Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-26
WOMAN'S MYSTERY
CLEARED BY DIARY
Record of the Life of "Nicolai de Ray
lan,'' Whose Sex Was Discov-
cred on Her Death.

ments. The diary covers period between
the years 1888 and 1882, the year Of her
arrival as a refugee in Chicago. She did
not compile it until she arrived here, and
the date of the first entry Is November 3,
1892. In places the writing is scarcely legi-
BILE. and in others the ink has faded SO that
the entire document cannot be read OF
translated into English without the aid Of
a microscope.
Drank and Gambled.
The first phase of her life traced in her
journal, many pages in which indicate that
she was drunkard, a gambler and pro-
fame roue, depicts her as a school girl.
Her mother had placed her in a government
school for girls in Kiev, Russia where the
Taletsky family home was situated, and be-
tween the ages of fifteen and sixteen years
she was to graduate. Somewhere around
this period her mother, who had been we'll
to do before, suddenly acquired $4,000 ru-
bles (about $125 COO.
Nicolai discovered the existence Of this
sum and became suspicious concerning 1t.
In some way she found that It had been
settled on her mother, as trustee. by some
member Of the nobility to be conserved in
the interest Of Ntcolai. This - discovery
made the young girl curious as to the
reasons for the settlement and caused her
to wish for her father, as expressed among
her writings, to find from him what mys-
terry surrounded her origin. Nicolai writes
Of various interviews with her mother. in
which the latter refused to give informa-
ton, and Of various attempts to make her
parent speak on the subject. Finally was
born in her a desire to get for herself the
substance of the trust fund. to control it
and to spend 1t as she liked.
AS the time Of the graduation from the
girls school drew near the girl conceived
Napoleonic scheme to force her mother
to pay her a considerable sum OF money, or
at least to divulge the information she
col obi hot hn ho6 hnr
inspiration in two statutes Of Russia-one
making 1t a crime, punishable by imprison-
ment, for any one to gain entrance, by any
means for a boy into girls school. The
military service. which made 1t a serious
crime for a mother to hide the sex of a
male child. -.
Laying the Plans.
The completeness Of detail with which
the sixteen-year- old girl set about to prove
herself a boy shows her to have possessed
originality and Imagination to the point OF
genius. No detail was left uncompleted
Before she made known to any one her pur-
pose, she made final and convincing ar
rangenhents to provide for evidence In case
her sex was questioned.
She had been watched over from early
childhood by a French governess, Louise
Datone, about nine years her senior. With
far-seeing shrewdness Nicolai decided that
Louise would be the best witness she could
have, the latter having almost grown up
with her. Affecting to take her governess
into her confidence, she said. according to
the diary:
Louise. you've seen me in the house
here posing as a girl, when, in fact, all
the time l have been a boy. The purpose
of my mother in Disgusting me in this way
was to inherit, in some way procure
this money that has come to her."
Maid Becomes Confederate.
She convinced Louise of the truth of her
statement, and they entered into a compact,
according to the diary, to leave Kiev to-
gether and enter on a campaign, the pur-
pose Of which shouIs be to force fhe mother
to give up the information and the money.
Nicolai told the governess she long had
been secretly in love with her, and would
marry her as soon as the money was OBJ
tanned. They left Kiev in company and
went to st. Petersburg, not telling the
mother where they were going. their pur-
pose. or when they would return. The lat
ter does not seem, according to the diary,
to have been greatly concerned in her
daughters movements.
When in st. Petersburg, the diary states
Louise Datone wrote letter to .,icolafs
mother. stating that the daughter had
threatened repeatedly to commit suicide,
and once had attempted it. Nicolai states
much her mother was interested in her
welfare. No mention Is made of a reply,
nor is there any later reference to it.
The preparation for the assuming of male
disguise consumed about two years, and
the actual occurrences began to take place
in 1892. 1t was, apparently in 1891 that
Louis Datone, after the two girls had been
at st. Petersburg short time, wrote a
letter to the late M. Pobodonostseff telling
him the chief facts of Nicolars alleged case
and asking for an interview.
Nicolaf eventually became secretary to
the Russian consul at Chicago, holding the
position for thirteen years, until over
come by tuberculosis she went to Arizona
There, upon her death, the undertaken dis
covered her true sex.