Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-05-05
Nerve and Presence Of Mind
Saves Woman From Death
Special Correspondence Of The star.

Special Correspondence OF The Star.
WARSAW, Poland, April II, 1907.
~Y the exercise of courage and pres
ence of mind such as probably few
women have possessed, Madame
- Stresky, the wife of warsaw
physician, has just saved herself
from murder and robbery under circum-
stances as thrilling as ever were put into
a novel, With desperate criminal in the
same room with her the plucky woman
managed to summon assistance by tele-
nhone. and afterward sat and sang at
plano during the twenty-five minutes which
ELAPSED before help reached her-just in the
nick Of time.
Madame Stresky lives with. her husband
In a small villa on the outskirts of War
saw. Last night she was alone In the
house. but for an old, deaf cook. who dozed
in the basement after her days work.
Madame Stresky sat with her needlework
upstairs in the drawing room. Suddenly,
on looking up, she saw In a mirror the re-
Election Of huge, ruffianly-looking man,
crouching behind screen which stood at
the back of her chair. For moment FEAR
petrihed her, as she thought that this man,
knowing she was alone, had crept into the
house and was awaiting an opportune mo.
ment to murder her and strip the house or
valuables. Outside the street was as quiet
as the grave. Her nuSDduQ Woulu AoL OS
back for hours To rush from the room
and cry madly for help meant fastening
death.
Il
Then thought struck her. There was
telephone in the room. She went to 1t and
quietly rang up family she knew. The
servant answered at the other end. II want
your mistress" she said. After two inter-
minable minutes her friends voice was to
be heard
MY dear sophy," began the Doctors wife.
BE so good as to send me round that four
thousand roubles this evening. I must pay
1t into the bank tomorrow morning. I'm
very sleepy and want to go to bed"
The friend at the other end of the phone
was mystified. They had never had any
financial dealings together, nor had she
heard Of the sum in question. But before
she could say anything the doctors wife
began again-this time IN French:
Some wretch has got into the hous e- I'm
first man you can get hold of"
Then she added in Polish: Send the
money as soon as possible. III walt up
for it,
This done, she sat down at the piano and
with shaking hands and voice began to play
and sing. She calculated that ten minutes
at the most would see her out of her terri
BILE dilemma She could not leave the room
without passing by the screen; all she could
do was to appear as If she did not know
what stood behind 1t. Her voice got weaker
and shaker every minute, though she hoped
the rufflan would wait for the fictitious four
thousand roubles. But fifteen, twenty,
twenty-five minutes passed and there was
no sign of help. She feared the wretch would
suspect her. She determined to ring up
the police and ask for help in French.
trusting to chance that one Of the inspec-
tors might understand her. Again she went
to the phone, rang up and gave the neces-
sary number. But the ruffian behind the
screen knew the number, too. Pushing
down the screen, he rushed forward, knife
in hand, upon the defenseless woman. She
tried to wrench the weapon from him, but
in vain. He pointed the knife at her and
struck. Happily 1t clashed against large
metal buckle she wore on her belt. With
an oath he raised 1t again-it was within an
ace of her heart when the sound of break
ing glass arrested the murderers hand. He
looked around-a soldiers head appeared in
tho broken window Flinging down his
knife, he made for the door, only TO fall
into tie arms of another soldier.
The doctors wife was found on the floor
unconscious. The wretch, who had all but
murdered her, was known to the police as
one of the most desperate characters in the
the woman's presence Of mind in ringing up
her friend and asking for the money in
Polish and for help in French saved her
from a horrible death.