Evening journal., 1903-01-12
CAUGHT In A TRAP


- take N any one who, uniformed OF
She arrest Of the occupants. should
come to visit them.
Katia Nassalich, the wife Of one of
the principal Hihiists then in the city,
walked into the trap and was at once
placed under arrest When asked her
name, she gave an assumed one, but
refused TO give her residence, knowing
that the house was full Of compromis-
ing documents and her husband al
ready under suspicion. She feigned to
be very stupid person and to believe
that they were arresting her for com
i plicity with theft or some such offense,
that she was very much afraid Of her
husband and that he would be greatly
enraged at seeing her brought home in
charge Of the police.
The pristav, or chief police officer,
reassured her, saying that in case all
was right he would tell her husband
that no blame was to be attached to
her. Upon this she consented to show
him to her home, intending to take him
TO the wrong place in order to delay
him, hoping that her failure to return
| by a certain hour would serve as a
warning to her husband. Fortunately
when the party descended into the
1 street n man entered the building who
was intending, as Katia had done, to
visit the nihilist quarters there. Seeing
her In charge Of the police, he entered
a different room. But Katia knew that
he would warn her husband, and her
I object was simply to delay reaching
her home long enough to enable Vas
sallch to rid the house of all compro-
missing documents and get away him
self
Katia led the police several miles,
then stopped at a house, telling the
prlstav that she lived there But when
he asked her on which floor she broke
down, began to weep and confessed
that she had misled him for fear Of her
husband. The officer sternly ordered
her taken TO prison, whereupon she
began to shrek and promised that If
he would spare her she would take him
to the right place. He agreed TO give
her one more trial, and she led the way
back again to a point near where she
had been arrested, and as more than
two hours had elapsed and she felt
sure her husband had gone she took
the police to her home. What was her
CONSERVATION to see her husband sitting
at a desk writing as calmly as If not
threatened with such danger.
vassalich had been warned and had
taken away all compromising docu-
ments Instead of disappearing, how
ever, he resolved to stand his ground
and either save his wife or suffer with
her. When she entered, he looked up
as though greatly astonished. Katia,
in order to give him his cue, fell into
Mysteries, begging him not to believe
her guilty of any crime. whereupon he
regarded her sternly and asked the po-
lice why she had been arrested. When
Informed of the cause, Vassalich invit-
ed the pristav to search the house. This
was done, and of course not a scrap of
compromising paper was found.
ut only remains" said the prlstav to
Vassalich, 'to verify your passports,
, after which, assure you, neither you
nor your wife will be further troubled,
but in the meanwhile it will be my
duty to keep guard here"
Both Vassalich and his wife knew
that their passports were forged and
that their Punishment to Siberia would
Immediately follow a discovery Of the
fact. They were left in the living room
with one policeman TO watch them
while the prisfav went out to verify the
documents. In order to put the watch
Off his guard, they talked freely, the
wife telling her husband how distressed
she had been and how happy she was
at the turn the affair had taken, the
husband promising her that as soon as
the pristav returned he would take hei
out and solace her with a good dinner
Suddenly Katia put her hand 10 hel
heart. gave a shrek and fell on th'
floor Vassalich, having been warned
] by look from her that she was abou
to make a feint, rushed to her, raised he
3 In his arms and between his sobs ant
means told the policeman that she wal
diving, at the same time imploring hin
10 90 up to the floor above and bring
q bottle he would find on the dressing
case. If he was IN time, katia's lifl
might be saved. The man, dreadinl
lest by his refusal he might be the in
direct cause of her death, rushed Up
stairs, seized all the bottles standing
on the dressing case and rushed dow
@ again.
The room was empty.
knowing he had been duped, tn
s guard cast a quick glance about tn
= room and espled an open window tina
? had undoubtedly been opened for tn
= purpose of fight, for it was close'
r when he left and, being on the groun
i floor, would afford an easy means o
a escape. Jumping out into the narroN
yard, for q moment he deliberate
whether the fugitives would so int
s the street or back into an alley. Tai
e ing it for granted that they would nai
s urally go where their haste would nc
n be noticed, he darted to the rear. Th
e fugitives were not there, and he IA
back and forth. looking for an egres