West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1907-07-25

CONVINCED THE PROCURAT0R SHE WAS
TKLLING THE TRUTH.
Chicago attorneys for James Reddick,
public administrator. Most of the doe
uments and all OF the diary are i'm the
Russian language.
The diary and letter from her
mother received through go-hetween
more than Il year ago show DE Ray
lan's real family name to have been
TaletslIy. Her given name Is not
shown by any Of the documents The
diary covers period between the years
1888 and 1892, the year of her arrival
as a refugee In Chicago
The first phase of her life traced I'm
her Journal, many pages of which In
dicate that she was drunkard,' gam
bier and profane roue. depicts her as
schoolgirl Her mother had placed
her'in government school for girls I'm
Kiev. Russia, where the Taletsky fam
lily home was situated. and between
the ages of fifteen and sixteen years
she was TO graduate. Somewhere
around this period her mother who had
been well to do before, suddenly ac-
quIred 100000 rubles about $125,OOO.
Nicolai discovered the existence of
cerning II. In some way she found
that 1t had been settled on her mother
as trustee by some member OF the no
.bllity, to be conserved I'm the interest
OF Nicolai. This discovery made the
young girl curious rs 90 the reasons for
the settlement and caused her 10 wish
for her father. TO find from him what
mystery surrounded her origin. NicO-
lai writes of various interviews with
her mother, i'm which tie latter refused
10 give information.
As the time Of the graduation from
the girls school drew near the girl con-
ceived n Napoleonlc scheme TO force
her mother TO pay her a considerable
SUM OF money or at least TO divulge
the information she sought SO eagerly.
or both. She had her inspiration I'm two
statutes OF Russia. one making 10 a
crime. punishable by imprisonment TO
gain entrance by any means for a hoy
into girls school The other was the
law regulating compulsory military
service, which made Il serious crime
to hide the sex OF male child.
The completeness Of detail with
which the sixteen-year-old girl set
about to prove herself a boy shows
her 10 have possessed originality and
Imagination to the point of genius.
No detail was left uncompleted Be
fore she made known TO any one her
purpose she made final and convincing
arrangements to provide for evidence
IN case her sex was questioned.
She had been watched over from ear
ly childhood 10y n French govcrncss,
Louise Ratone, about nine years her
senior Affecting to take her gov
erness into her confidence she said
according 20 the diary.
Louise. you've seen me I'm the house
here posing as n girl, when I'm fact all
the time 7 have been boy The pur-
pose OF my mother in Disgusting me I'm
this way was 10 procure this money
that has come to her"
She convinced Louise OF the truth Of
her statement. and they entered into a
compact. according TO the diary. 20
leave Kicv together and enter on q
campaign the purpose OF which should
he to force the mother 10 give up the
Information AMI the money NicOlai
told the gOvcrnoss she long had been
secretly I'm love with her and would
marry her rs soon as the money was
obtained
Tho preparation fOr fhc assuming Of
male disguise consumed about iWo
years, and the actual occurrence Joe.
gan to take place in 1902 10 was ap-
parcntly in 1891 that Louise Baloue.
after the two girls had been at So rc
tersburg q short time, wrote q letter to
the late VI Pobcdonostzcn telling him
the chief facts Of Nicolars alleged case
and asking for an interview.
The statesman and churchmau. con-
fidontial adviser of the car and who
was sometimes called the dictator Of