The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1906-1907, 1906-08-27
A TRUE STORY Of THE
RUSSIAN REVOLUTION
forlginal.J


"Your name certainly came through
our secret press as having been eye
cuted, together with a number of OH
ers."
The man addressed seemed haunted
by some danger, some memory-whaI it
was his friend could not tell. He
looked about him as though he feared
q policeman or a Cossack was coming
from behind to cut him down.
"Come with me-" said the other. II
viii 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
arriveY'
Yesterday"
When they were settled at a table
in cafe with something warm before
them to restore the courage of the new
" arrived man be told the following
experience:
You know. Of course. Of the putting
down OF the revolution in the Baltic
fathers paper did not support the revo-
luton, though it was liberal. Since the
czar had promised liberty Of the press
we supposed we were safe. But the
troops were all about US. and whenever
they entered a 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
would prefer either to what came upon
US. The soldiers respected no one. old
or young, sick or WELL male or female.
My father was arrested as editor of
our paper. and l, having written for IL,
was also arrested. was III Mt the time,
but that made no difference.
I'VE were tried by the drumhead.'
which should be named the black
DEATH and. OF course. convicted II
mattered not whether we were limo
cent or guilty. certain number must
be sacrificed to strike terror into those
who remained There were about
eighty OF us selected TO be shot. my
father and among the number
1T Is horrible thlng--that which Is
common at home today--to be marched
out In a gang to be shot down like
dogs Men and women were driven to-
gether to pen while our fellow citi-
gems looked on without power to help
us. can see my horror stricken com.
panions waillng. praying or nearing
their end in silence. Gun see"-he put
his hands over his eyes--"my fntAer
standing among the rest and the hook
he gave meme whom be had brought
up from babe. | can see that line OF
death, hear the word OF command from
the officers. / saw these men raise
their pieces ana bring them to an aim.
The suspense between the aim and the
fire was too much for me. weakened
as l was by illness. l tainted and as
the balls moved down my companions
fell, too. but from another cause.
When l came to myself, remember
Ing the horrible situation. l supposed
that ! was In the agoules OF death.
Then. In darkness. sufTocating, a load
upon me. 1t occurred to me that lad
been buried alive. l had struck the
truth. After the execution the bodies
were gathered and thrown into n
trench dug for the purpose The bullet
intended for me had gone over my
head. and was not hurt. was thrown
n with the rest and all were covered
over with earth. but not deep or
would not be here with you today.
"But / was not thinking OF this then,
I was working a. well aa my strength
would permlt-of course il was greatly
magni1ed by my sltuation-and at last
scrambled out. As lay on the surface
gasping TO all my lungs ! saw Il was
night. There was a chance for my
life.
II lay still for some time, listening.
There was no sound near me that
could hear. No sentry was needed to
guard the dead Perhaps the troops
that had stricken Us had passed on to
the next town. At last I gained sutfl-
Gent strength and courage to crawl
away. You remember Ivan DrOvOn-
aky. Wen, his house was not In the
town. Il was on the outsklrts and
near the shooting pen. I went there
and called him up. When he saw mo
standing at his door DO thought was
my ghost told him my story. and he
took me In and concealed me
Fortunately. a. you know. we were
not far from the German border. and
my friends advised and helped me to
reach Il. They furnished me with a
disguise and started with me. since
was too weak to get on by myself. OF
course | had better chance than One
the police were looking for. No one
looked for me. for was supposed to
be dead. reached the border safely
and. travelling through Germany. took
q steamer for the United States.
"tlut l cannot shut out that dreadful
scene. see strong men and weak
women waiting for the slaughter. l
see their nelghboFs, their children, who