Avesge Her Husbands Death
When she saw her husband shot down
early on that December day she registered
q solemn oath that thereafter she would
raise her hand and voice whenever &c
would in5ure Spain She has since assa-
clstee with rebel leaders. and has wit
messed the struggle @ UEorganized and
badly armed hands o. natives against the
organized forces which represent the
power that caused her husbands death,
and today she knows 10 fear. The great
power POSSESSED by Gen. Rivera makes
ITO impression on a mind which IS evident
ly given ever entirely 20 the Thought u
ayeng1ng what she chaTacter!zes as cold
stoodc6 murder
Mrs. Rial IS an attractive Wonan-cou-
s.Gerahlv taller than the average woman.
shapely % form. erect and graceful II il
impossible 70 trace her IfibeTuiaa ancestry
In either her features ur hxr speech. The
emotions % Az intense. sympathetic and
perhaps sornsW hat 1rap1islye s0ul are