The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1906-12-27
A TRUE STORY Of THE
RUSSIAN REVOLUTION

" member OIL tne NuSSlan rcNolullOu-
airy committee in New York recently
came upon Il man the sight Of whom
startled him.
why, Sersius, l thought you We're
dead"
But you see l am alive"
Your name certainly came through
our secret press as having been exc
cuteu. together With u number of 9th
ers"
The man addressed seemed haunted
by some danger, some memory-what it
was his friend could not tell He
looked about him as though he feared
II policeman or Il Cossack was coming
from behind to cut him down.
Come with me- said the other. Il
will take you where you will feel more
comfortable. You cannot have been in
this free country long or YOU would
not fear your shadow When did YOU
arrive:"
yesterday"
When they were settled at table
in cafe with something warm before
| them to restore the courage of the new,
| ly arrived man he told the following
experience:
You know. of course, of the putting
down of the revolution in the Baltic
provinces You also know that my
fathers paper did not support the revo-
luton. though it was liberal. Since the
car had promised liberty OF the press
we supposed we were safe. But the
| troops were all about US, and whenever
they entered 4 town they would declare
martial law and by their drumhead
courts martial proceed to get rid of
| those they thought proper TO destroy.
One day our peaceful village received
such visitation. Some countries fear
/ hurricanes, some fear earthquakes. l
would prefer either to what came upon
us. The soldiers respected no one old
or Young. sick or WELL male or female.
Ny father was arrested as editor Of
our paper, and l. having written for it,
was also arrested. l was i'll at the time
but that made no difference.
I'VE We're tried by the 'drllmhead.
which should be named the black
death. and. of course. convicted. 1t
mattered not whether we were inno-
cent or guilty, :; certain number must
be sacrificed to strike terror into those
who remained There We're about
eighty of us selected to be shot. my
father and ! among the number.
1t is a horrible thing that which is
common ut home today-to be marched
out in a gang to be shot down like
dogs. Men and women We're driven to-
gethcr to Il pen while our fellow citi-
Zens looked on without power to help
US | can see my horror stricken com
panions waiting, praying or nearing
thcir end in silence | can sec" he put
his hands over his eyes my father
standing among the rest and the look
lie gave meme whom he had brought
up from Il babe. can see that line of
death. hear the word of command from
: the officers | saw these men raise
; thcr pieces and bring them to an aim,
The suspense between the aim and the
fire WAS too much for me. weakened
as | WIS 10y illness. | tainted and as
! fell. 10. bat iruin another cause.
When | came 10 myself, remember
/, ing The horrible situation. supposed
that WAS in the agonrS of death
; Then. IN darkness. SutfUcAling. Il load
l upon me. il occurred TO me that had
been buried alive. | had struck the
!. truth After the execution the bodies
We're gathered and thrown into u
! trench dug for The purpose. The bullet
intended f,r me had gone over my
head. and | WAS not hurt WAS thrown
: i'll With the rest and all We're covered
! over With earth. hut not deep or
= would not be here With YOU today.
But | WAS not thinking of this then
4 | was working us We'll IL, my strength
1. Woull permit of course ii was greatly
m#gnitira by my situation and III las
: scrambled oul. AS lay on the Surfac,
d 81 <1ing To fill my lungs SAW it WA,
II Git. There WIS Il chance for my
life
: Il lay sG.l for some time. listening
= There WAS no sound near me that
could hear. No sentry WAS needed tt
guard the dead Perhaps the troop.
that had stricken us had passed Oh Il
the next town. At last | gained sulIi
cient strength and courage to craw
AWAY. You remember Ivan DrOvon
sky. Well, his house WAS not in til,
town. 1t WAS on the outskirts allt
near the Sloo,iii:, pen. went thelt
and called him up. When he saw M
standing at his door h" thought ! WA
my ghost. told him my story, and h
took NE in and concealed me.
'Fortlualcly. rs You know. we wer
not far from the German border. am
my friends advised and helped me [
reach il. They furnished me with
n disguise and started with me. since
In was too weak TO get on by myself. o
NJ course | had better chance than on
d. the police We're looking for no on
I'd looked for me- for | was supposed t
lg he dead. | reached the border Safcl
II, and, travelling through Germany tOt,