The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1904-11-14

SOIueWHeTt HI the IItt ldIu Vi <AHiCtA-
ca a blue-eyed woman with cataract
of ripping fair hair is at work for
the czar-watchlng the unsuspecting
disciples of anarchy and nihilism as
they lay their plots. far from the
eternal vigil of the Russian police.
The history of this girl, known still
among the nihilists as the Amber
Madonna" is a strange story of the
everlasting human-of the love in
stinct rising supreme. In both man
and woman. to honor. duty and am
bition.
Two years ago the little Russian
village of Zhitomir harbored hand
full of political assassins-anarchists
by instinct and murderers by incli-
nation. Among them were two or
three expelled students. a highly
educated man named Piotr Stepanoff
and the Amber Madonna" The
Madonna" had burst In upon Russian
revolutionary life like a flash of sum
light. All who knew her knew her
name: no one ever mentioned 1t. The
daughter of a professor at Kieff. she
had fled from her home with the sim
pie but vague ambition OF doing
something to save her country from
tyrannical misrule.
Stepanof met her and soon had her
in his net Stepanoff was huge and
hairy: monster In size and a giant
in strength. He was disciple Of
dynamite, whose disintegrating pow
ers were regarded by him as the one
great remedy for governmental injus-
tice. He told the girl how he had
choked a Polish jailer to death, and
escaped from prison, with other tales
of his strength and his bravery which
soon made her his willing disciple,
She was a girl of uncommon
beauty. She had faultless COM
plexion. Irish blue" eyes. and hair
enough, she used to boast. ito hang
herself with. II she were caught"
She lived as sister with Stepanoff
and the other three or four would-be
assassins, preparing their meals.
mending their clothes, and writing
from their dictation the pamphlets
with which they spread their doc
trines of destruction. She bacame a
skilled forger. and fabricated pass
ports for fugitives. But she remain
ed madonna.
BY and by Stepanoff planned an
assassination. One OF his theories
being that the strong should sur
vive, while the weak were sacrificed,
he deputed the actual throwing of
the bomb to one OF the students,
Ivanhofr by name. The Madonna"
was heart and soul in the plot--so
much so that she fell In love with
Ivanhoff. the hero who was to i'm
molate himself for the sake of his
country. stepanon had meantime
become infatuated with the girl, and
her fondness for the student made
him first morose. then angry. I'm
willing to let Ivanoff make n hero
Of himself in the girls eyes. Stepan-
OF declared the assassination post
poned. Two days later Ivanhofr dis
appeared.
Stepanoff said the plot must have
been discovered and Ivanofr captured.
He declared the other conspirators
must go to Moscow, In two parties,
to minimize the chances OF arrest
Stepanoff. tho Madonna" and one
other composed one OF the parties.
They settled In dingy tenement In
Moscow. The Madonna" suspects
that Stepanon had been responsible
for the disappearance of her lover.
Ivanoff, and she knew Stepanoff loved
her. Yet. when he sent their COM
panion to st, Petersburg, on some
FOOLS errand, she fearlessly remained
alone In tho house with the giant
That night she fought desperately to
save her honor. This next morning
Stepanoff. his face barred with stick
ing plaster. went to his other party
of subordinates. announced that the
Madonna" had flown, and denounced
her as a traitor.
He was right. The girl. after es-
Gaping from him. went straight to
the police and Informed on all her
comrades. stepanofr's subordinates
In Moscow were arrested. but he had
gotten out Of the city. Tho MA
donna" went to st. Petersburg, found
the man who had been sent there,
and trapped him into giving her
stepanoff's st. Petersburg address,