The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1906-08-10
A TRUE: STORY u THE
RUSSIAN REVOLUTION
[orfginal.l

RUSSIAN REVOLUTION
[OrlginaLl
A member Of the Russian revolution
ary committee In New York recently
came upon a man the sight Of whom
startled him.
"Why, Sergius, thought you were
dead"
"But you see am alive"
"Your name certainly came through
eur secret press as having been exc
eutsd, together with number Of 9TH
ers."
The man addressed seemed haunted
BY some danger, some memory-what 1t
was his friend could not tell. He
looked about him az 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
aIriveT'
YESTERDAY"
When they were settled at a table
IN a cafe with something warm before
them to restore the courage Of the new
y 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 1t was liberal. Since the
ezar had promised liberty Of the press
we supposed we were safe. But the
troops were all about US, and whenever
they entered 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
hurricanes, some fear earthquakes.
would prefer either to what came upon
Us. The soldiers respected no one, old
or young, sick or we'll, male or female.
Ny father was arrested as editor Of
our paper, and l, having written for 1t,
was also arrested. l was III at the time,
but that made no difference.
1--WE were tried by the 'drumhead,'
which should be named the black
DEATH and, Of course, ,sconvicted. It
mattered not whether we were inno-
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 I among the number.
1T is horrible thing-that which Is
common at home today-to be marched
out In q gang to be shot down like
dogs. Men and women were driven to-
gether to a pen while our fellow citi-
Gems looked on without power to help
US. I can see my horror stricken COM
panions wailing, praying or nearing
their end in silence. l can see"-he put
his hands over his eyes-"my father
standing among the rest and the look
he gave meme whom he had brought
up from babe. can see that line OF
death, hear the word Of command from
the officers. l saw these men raise
their pieces and bring them to an aim.
The suspense between the aim and the
6re was too much for me, weakened
as l was by illness. 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, supposed
that ] was in the agonies Of death.
Then, in darkness, suffocating, load
upon me, it occurred to me that l had
been buried alive. I had struck the
truth. After the execution the bodies
were gathered and thrown into a
trench dug for the purpose. The bullet
intended for me had gone over my
head, and was not hurt. was thrown
In 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 as well as my strength
would permit-of course it was greatly
magnified by my situation-and at last
scrambled out. As lay on the surface
gasping to fill my lungs l saw it was
night. There was chance for my
life.
Il 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 gained sufh.
cient strength and courage to crawl
away. You remember Ivan Drovon
sky. Well, his house was not in the
town. 1t was on the outskirts and
near the shooting pen. ! went there
and called him up. When he saw me
} standing at his door he thought was
my ghost. told him my story, and he
} took me In and concealed me.
Fortunately, as you know, we were
not far from the German border, and
my friends advised and helped me tt
reach it. They furnished me with 9
disguise and started with me, since
was too weak to get on by myself. OF
course had a better chance than one
the police were looking for. No one
looked for me, for was supposed tt
b dead. reached the border safely